Look into Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger plane. It is also the heaviest and the costliest commercial passenger aircraft ever built. If you want to buy it, it will cost you more than $300 million apiece.
The super jumbo is gigantic, like a Titanic in the sky. It's tail stands seven stories high; and the plane is as wide as a soccer field, stretching 260 feet from wingtip to wingtip. It is also as long as two blue whales.
Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS. It began life as a French-German consortium in 1970 that was soon joined by Spain and later Britain. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, with subsidiaries in North America, China and Japan, Airbus Industrie draws on a global network of more than 1,500 suppliers in over 30 countries.
Airbus developed the A380 as the most spacious and efficient airliner ever conceived. This 525-seat aircraft (853, if configured for only economy clasa) is designed to deliver an unparalleled level of comfort.

The A380 redefines the meaning of comfort for all passengers - whether they are premium customers in First and Business class, or leisure travelers in the Economy cabin.
Its double-deck passenger cabins are wider than other airliners in service today, offering the possibility for wider seats and aisles, along with more open spaces and access to optional passenger amenities such as business centres and social areas.
A380 has 33 per cent more seats compared to a 747-400 but 50 per cent more cabin area and volume

To create the A380 cabin, the most spacious and comfortable yet designed for a large commercial aircraft, Airbus went to great lengths to find out what passengers themselves wanted.
Vast cabin mock-ups were conducted in eight major cities on three continents and the views of 1,200 frequent travellers - male and female and from a range of cultures and nationalities - were recorded.
Compared to a 747, the A380 has larger windows and overhead bins, and 60 cm of extra headroom.

The A380 is the ultimate in luxury. It has three decks: the top two for passengers and the lower one available for a medical centre, shopping or a fast-food franchise.
The aircraft has features like spas, casinos, gyms, bedrooms, and duty-free shops. Some airlines also plan to fix staterooms with beds, showers, a water feature, a double-width staircase between decks, and luxurious, book-lined club-style bars.
The A380 has wider seats and aisles, open spaces for passengers to stretch their legs and access to lower-deck amenities, thus offering unparalleled comfort.
The A380 generates only half the noise level at take-off and flight as compared with other aircraft. It meets the most stringent international certification and safety requirements, and uses the latest technologies for materials, systems and industrial processes

The A380 has bigger seats and more space between them.
The A380 will fly on the busiest routes. Singapore Airlines was the first to fly the A380 in mid-2006 on high-traffic routes, especially to London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney.
BAA, the London Heathrow airport operator, has spending $850 million in terminal and airfield modifications to accommodate the super jumbo.

No it is not a luxury hotel room!
This is a first class seat bed on board the first Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Some airlines have opted to offer 12 first class single suites on its first Airbus A380 flight. Two suites joined together becomes a double suite fitted with a 23-inch -- yes 23-inch -- television and beds that turn into leather day chairs.

Coffee in bed, anyone?
The A380 will change the way we fly. Especially for the wealthy.
Business class passengers -- 60 seats on this flight -- had access to an in-flight bar

This is what an A380 library, a shopping kiosk, a communication centre look like.
The plane also has a fitness centre. Some airlines even plan to have a swimming pool on board and will also do away with the traditional trolley service during meal times and will have self-service food counters for its passengers.
The aircraft has more space for in-flight sales and it could have a duty-free shop onboard.

The A380 cockpit has eight identical large interactive displays on the main instrument panel, with cursor control provided through a track-ball.
The displays provide a much larger screen area with clearer presentations, and they are augmented by a HUD (head-up display) that increases pilot situational awareness, particularly during the approach and landing phases.

The Brake-to-Vacate system, designed by a multinational Airbus team, helps ease airport congestion and reduce the amount of time an aircraft remains on the runway.
Enabling pilots to select a runway exit while the aircraft is making its landing approach, Brake-to-Vacate uses the auto-flight, flight controls, and auto-brake systems to regulate deceleration after touchdown.
This allows the aircraft to reach a specified exit at the correct speed under optimum conditions.

Folks travelling on the A380 in the economy class will not exactly be slumming it. This plane offers much more room for long legs that may prevent air travel-induced illnesses like deep vein thrombosis.
It is, no doubt, a spacious plane. In an economy-only configuration, it can accommodate 853 people.
Despite its ability to carry 35 per cent more passengers than its competitor, the A380 burns 12 per cent less fuel per seat - reducing operating costs and minimising its effects on the environment at the same time through fewer emissions.
The A380 burns fuel per passenger at a rate comparable to that of an economical family car.
Thanks to the incorporation of the latest advances in structures, materials, aerodynamics, systems and engine design, the A380 provides a direct operating cost per seat which is 15-20 per cent lower than the 747-400.

New-generation engines, combined with an advanced wing and landing gear design makes the A380 significantly quieter than other airlines - enabling the very large aircraft to meet strict local regulations at airports around the world.
In passenger operations, the A380 retains significant cargo capability in its lower deck while accommodating 525-plus passengers on the two main decks.
The A380's lower deck is designed to accept all standard underfloor cargo pallets and containers

The A380 cabin is the quietest cabin in the sky. Reducing cabin noise levels increases passenger comfort and well-being, and is an important factor in limiting the fatigue normally associated with long haul travel.
Passengers that have flown in the A380 have confirmed its cabin to be significantly quieter.
The A380 flight deck is also the quietest in the skies, improving working conditions for the flight crew.
With its superior cabin design and unique servicing concept, and thanks to a close cooperation with the aircraft ground handling industry, the A380 can spend less time at the gate between two flights.

Initial production of the A380 was troubled by delays attributed to the 530 km (330 miles) of wiring in each aircraft.
Airbus announced the first delay in June 2005 and notified airlines that delivery would slip by six months. This reduced the number of planned deliveries by the end of 2009 from about 120 to 90-100.
Airbus so far has received orders for 192 aircraft. It has already delivered four to Singapore Airlines.
The new airplane, received on April 27 will operate the route from Singapore to Tokyo.
The other 3 Airbus A-380, currently fly from Singapore to Sidney (since October 25, 2007) and London (since March, 18, 2008).

Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to include casinos, double beds, and gymnasiums on its A380s.
Singapore Airlines offers twelve fully-enclosed first-class suites on its A380, each with one full and one secondary seat, full-sized bed, desk, personal storage, and 58-cm (23-inch) LCD screen at a 20 to 25 per cent price premium over standard first class seating.
Four of these suites are in the form of two 'double' suites featuring a double bed.
Emirates has not yet revealed their front-end A380 product although Qantas Airways has shown their product which features a long flat-bed that converts from the seat but does not have privacy doors.
First class passengers of Emirates' it seems will be able to shower on the A380!
Airbus 380 is not just about comfort and space, but a lifetime's experience.

Gujjars raise their pitch, through loud speakers

Railway tracks here have become a new 'platform' for the Gujjars to voice their protest against the government for its failure to resolve their demand for scheduled tribes (ST) status.
A battery set, four loudspeakers and a microphone have been installed by local villagers and attached to an electricity pole along the Delhi-Mumbai railway track.
The speakers, who have used the rail tracks to address the agitators since May 23, range from spiritual disciples to businessmen, political leaders, including former MLAs and other functionaries of some state-level organisations.
Disciples of Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, a host of former MLAs, some corporators including the current Bharatpur MP Vishvendra Singh, have made the best use of their oratory skills to address a thousand-strong gathering.
Functionaries of some caste-based organisations of Rajasthan, like the 'Karni sena' (Rajputs) and Gujjar leaders from states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have also spoken to the agitators from the rail tracks.
Although there are no restrictions for the speakers, who usually criticise the state government, the locals follow a strict code of not clapping.
Locals say that as the dead were placed next to them on the same field, claps are a strict "no". Any person doing so is promptly hushed up by the crowd.
The announcement system which was till now was used to disseminate general information in the area, is now frequently utilised to check the location of security squads, who have been deputed to man all the exit and entry routes to the fields on both the Pilupura and Karwadi village side.

Crime's new face: Techies held for robbery

A six-member gang, including three techies, who had been allegedly kidnapping their counterparts for ransom, was arrested in Bangalore on Saturday.
Two cars, lethal weapons, Rs 4 lakh, six cellphones and fake explosive devices have been seized from the arrested, whom the police identified as D K Kiran (26), Muniram (32), Praveen (25), Rajkumar (28), Sandesh (25) and Bharath Amla (40).
Among the arrested Muniram, Sandesh alias Soodesh and Amla are engineering graduates, while Kiran holds a bachelor degree in tourism and hospitality.
According to city police commssioner N Achuta Rao, the modus operandi of the gang was to kidnap software engineers, tie fake explosives around their waist and demand hefty ransom threatening them if they fail to pay up, they would be killed activating remote-controlled "bomb".
According to preliminary investigations, the gang had successfully collected ransom from two techies, but bowed to their threats and did not lodge complaint.
On May 27, the gang stopped the car of Srinivas, a senior consultant in Mind Tree Company at 1100 am while he was on his way to office and bundled him to their car.
The gang threatened him of dire consequences if he did not pay Rs 80 lakh and forcibly took Rs 1.15 cash and a cheque for Rs 30,000.
The gang continued to harass him for more money and threatened that if he lodges a complaint, he would be killed.

How transparent is India's oil policy?

Facts regarding government policy are in short supply. The government of India claims that Rs 71,000 crore (Rs 710 billion) is needed to pay back the defaulted loans of poor farmers. No independent or quasi independent agency of the government has yet come out with the data matching this "estimate" of the government.
The RBI figures on defaults by banks and co-operatives are close to Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion); maybe it's time for the Finance Ministry to be sued under the Right to Information Act?
Inflation, the silent killer
Oil and energy facts are more important and more difficult to come by. It is claimed by all and sundry (government, oil companies, the market) that there is a net subsidy (under-recovery) of about Rs 225,000 crore (Rs 22.5 billion). And that the poor man's fuel, kerosene, was, until recently, being heavily subsidised.
Various facts about the market and domestic price of four energy items (kerosene, LPG, diesel and petrol) are presented for two different assumptions of international oil prices: at $80 and $130 a barrel. The concern here is not what the net tax on oil should be; rather, it is whether the GoI oil policy is transparent.
Five major oil facts are interesting, if not revealing. First, and most unusually, the price of diesel in India is considerably below (25% less) the price of petrol; the world prices diesel at 20 per cent above the price of petrol.
Second, the consumer price of petrol in India is more than that in the US (at $4.40 a gallon), and among the highest in the developing world. In China, petrol is priced at only 74 cents a litre, compared to the average Indian price of $1.17 a litre.
World's costliest & cheapest petrol
Third, with oil at $80/barrel, use of kerosene was being taxed by 5 per cent. Most people (including myself) believe that use of kerosene has been heavily subsidised.
Fourth, at $80/barrel oil, the total tax gain to the economy was around Rs 91,000 crore (Rs 910 billion); today, at $130/barrel oil, the total loss (subsidy) is only Rs 25,000 crore (Rs 250 billion) or only 0.5 per cent of GDP.
Fifth, and finally, there is little sign of the 5 per cent of GDP loss figure (Rs 225,000 crore), which is fashionably being touted around as the loss from our oil policy.
How is this patently false figure obtained? Via the oiliness of Indian policy, which is to first impose a tax on produced oil, and then sell it at a somewhat lower price, and then sell oil bonds to make up some of the difference!
At the end of it, no one knows whether there is actually a subsidy or a tax, and what its cost to the economy is. A numerical example can help illustrate. Assume international oil is at Rs 100; there is first a Rs 50 tax, then a Rs 25 subsidy. The government claims it is subsidising by Rs 25, when it is indeed taxing by the same amount! If this is not oily economics, I would like to meet the snake oil champion.
The figures presented are also disturbing. Why is there not much more scrutiny and discussion about the oily expenditures involved with other non-transparent government policies? Such expenditures are greater, and help the poor less.
But a greater problem might be that the government (RBI, Ministry of Finance, etc) may be making policy based on the certainty of $130/oil for the next year when there is not enough evidence to warrant this conclusion.
The guessing game: Is oil taxed, or subsidised
Item
Consumption(MMT)
International oil prices at $80/barrel $130/barrel Rs/Litre Rs/Litre
Indian price 6-Jun-08 Rs/Litre
Tax/Subsidy $80/barrel $130/barrel Rs '000 crore
Kerosene
10
24 39
25
1000 -14000
LPG
11
17 27
25
8800 -2200
Diesel
48
26 42
36
48000 -28800
Petrol
10
22 35
55
33000 -20000
Total


90800 -25000 Source: Consumption data from Government of India documents Note: The items come in different units (cylinders etc) and have been converted using standard industry conversions
One widely prevalent market view is that oil will be considerably higher than $130 because of the inexorable demand from primarily the large populations of China and India. It is argued that a BIG reason for the price of oil to go up 600 per cent these last 10 years (the average price of oil in the late 1990s was $20 a barrel) is because of India-China.
But these countries have been growing at a fast pace for the last 30 years, not just the last 10 years or just the last three months. So perhaps there is a bubble in the price of oil at $130, given that all the markets, and the pundits, were pricing it at $85 in February 2008, notwithstanding the hoopla of India and China.
It may be appropriate for investment banks and hedge funds to follow such risky strategies of everlasting increases in the price of oil; but the government of India?
An oil forecast based on India-China fundamentals is highly analogous to the recent speculative forecasts for the dollar/rupee made by these very same investment banks. It was argued, until just a month ago, that because India and China were both growing fast, their exchange rates would rise inexorably in the fashion envisioned by Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven.
The rupee was forecast to be at 38 by end-2007, and then 36 and 33 soon thereafter. These talking-your-book investment banks did not bother to check that while China had a current account surplus of 11 per cent of GDP, India had a deficit of 3 per cent and a deficit which would become considerably greater if the rupee had gone to 38 or 33.
Today, the rupee is at 43, a good 12 per cent away from its highly "reliable inevitable" forecast. Given the volatility of the rupee, and oil, this ex-post error of the extrapolated forecast is just as huge as forecasting oil at 50 per cent away from its eventual value!
The point is simple; just because there is a fundamental at play, it does not mean that any forecast is reliable. Not all stairways go to heaven, not all forecasts come true.
Indeed, given the extraordinary spike of oil, a 50 per cent rise in the past three months, a prudent government, or investment bank, would play a waiting game for the market to "stabilise" - just as the prudent investor would/should have done when the US dollar was on its lows at Rs 39.

Obama, McCain in neck-and-neck race: Poll

With five months to go for the US Presidential election, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama [Images] and Republican John McCain [Images] are locked in a statistical dead heat with more than one in five voters acknowledging that they might change their mind between now and November, an opinion poll showed.
Analysts agreed that polls five months before the election may not be indicative of the final outcome but would be watched closely by the candidates.
In the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, the first conducted entirely after Obama became the presumptive Democratic nominee, he leads his Republican counterpart 49 per cent to 46 per cent among registered voters -- a statistical tie, given the three-point margin of error.
McCain and Obama are not alone. Independent candidate Ralph Nader and Republican-turned-Libertarian Bob Barr are vying with the two major-party candidates for independent voters.
But at this point, the poll says it looks unlikely either will play a spoiler role. When pollsters asked about a field of candidates that includes Nader and Barr, the margin between Obama and McCain was virtually unchanged, with Democrat leading 47 per cent to 43 percent. Nader pulls in 6 per cent and Barr 2.
A hypothetical Obama-Hillary Clinton ticket would currently get 52 per cent of the vote, compared with 46 per cent for a hypothetical McCain-Mitt Romney ticket, according to the poll.
If Clinton is not on the ticket, 60 per cent of her Democratic supporters said they would vote for Obama, 17 per cent would vote for McCain, and 22 per cent would stay at home in November and not vote for anyone.
"That's just one estimate of the 'Clinton factor,' " said CNN polling director Keating Holland, "and it may not be an accurate predictor since it piles several hypotheticals on top of each other and asks people to guess their state of mind five months from now."
Nonetheless, it does indicate that unmotivated Clinton supporters may be a bigger risk to Obama than defections from the Clinton camp to McCain.
If Clinton is not on the ticket, 60 per cent of her Democratic supporters said they would vote for Obama, 17 per cent would vote for McCain, and 22 per cent would stay at home in November and not vote for anyone.
"That's just one estimate of the 'Clinton factor,' " said CNN polling director Keating Holland, "and it may not be an accurate predictor since it piles several hypotheticals on top of each other and asks people to guess their state of mind five months from now."
Nonetheless, it does indicate that unmotivated Clinton supporters may be a bigger risk to Obama than defections from the Clinton camp to McCain.

Sreesanth doubtful for Bangladesh tri-series

A side strain sustained in the Indian Premier League [Images] has rendered S Sreesanth [Images] doubtful for the tri-series in Bangladesh and the spunky pacer was on Friday advised to see the medical team at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said in a statement that Sreesanth sustained the injury during the May 28 Kings XI Punjab [Images] vs Rajasthan Royals [Images] match in Mohali.
Harbhajan banned from IPL for slapping Sreesanth
"Sreesanth has got a left side strain from the last IPL game at Mohali. This is confirmed by MRI scans and currently he still has some effusion in the region. Sreesanth is planned to join the Indian team for the Bangladesh tour tomorrow," Shah said in the release.
The pacer is being assessed by the medical team at the NCA.
"At present, he looks doubtful for the Bangladesh tour. His availability for the Bangladesh tour will be decided after his assessment at the NCA," Shah said.

Political party? 'No', says Baba Ramdev

Annie Samson Halong Bay (Vietnam), Jun 6 (PTI) The crowds that throng his discourses are big enough to envy any political party, for yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, however, joining any political party is a strict 'No'. "If I have any political ambitions, it would definitely not be to win votes for a seat in Parliament but to win over the hearts of leaders in Parliament," the Baba told PTI.
Ramdev, who is known as Babaji or Swamiji says, "Politicians across all parties now are interested only in how to make the most of themselves. There are so many cases of corruption against them and often some of them are charged with heinous crimes.
" The swami said it was his dream that India should have a political system which is vibrant efficient and accountable and leaders are humble and work in a transparent manner. The spiritual guru who is currently conducting a yoga camp for over 950 participants aboard the luxury liner Super Star Virgo is of the opinion that yoga is capable of achieving the dream and help bring in a revolution of sorts.
"Yoga is an entire way of life. It can spur a change in the thinking of people and bring about a revolution.
Vaicharik kranti se hum parivartan la sakte he (We can bring change with revolutionary thoughts)," he said. Advocating for compulsory voting in India the guru who visited Hong Kong and Halong Bay when the ship halted at these places during the past four days said, "A total of 32 countries in the world have a compulsory voting system so why can't we have one too?" He reasoned that since there was such a high level of illiteracy in the country during polling the exact picture was not known.
"It becomes all the more imperative that everyone votes to that the corrupt political system can be made clean and transparent."

CBI has not got hold of Aarushi murder weapon

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The CBI may not have got the weapon used in the brutal murder of teenaged girl Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, but it ended up helping the Noida residents in cleaning the drain as the agency questioned some of the police officials in the case. Taking a cue from Nithari serial killings, the CBI today hired sweepers on contract to clean the drains around the residence of the Talwar's, located in Sector 25 of Noida, in search of the murder weapon.
While success continued to elude the CBI in making any breakthrough or recovering the murder weapon, the drains around the area, which were possibly not cleared for several months, were finally cleaned. Suspecting that the weapon could be thrown somewhere near the Talwar house, the CBI engaged people to get drains cleaned, searched bushes and garbage dumps in areas surrounding the house of the dentist's residence.
The cleaning of drains had come as a big help to the CBI in the Nithari serial killings where they recovered human bones and skeletal remains. CBI also questioned some of the Noida Police officials in connection with the murder weapon, the sources said, adding, after all the agency would like to know as to what efforts were made by the police in recovering the same.
The forensic teams were also trying to conclusively establish the weapon weapon used, with maximum suspicion pointed towards the use of 'Khukri'. Aarushi's Rajesh Talwar is at present in 14 days judicial custody after four days CBI custody

When Mulayam met Maya after 13 years

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati shared a common platform on Friday for the first time in 13 years triggering speculation over their future moves ahead of the scheduled general elections next year.
The occasion, which brought Yadav, a former chief minister, and the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo together was a meeting convened to finalise nominees for the State Human Rights Commission.
The arch rivals had parted ways following the collapse of their coalition government in 1995 and have been bitter critics attacking each other and rarely acknowledging even the presence of the other at public functions. Much to the surprise of media and senior officials, Yadav reached Maywati's Kalidas Marg residence on Friday morning in his capacity as the leader of Opposition, who also happens to be a member of the selection committee for the SHRC. The chief minister heads the selection committee.
Sources said this is for the first time Yadav was visiting Mayawati's residence since 1995.
Assembly Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar, Chairman of Vidhan Parishad Sukhram Singh Yadav and Samajwadi Party leader Ahmad Hasan are among other members of the committee.
The meeting lasted for more than 40 minutes. The recent weeks have seen the Samajwadi party cosying up to the Congress with Yadav targetting Mayawati calling her "ungrateful" for attacking the Centre. Samajwadi leader Amar Singh also attended a dinner organised in connection with the fourth anniversary of the Congress-led UPA government.

Yeddyurappa wins Karnataka floor test

Bharatiya Janata Party crossed its final hurdle in Karnataka after it won the trust vote in the Karnataka legislative assembly on Friday amidst a walkout by the Congress.
Coverage: Karnataka Votes
The Speaker directed that a voice vote be held to decide the fate of the government.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa moved a motion seeking a vote of confidence in the legislative assembly at 1530 hours. The one line motion moved by Yeddyurappa requested the opposition to approve the motion without a debate. He requested that the vote of confidence be held immediately, but opposition Congress insisted that a debate be held before the vote of confidence takes place. Soon after the debate, the Congress staged a walkout following which the trust vote was held.
The BJP won the vote of confidence through a voice vote, which included the support of the six independents, five of whom are in the cabinet. The BJP with 110 seats in the 224-member house formed the government with the help of six independent candidates. Speaker Jagadish Shettar granted the House two hours time for a debate before holding the trust vote.
The BJP was granted 55 minutes, Congress, 45 and Janata Dal-Secular 25 minutes to debate in the House.Yeddyurappa started off by saying that he would abide by what the Governor had told the House earlier in the day. He assured the House of good governance and promised that development would be the prime focus of his government.The Congress leaders, however, expressed reservations over the performance of the BJP government and added that there would be absolute chaos in the state.
The Congress leaders, headed by opposition leader Mallikarjuna Kharge, staged a walk out minutes before the trust vote could take place.The next assembly session will be held on June 23. B S Yeddyurappa was sworn in as Karnataka chief minister last Friday along with his 29 member Cabinet. With the trust vote now complete, Yeddyurappa would induct a few more legislators into his ministry and also allot portfolios to all those inducted into the ministry.

Gujjars agree to hold talks with Rajasthan government

After more than a fortnight-long violent agitation, which claimed 43 lives in police firing, the Gujjars demanding Scheduled Tribe status on Friday decided to hold talks with the Rajasthan government at Bayana.
The decision to hold the talks, at a date to be fixed in consultation with Rajasthan government, was taken at a meeting of top Gujjar leaders including leading intellectuals, community leader Kirori Singh Bainsla told reporters.
Emerging from the Gujjar Mahapanchayat, called a day after the state government sent a fresh invitation to the Gujjars to join the negotiating table, he said the talks should be held at Bayana in Bharatpur district, which has been the epicentre of the stir by the community since May 23.
Bainsla said Gujjar representatives for the talks would be announced after receiving a communication from the state government.
"We are communicating this message to the government through the media," Bainsla said.
"Talks will take place in Bayana. The Gujjar representatives will be decided once we receive a communication from the government about our decision," he said.
"We have only one demand: that the state government should send a recommendation granting ST status to Gujjars," Bainsla said. He vowed to continue the agitation till the demand was met.
Gujjar representatives from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and from other parts of Rajasthan like Alwar, Sikar, Sikandara, Dausa, which have a sizable Gujjar population, arrived here to participate in the 'Mahapanchayat'.
After the Mahapanchayat, Bainsla led all the members on to the railway tracks from where he made the announcement about the decision to hold the talks in Bayana.
Bainsla made a special mention of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav as he said, "I thank the Railway Minister as we are sitting on these rail tracks for 15 days. We will repair the railway tracks in whatever ways we can once we leave this place."
Bainsla also thanked Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh, Lok Janshakti leader Uma Bharti, farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan among others for the support extended by them to the Gujjars.
Gujjar leaders, who arrived from various parts of the country, extended their support to Bainsla and said they would follow whatever decision he takes to secure their demands.
Congress leader Rambir Singh Vidhudi, who came here from Delhi, said he would take up the matter with Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images].

Mumbai plans its own Statue of Liberty

If New York has a Statue of Liberty, so why can't Mumbai? The Congress-led Maharashtra government has decided to build its very own Statue of Liberty of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, off the coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.
But the Maharashtra government's to make this equestrian statue, rising 1.8 km from the Arabian Sea, has already kicked off controversy.
''We are also planning a lights and sound show and a museum so that people get to know Shivaji, the king and the administrator,'' said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.
Standing proud at 309 feet and cast in bronze, the statue of the Maratha warrior king will mirror (Statue of Liberty) another global icon, the statue of liberty in New York.
But the 17th century Maratha king appears to be kicking up a controversy rather than winning votes.
It is a manifesto promise sudden woken up to four years after being in power. Naturally questions are being raised elections next year. But will political com change forever.
''What's the need? It will be a problem whether aesthetically, environmentally or economically,'' said Nayana Kathpalia, convenor, Citispace.
Not what the chief minister and his deputy were thinking during a site inspection, an island measuring 30,000 square metres and a ferry service to be built along the city's coast, a coastline that also happens to host one of Mumbai's most coveted promenades.
''I think this is nothing but an attempt by the government to garner some votes keeping in mind next year's elections,'' said R N somani, Walkers Association of Marine Drive.
''There are so many infrastructure needs of Mumbai,'' said Swarn Kohli, Marine Residents' Association.
It is among the country's most well-known landmarks, one whose serenity could be marred forever.

Adamant Gujjars intensify agitation

Unrelenting Gujjar protesters today intensified road blockades in violence-hit Dausa area throwing life out of gear as 27 trains passing through Rajasthan were cancelled by the Northern Railways.
The protesters, who were agitating against tear gassing and baton charge by police to quell stone-pelting groups in Khuri village, 10 kms from here, yesterday, set up road blocks in several areas in this district since early this morning, police said.
Badly hit were roads in the Bandikui area, where Gujjar men and women continued their blockade of a key rail track, leading to cancellation or diversion of several trains.
In Dausa town and neighbouring areas, where Gujjar protestors damaged pipelines hitting drinking water supply, work was on to restore the connections, they said.
Following up on the directive asking people in Bharatpur range to surrender their licensed weapons, the district administration has cancelled nearly 200 arms licences, Inspector General of Police (Bharatpur Range) Umesh Mishra said.
Gujjar protesters also continued their blockade of the highway linking Rajasthan's Sawaimadhopur district with Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, reports reaching here said.
As many as 27 trains passing through the stir-hit state were today cancelled and several others diverted, a Northern Railways spokesman said in New Delhi.

Please understand! PM tells Indians after fuel price hike

New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) The fuel price hike was inevitable. The government has not forgotten the common man. And the state still bears 90 percent of the burden on account of the global oil shock. This was the message Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to convey in his address to the nation Wednesday.
'It must be appreciated that what has been done is the bare minimum,' the prime minister said in the 20-minute televised address, hours after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs headed by him allowed a 9.5-11 percent hike in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.
In the speech, which also touched upon the various social development programmes of his four-year-old United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with a clear eye on impending national elections, the prime minister urged people to understand the government's predicament.
'Business cannot go on like this for ever. We need to learn to adjust to this new international scenario. We need to be efficient and economical in our use of energy,' he said, pointing out the global crude oil prices had topped $135 per barrel, against $67 per barrel when fuel prices were last raised in February.
'Our oil companies cannot go on incurring losses. This way, they will have no money to import crude oil from abroad,' he said, adding: 'Thus a rise in prices is inevitable.'
The prime minister said despite the hike in prices of some petroleum products being permitted by his government, as much as 90 percent of the fiscal burden had to be still borne by the government.
'It is therefore incumbent upon state governments, many of whom tax petroleum products substantially, to also contribute to this national effort by suitably reducing state taxes and levies,' he said.
Yet, the political undertones of his address, given that his government has now entered an election year, were evident when he began his address by listing the various pro-poor and agrarian-centric programmes of his government.
'I am sure that all these efforts have started to bear fruit and no one can deny that we are moving in the right direction to eliminate poverty, ignorance and disease,' he said.
He also spoke of the twin issues of growth and rising prices, and said inflation in India was the result of rising food and commodity prices around the world and rising world oil prices.
'I assure you our government will continue to pursue policies that will make our growth process more socially inclusive, more meaningful to all sections of society and more beneficial to our farmers, artisans, and industrial workers.'
Manmohan Singh's address also came after the opposition, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Left parties, which prop the ruling coalition, were unanimous in denouncing the price hike permitted by the government.
'This isn't a marginal hike. It's a substantial hike. It will have a deleterious effect. It will fuel inflation. So the Left parties will have a week-long protest from Thursday,' Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Prakash Karat said.
India's annual rate of inflation has topped the worrisome eight-percent mark and stood at 8.1 percent for the week ended May 17.
'This is an economic terror unleashed on the country. The prime minister has put another burden on the people. This will cause an upheaval in the nation. It is a black day for the country,' BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
The prime minister, however, took the line that there was no other alternative and that the citizens of India needed to adjust to the new realities of energy security and not pass on the burden to the next generation.
"This global Oil Shock has imposed a huge burden on our finances and financial resources of our oil companies. In the past year alone, as oil prices doubled, our government did not make any adjustments in the price of petrol and other petroleum products. Kerosene prices have not been touched in four years."
He also sought to highlight the fact that the hikes permitted by his government also came with a cut in customs duties on crude oil to nil from five percent and on diesel and petrol to 2.5 percent from 7.5 percent. Excise duty was also cut.
The prime minister, accordingly, also made an appeal to the state governments to cut their sales tax, since, as Petroleum Minister Murli Deora explained, was as high as 30 percent or more in some states.
"It is therefore incumbent upon state governments, many of whom tax petroleum products substantially, to also contribute to this national effort by suitably reducing state taxes and levies,' the prime minister said.
Prior to his speech, the prime minister also constituted a high-powered panel to examine the financial position of state-run oil companies against the backdrop of soaring crude oil prices

'Sarkar Raj': An exceptional film!

Sequels are dicey business. No matter how much you improvise on your new script, you cannot escape comparisons. And when you attempt a sequel of a critically acclaimed film that's a huge box-office grosser as well, it's akin to walking on a tight rope.
Most importantly, post 'Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag', Ramgopal Varma was everyone's favorite punching bag [till 'Tashan' dethroned 'RGV Ki Aag']. “Finished”, “spent force”, “has-been”, “Pack up” were commonly used terms for RGV.

Now here's great news! 'Sarkar Raj' supersedes the prequel and most importantly, RGV bounces back like never before. If you felt 'Shiva' and later 'Satya' were his finest efforts, you've got to watch 'Sarkar Raj' An outstanding film in all respects, this film has all it takes to emerge a major success story at the box-office… and a landmark film in everyone's careers.

When Anita [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], CEO of Sheppard Power Plant, an international company, brings a power plant proposal to set up in rural Maharashtra before the Nagres, insightful Shankar [Abhishek Bachchan] is quick to realize the benefits the power plant can bring to the people.

After convincing Sarkar [Amitabh Bachchan], who is against it for various reasons, Shankar undertakes a journey along with Anita to the villages of Maharashtra to mobilize support from the masses.

However, things are not what they seem to be and Shankar's dream project gradually becomes a political minefield. The evil forces, mightier than ever, mushroom and gang up to bring down the regime of Sarkar and obliterate Shankar's name from the political horizon.

Write your own movie review of 'Sarkar Raj'

'Sarkar Raj' exudes a lot of power from the word 'Go'. But let's not categorize 'Sarkar Raj' as yet another “political film”. Emotions and relationships run concurrently in those 2+ hours. What works in favor of 'Sarkar Raj' is its tight writing. It's not difficult to decipher the power play, but more importantly, there's meat in the script. It leaves you awe-struck as the plot thickens. The film throws a number of surprises, but the best is reserved for the penultimate 20/25 minutes. The culmination to the story is simply fantastic!

RGV shines like never before. He takes to 'Sarkar Raj' with a vengeance. He has to prove that the sequel is better, he has to prove the detractors wrong too.

Besides its strong content, 'Sarkar Raj' has been filmed exceptionally well too. In fact, 'Sarkar Raj' has the trademark RGV stamp in every sequence. The review would be incomplete without giving the due credit to writer Prashant Pandey's incredible and almost flawless script. Amar Mohile's background score is topnotch. The by-now-famous 'Govinda' chant in the background only enhances the impact. Amit Roy's cinematography is exceptional. The DoP succeeds in giving the film the raw-n-rustic look, which works very well. Action [Allan Amin], in minimal doses, is perfect.

'Sarkar Raj' is embellished with superb performances! Amitabh Bachchan, expectedly, comes up with a terrific performance. He's as ferocious as a wounded tiger in the finale and takes the film to great heights.

First 'Yuva', then 'Guru', now 'Sarkar Raj', Abhishek Bachchan is cast opposite the finest actor of this country, yet he sparkles in every sequence. This time, the father and son go neck to neck as far as acting honors go. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is fabulous and delivers her career-best performance in 'Sarkar Raj'.

Every supporting actor in 'Sarkar Raj' stands out - Dilip Prabhawalkar [superb], Govind Namdev [first-rate], Sayaji Shinde [perfect], Ravi Kale [terrific] and Supriya Pathak [good]. Tanisha is alright. The actor enacting the role of Dilip Prabhawalkar's grandson makes a strong impact.

On the whole, 'Sarkar Raj' is an exceptional film in all respects. At the box-office, it has all it takes to set new records in days to come!

'Sarkar Raj' is an episode in the life of Nagre family: Amitabh Bachchan

He is a dynamic personality, every word uttered by him is heard, and re-heard just in order to register the magnificent voice. 'Sarkar Raj' was an opportunity to spend more time with family; surely, that is what he has achieved. Amitabh, Abhishek, Aishwarya Bachchan minus of course Jaya Bachchan.

So here's Amitabh Bachchan giving an exclusive interview for us.

Q. What new will we get to see in the sequel for 'Sarkar Raj'? What is the story?

First of all, let me tell you what Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) has been saying that to everyone, 'Sarkar Raj' is not a sequel, but an episode in the life of Nagre family. A family always goes through a lot of circumstances and conflicts, this film deals with one of them. 'Sarkar' ended on a note, where Shankar Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan's character) takes over the responsibility of running the Nagre household. So in 'Sarkar Raj', Shankar Nagre takes certain decisions and we as family stand together and fight the circumstances.

Q. How was it working with the family, experience of working with Abhishek and Ash, on the sets of 'Sarkar Raj'?

We were shooting in Hyderabad, in Ramoji Rao studio, which has all facilities within the premises. Everything was within the walking distance. So it was nice to spend time with the family after the pack up. We as a family are always very busy and this gave us an opportunity to be together. But when the cameras were on, we were totally engrossed in our characters and we were shooting like any other co artistes.

Exclusive videos of 'Sarkar Raj'
Q. Ramu has been appreciating Abhishek, saying he has done a better job than you in 'Sarkar Raj'… please comment.

Has Ramu said that? What can I say…All parents want their children to succeed and do better in life than themselves...This is a proud moment for any father to hear that his son has done better than him.

Q. You have worked with RGV before and some of the films have not done well at the box office… please comment.

I believe that Ramu is a very capable director…He has always challenged me as an actor and pushed me as an actor to give better performances.

Q. The tagline of 'Sarkar Raj' is that power cannot be given, it needs to be taken. What is power for you…

Power as a word has a lot of ramifications and can mean several things to several people. Power is also that you can sit across me and ask questions, this is power of media. One kind of power is political; the other kind of power is power of common man walking on the streets…So it means a lot of things to lot of people.

SC tells banks: Be polite to loan defaulters

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken a serious note of growing complaints of extralegal methods used against loan defaulters. The apex court has cautioned banks to respect the law of the land and rein in their recovery agents.
The court has told banks and financial institutions to strictly follow the 10-point guidelines issued by RBI mandating recovery agents to be scrupulously polite in their dealings with borrowers who have defaulted.
The court issued the order in a case relating to a young man living in Sriniwaspuri in south Delhi who committed suicide allegedly after he was harassed by recovery agents.
The court said banks should follow a more civil method of recovering dues. The Times of India has quoted the bench, consisting of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Dalveer Bhandari, as warning financial institutions that they are bound by law and recovery of loans or seizure of vehicles can only be done through legal means.
The Delhi State Consumer Commission too has, in a recent order, stated that unless a bank or a financial institution is equipped with a court order to repossess a vehicle which it has given on loan, it has no authority to go to the residence of the borrower to take away the vehicle by force. This was observed by the state consumer commission in a recent order.
The commission observed that no financier or bank had the authority to forcibly take possession of the vehicle as the loan agreement or hire purchase agreement were civil contracts and therefore had to be enforced through civil remedy, that is, through intervention of the court.

Mumbai gets a new landmark

Bandra-Worli Sea Link: An engineering marvel

Mumbai will get a new landmark with the completion of the work on the 5.8 km long Bandra-Worli Sea Link project. The project is a 8-lane, cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete viaduct approaches, which will link Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai. The Rs 1306 crore project of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is being executed by Hindustan Construction Company and is likely to be completed by January 2009. The Maharashtra government has announced the extension of the sea link by another 3.6 km up to Haji Ali at an additional cost of Rs 1,200 crore

Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project has the potential to bring about permanent and far-reaching changes in the travel patterns of the area. The link will provide a fast moving outlet from South Mumbai to the suburbs in the west. This link will also help in reducing the present congestion on the Mahim Causeway (which is the only link available at present between western suburbs and south Mumbai) and Western Express Highway.

The sealink is the first phase of the Western FreeWay Sealink proposed to be built to improve the connectivity between the island city of Mumbai and its western suburbs. This link will be followed by a link from Worli to Nariman Point with dispersal to Cuffe Parade. The Sealink will also be supported by a series of flyovers, rail link, roadways and other public facilities.

The project envisages construction of 8 lane Sea link freeway from the interchange of Mahim intersection at the Bandra end to Worli Sea face on Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Road. The Construction of the sea link project is divided into four packages namely Package I,Package II, Package III and Package IV. The Package IV executed by HCC forms the main and the most technically challenging construction package of this project.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link project has 9 approach bridge modules and two cable stayed bridges. Each approach bridge module comprises two independent carriageways. The deck of the carriageways consists of triple cell precast box girders supported on piers founded on independent substructure. The cable stayed main bridge has two similar precast triple cell boxes.

The Bandra Worli Sealink is the first of its kind in a number of ways. A number of unique equipment are being used in this project. The unique distinguishing feature of this project is deployment of Asian Hercules, one of the biggest floating sheerleg cranes in the world, for shifting of 1200 MT Launching Girders in sea and specially manufactured equipment for erection of cable stay bridge segments.

The eight-lane flyover will have capacity of carrying about 1.40 lakh cars per day. Large multi-axel vehicles and two-wheelers would not be allowed on the sea link. Speed limit would have to be maintained at 100 km/hr. As the project is being implemented on BOT basis, there would be a minimum toll of Rs 30 per vehicle.

Length of the steel wires used is equal to the circumference of the earth.Weight of the Sealink Bridge is equivalent to the weight of 50,000 African elephantsHeight of the cable-stay towers equals that of a 43 storied building and the length of the Sealink Bridge is 63 times the height of the Qutub Minar

The Bandra Worly sea link project has certain unique features. These include:--An 8-lane bridge with 2 lanes dedicated for buses.--Unique bridge design for the Link Bridge to emerge as a land mark structure in the city.--Single tower supported 500 metre long cable-stayed bridge at Bandra Channel and twin tower supported 350 m cable-stayed bridge at Worli Channel for each carriageway.--Modern toll plaza of 16 lanes with automated toll collection system.--An intelligent bridge with state-of-art systems for traffic monitoring, surveillance, information and guidance, instrumentation, emergency support, etc.--Development of promenade and landscaping to enhance the environment.

Several benefits will accrue from the project. They include:--Estimated savings in Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC): Rs. 100 Crores per annum.--Considerable savings in travel time (20 to 30 minutes) due to increased speed and reduced delays (23 signals avoided)--Stress-free driving.--Reduced accidents.--Reduction in traffic on existing roads because of traffic diversion to the Sea Link. --Reduction in Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxide Levels in Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi and Worli along existing roads.--Reduced noise pollution in Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi and Worli along existing roads.--No adverse effect on fisheries, marine life and livelihood of fisherman.--Landscaping along the approaches and waterfront promenade will enhance the environment and add green spots to the city.

HCC has been executing some of the most exciting and challenging projectsin Indian history. The major engineering landmarks include the world’s longest barrage at Farakka in West Bengal, India’s first underground metro at Kolkata and the second one in New Delhi, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway–India’s first six-lane expressway-the unique double curvature arch dam at Idukki in Kerala and one of Asia’s largest breakwaters at Ennore Port in Tamil Nadu. One ambitious project under way is the Nimoo Bazgo Hydroelectric Project in Leh Ladakh at an altitude of 11,000 feet in Jammu and Kashmir. Source: India Syndicate Image courtesy: Hindustan Construction Company Ltd

Obama is US Democratic presidential candidate

"This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight," she said. Instead, the 60-year-old said she would spend the next few days determining "how to move forward with the best interests of our country and our party guiding my way."
US media reports quoted lawmakers as saying that during a conference call Clinton expressed willingness to serve as Obama's running mate in November if she was asked to.
The Obama campaign, however maintained that it was "too early" to discuss the issue. "We don't have a long list or a short list," said David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist.
"Obviously she's an incredibly formidable person."
Obama supporters gathered in large numbers outside a convention centre in St Paul. Festive mood prevailed all over as Obama walked in with wife Michelle amid loud cheers in an arena draped with huge American flags and the trademark "Change We Can Believe In" banners.
Diving into general election mode, Obama took on presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, saying it's "time to turn the page on the policies of the past."
The 71-year-old Vietnam war veteran also did not mince his words while addressing a gathering in Louisiana, the home state of Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal who has been apparently short-listed for Republican vice-presidential nominee.
"No matter who wins this election, the direction of this country is going to change dramatically. But the choice is between the right change and the wrong change, between going forward and going backward," McCain said.
Obama, however, said "It's not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush [Images] 95 per cent of the time, as he did in the Senate last year."

Reforms taking a back seat in India?

It takes several years before a mindset changes. This became most obvious when the general mindset on economic reforms changed in the mid-1990s. The PV Narasimha Rao government, with Manmohan Singh as its finance minister, had begun to dismantle the economic policy regime of the past several decades, by replacing discretionary and administrative controls with a rule-based and transparent regulatory system. The idea behind the move was to phase out government controls on economic activities and unshackle the spirit of entrepreneurship of Indian businessmen.
Even as India's economic resurgence became evident, the general mindset on economic reforms began showing signs of change. By the time the PV Narasimha Rao government demitted office, the transformation was by and large complete.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, considered for long institutions that could take away India's economic freedom, were no longer the hate-objects that they used to be. There was a general agreement among all economic agents that fiscal controls were far superior to physical or quantitative controls.
The United Front governments and the National Democratic Alliance government also embraced a similar economic philosophy and played no small role in ensuring that the mindset change in favour of economic reforms was firmly in place on an irreversible course.
Admittedly, a small minority, including the Left political parties, continued to remain uninfluenced by this change. But it made little impact on the course of the reformist path chosen by successive governments.
The United Progressive Alliance government was formed in 2004, ushering in hopes of more reforms as it had Manmohan Singh as the prime minister and Palaniappan Chidambaram as the finance minister.
Along with Montek Singh Ahluwalia (who joined the UPA government a few months later as deputy chairman of the Planning Commission) they formed the new "dream team" of reformers, who had also played a crucial role in the economic reforms initiated by the Narasimha Rao government in the 1990s.
Yes, the UPA government depended on the support of the Left political parties. But the reformist credentials of these three reformers were so strong that, even the pessimists did not entertain any doubts on the broad course of economic policies under the UPA regime.
Four years later, the scenario looks a little different. The UPA government and its "dream team" still pay obeisance to economic reforms. But there is a visible change in the way their ideas of economic reforms are getting implemented through policies. It will be naive to attribute this change only to the pressure the Left parties put on the UPA government.
The change has been endorsed from within the Congress as well. Yes, the Left parties are taking political advantage by claiming credit for having brought about the change. But the harsh reality is that many of these changes have obtained a tacit endorsement from the Congress leadership.
It will be useful to recall some of these changes. One, privatisation as an idea is dead. Forget about the profit-making public sector undertakings, the UPA government has no plan to privatise even the ailing and unviable PSUs.
If you do not believe this, consider what the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises has recommended so far. The sick PSU companies are now being merged or made subsidiaries of the profit-making PSUs. Proposals for divestment of shares in profitable PSUs are not being favoured even where the government retains its majority ownership after the sale of shares.
Two, the government has fully regained its control on pricing in sectors from where it had begun to phase itself out. The petroleum sector is a prime example of that undeclared rollback in reforms. Rising inflation and its political impact have forced the UPA government to go on the back foot and subject decisions on prices of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas to a clearance by the Cabinet. Yes, the government should be worried about rising prices and take necessary steps to reduce their impact on the poor. But keeping prices of these products unchanged across the board for more than a year (at a time international crude oil prices have doubled) has meant that even the economically well-off people have been benefitting from the government's largesse at the cost of a few oil PSUs.
Three, the government seems to be less concerned over its rising subsidies bill. In the early days of reforms, there used to be talk of targetting subsidies only for the poor and needy. Now, even such talks have become rare.
Like petroleum product prices, the UPA government refuses to entertain any thoughts of reducing subsidies lest it has a political backlash ruining its chances of doing well in the forthcoming elections. Already, the actual fiscal deficit is much more than what is officially claimed and there are arguments within the government to favour a hike in expenditure even if that means a slightly higher fiscal deficit.

Inflation climbs to 8.24%

Inflation surged to 8.24 per cent for the week ended May 24 from 8.1 per cent in the previous week, despite fall in prices of some essential commodities like fruits, vegetables, spices.
Wholesale prices-based inflation stood at 5.15 per cent a year ago. The rate of price rise is expected to advance further after two weeks, when the June 5 increase in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas would be taken into account.
Inflation, the silent killer
During the week ending May 24, non-food articles, raw rubber, raw cotton and groundnut seeds became expensive by 1-2 per cent.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram said inflation was a problem, but with people's support price stability could be ensured.
What is inflation?
Cereal prices went up by 0.5 per cent, while fruit and vegetable prices declined by about one per cent.
Despite fiscal measures taken by the government, prices of imported edible oil surged by 6 per cent.
Earlier this week the government had raised the prices of fuel - petrol by Rs 5 per litre, diesel by Rs 3 per litre and LPG by Rs 50.

Peace in Asia: India wants to work with China

India on Friday said it wants to work with China to ensure peace and stability in Asia and 'beyond' by evolving a new 'security architecture' and restructuring of UN and other global political and economic institutions to bring them in line with current realities.
"An open and inclusive architecture, which is flexible enough to accommodate the great diversity that exists in Asia, is needed," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told students and scholars at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing [Images].
The minister opposed creation of 'sub-regional security arrangements that are narrow and ultimately ineffective'. "We cannot transplant ideas from other parts of the world," Mukherjee said a day after holding wide-ranging talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.
In his speech on India's Foreign Policy, he said: "We already have some dialogue forums in place, such as ARF (ASEAN Regional forum), the CICA (Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), where we are discussing security issues."
As two major countries in Asia, India and China should try to work together to evolve a new framework 'from these basic building blocks', he said.
"I have no doubt that they will help us address our common concerns, such as the security of the sea lanes of communication, which are critical to trade and energy flows in our region and on which the future of our two countries will depend," he told the audience.
"We should work together towards peace, security and stability in Asia and beyond. For this, we will need to evolve a security architecture which takes into account the conditions prevailing in Asia," Mukherjee said.
As two large Asian states and as two of the fastest growing emerging economies of the world, 'cooperation between India and China transcends the bilateral sphere', he said, adding, "Indeed, it has global significance".
Mukherjee said both the countries also need to work together with other countries towards mutually beneficial economic globalisation that would draw on the dynamism and potential of India and China.
In this context, he said both countries must ensure that regional integration processes were inclusive so that they could contribute towards building an Asian Economic Community that 'is open, transparent and inclusive, and that provides a platform to create ever widening economic opportunity'. "I believe such a path will be in our mutual interest," he said.
Global governance structures -- be they in the political domain, such as the UN, or the economic domain, such as the IMF and World Bank -- were still based on a world order that 'is a 60-year-old relic' from the middle of the last century, Mukherjee said. There was an urgent need to restructure and democratise these global institutions to attune them to the realities of the day, the minister, who is on a four-day visit to the country, he added.
"It is important for India and China to work together to achieve this objective and give substance to the idea that both of us have a common responsibility and a common interest in shaping our world in the future.
"When both of us define our interactions with each other and with the rest of the world in global terms, we will be fulfilling the promise in our relationship and resume our historical role for contributing to humanity's future," the minister said.

Colombo: Bomb rips through bus, kills 21

At least 21 people, including seven women, were killed and 47 injured today when a powerful bomb ripped through a packed bus near the Sri Lankan capital.
The explosion occurred at 7.35am in Moratuwa, 12 km from Colombo, a military spokesman said and blamed the LTTE for the attack.
Twenty-one passengers were killed in the explosion. Seven of the dead were women," he said.
The roadside bomb was placed between Shailabimbaramya Buddhist temple and the University of Moratuwa and destroyedthe public transport bus, defence sources said.
The bus was travelling from Kottawa to Mount Lavinia, about 5 kms from Colombo. Meanwhile, hospital sources said out of the 21 people killed, eight were women.
It said the the injured have been rushed to the nearby Teaching Hospital and Base Hospital.
A few victims who suffered severe injuries have been transferred to the National hospital at Colombo.

Dream ticket? Hillary, Obama meet in-camera

In a bid to put up a united front, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama had a closely wrapped meeting with his vanquished rival Hillary Clinton hours after she announced her decision to bow out of the race following a 17-month acrimonious campaign.
While aides kept the media at bay, a joint statement by the two campaigns said they had "productive discussions about important work that needs to be done to succeed in November" presidential elections in which Obama faces Republican candidate John McCain.
Though there is intense speculation about a Clinton-Obama "dream ticket", the campaigns gave no other details of the meeting which was held after a day-long campaign by Obama in the Republican strong hold of Virginia.
But some officials said the meeting was initiated by Clinton and that two had asked their aides not disclose the contents or venue of the meeting.
The first hint about the meeting came when Obama failed to travel with reporters and his aides on the campaign plane to Chicago.
Obama and Clinton apparently did not want to disclose the location of their meeting to avoid being questioned by media.
A buzz that they are meeting in Clinton's Washington home led to dozens of reporters and camera crews being stationed there but the only report they could give was about security around the residence and the rooms in which lights were on.
Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the two leaders had met but denied the site was Clinton's house.

Jindal considered 'Republican Obama': Report

New York: Now that it is Barack Obama vs John McCain for resident, many more in the Republican party are excited over the possibility of Bobby Jindal as McCain's running mate as the Louisiana governor is increasingly seen having youth and zeal, a 'Republican Obama' in short.
When McCain went campaigning in Louisiana, before he could begin speaking at a meeting in Baton Rouge Wednesday, he first had to quieten a crowd gone wild for Jindal, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The similarities between Obama, 46, and Jindal, 36, both children of immigrants and great orators, are tantalising to many in the Grand Old Party. Jindal is also mirroring Obama's meteoric rise. Having been the nation's youngest sitting governor only for 143 days, his name is already being bandied about as a potential running mate for McCain.
"The governor has been able to reach across the aisle and get things done for the people of Louisiana, help the folks in New Orleans in recovering from the storm," McCain himself said praising Jindal at a news conference.
"That would be something that I could show the American people as a way that people from both sides of the aisle, Republican and Democrat, can sit down and work together," McCain added.
He did not dwell on the selection of his running mate, and Jindal insists he's not campaigning for the slot. But the two have met repeatedly in recent weeks even as the McCain campaign has said nearly two dozen people are being considered.
Whatever happens, Jindal, an Ivy League intellectual with a reformist's zeal, has come to represent for some Republican leaders the youthful streak and problem-solving approach to government they believe are critical to reinvigorating a party adrift under a deeply unpopular president, the Journal said.
"Bobby Jindal... is somebody who could be touted as part of the next generation of national Republican leaders. And they should be touting him," said one of the governor's mentors, US Representative Jim McCrery, of northern Louisiana.
Jindal has succeeded in the state at gaining the support of social conservatives and pro-business fiscal hawks, while appealing to moderate suburbanites, the right mix many Republicans believe McCain must achieve to win the presidency, the Journal said.
Jindal has done it partly by making clear that he personally embraces social conservative orthodoxies such as opposition to abortion and gay marriage -- but soft-pedalling them in public.
That strategy, however, may be hard to pull off in the glare of a national candidacy when his views on issues such as abortion and religion in schools would be meticulously examined. He converted to Catholicism from Hinduism in college. "If you look at him in a glimmer, he looks like a golden guy, the next face of the Republican Party," Julie Vezinot, spokeswoman for the Louisiana Democratic Party, was quoted as saying. "But more will come out about him and that he voted in lockstep with the Bush administration.
"Jindal dismisses the notion that he is a "Republican Obama", but close advisers and other party officials embrace the idea.He has already started to attract the kind of youthful, star-struck adoration typical of fans of Obama.
For example, Mary Beth Crifasi, an 18-year-old came to an appearance of Jindal and McCain in New Orleans Tuesday night wearing a Bobby Jindal T-shirt and stood on a chair so that her father could take a picture with the governor in the background. "He's so personal and just very healing, very down to earth," she told the Journal. "He's a great guy."

Obama, Hillary applaud Indian Americans

Washington: Democrat senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton buried the hatchet following the former's victory as the party nominee for White House and by the look of things the duo are trying to pool in their resources to ensure that the United States has its first Afro-American President.
Both the Senators have shot off letters of gratitude of a multitude of their supporters, especially those of Indian origin thanking them for their support by way of contributions and inviting them to share their concerns and get involved in a bigger way with the Democrats in the future.
These letters, made available to MSN India by a well-wisher from the Silicon Valley are pretty similar in nature though Senator Obama is more forthright about opposing the Republican plan of action. He minces no words while stating that John McCain had outlined a vision that "continues the disastrous policies of George W. Bush."
Both the letters e-mailed to media consultant and Editor of TiE Krishna Kumar exhorts Democrat supporters to take time off and involve more forcefully in the American democratic process. While Obama seeks a new direction for the country, Senator Clinton wants her supporters to log onto to her website and share their views on the campaign as well as the goal of defeating the Republicans.
Senator Obama reminds his supporters of the task ahead. "Earlier tonight, John McCain outlined a vision of America that's very different from ours -- a vision that continues the disastrous policies of George W. Bush. But this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past and bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love."
On her part, Senator Clinton has relied on sentiments by thanking people for helping her in the quest for the nomination. "While I traveled this country talking about how I wanted to help you -- time and again, you reached out to help me. To grab my hand or grip my arm, to look me in my eyes and tell me, don’t quit, keep fighting, stay in this race for us. There were days when I had strength enough for the both of us -- and on the days I didn't, I leaned on you," she says.
In fulsome praise for her rival, Clinton puts on record that Senator Obana has inspired so many Americans to care about politics while empowering many more to get involved. "Our party and our democracy are now stronger and more vibrant as a result," she says in the letter.
On his part, Obama has also paid tribute to Hillary Clinton stating that she made history in the campaign. "Our party and our country are better off because of her," he says while exhorting his supporters to pause and thank her for the exhilarating campaign during the primaries.

Arushi murder case will be cracked soon: CBI

Accused in the Noida twin murder case, Rajesh Talwar, was on Thursday sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court in Ghaziabad, which denied CBI's request for two more days remand.
Talwar, accused in the murder of his daughter Arushi and domestic help Hemraj, was produced before the CBI judge in Ghaziabad after his three-day CBI remand ended on Thursday.
The CBI demanded two more days remand for Talwar but judge Rama Jain denied permission for it and sent him to judicial custody. Talwar was lodged in Dasna district jail.
CBI Director Vijay Shankar said that the case would be cracked soon.
Mobile phone calls of Talwar have been traced and they would divulge facts relating to the double murder, sources said.
CBI also claimed that the weapons used in the double murder would also be recovered soon.
The investigating agency on Wednesday subjected Talwar to lie detector test. It has formed 10 different teams to look into various aspects of the case.

Gujjar's vows not to vote for BJP

New Delhi, June 5 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to lose Gujjar community's vote in the general elections as well as in the state elections.
In a meeting convened on Thursday in the national capital by the members of Gujjar community vows not to vote for BJP.
Ram Singh Viduri, leader of Gujjar community informed that a proposal seeking compensation for the people who were killed would be put forward in the course of the day.
"Nation would be shut down. Lakhs of members of Gujjar community will head towards Rajasthan. The families of the people who were killed in the protest will be compensated with five lakh rupees. While the 20,000 rupees aid will be allotted to those who were injured. And the political groups who have supported the Gujjar community will be invited to New Delhi. And in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Vidhan Sabha elections, the Gujjar community will not vote for BJP. And these are our certain demands that would be put forward today," said Ramvir Singh Viduri, Leader, Gujjar community, New Delhi.
Gujjars have been pressing for the schedule tribe status in the BJP ruled Rajasthan.
A big group of Gujjars who attended the meet raised slogans against Vasundhara Raje, chief minister of Rajasthan and displayed banners demanding president's rule in the state.
The members of Gujjar community has been demanding to shift from the category of Other Backward classes (OBC) to Schedule Tribe status to gain easy access to government jobs and avail education facilities in Rajasthan.
The on-going agitation by Gujjars has paralyzed rail and road communication in Rajasthan.
A year ago, Gujjars in Rajasthan fought police and members of another caste that already qualifies for job quotas. At least 26 people were killed in that violence.
After these protests, a state government committee said it would spend 2.8 billion rupees improving schools, clinics, roads and other infrastructure in Gujjar areas. But Gujjars rejected this option.