Freida will shine at Oscars

She has stunned style divas with her sartorial elegance at red carpet events and made it to Vogue's best dressed list. And now 'Slumdog Millionaire' star Freida Pinto is sure to make a splash at the Oscars, say Indian designers. (Text courtesy : IANS) In photo: 'Slumdog Millionaire' actress Freida Pinto smiles as she unveils Liberty's new look at the Liberty store on February 15, 2009 in London, England.

The 24-year-old from Mumbai is not only pretty but also exudes the confidence to carry off whatever she wears, the designers say, even though some wish she would go for Indian attire at international events. 'She has a great body with an attractive face. She pulls off everything very well. She carries herself with poise and knows what to wear and when,' said designer Alpana of the label Azara. In photo: Actress Freida Pinto arrives at the 61st Annual Directors Guild of America Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on January 31, 2009 in Los Angeles, California

British filmmaker Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire', a rags-to-riches set in India, has 10 Oscar nominations. While many Indians are keeping their fingers crossed for the film at the Feb 22 ceremony, they are also hoping that Freida will hold her own among the galaxy of stars at the Academy Awards. In photo: Actress Freida Pinto during a portrait session on day seven of The 5th Annual Dubai International Film Festival held at the Al Qasr Jumeirah Hotel on December 17, 2008 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

At the Golden Globes, BAFTA, Elle style awards and others, she has opted for top-of-the-line dresses from Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen, Moschino and Marchesa. In photo: Freida Pinto arrives at the ELLE Style Awards 2009 in association with H&M, at Big Sky London on February 9, 2009 in London, England.

'She is the new flavour of the season and is a very pretty girl. Whatever she has worn at these events prove a point - that she can carry any dress with style and confidence,' designer Atsu told IANS. 'At this point of time when she has become the cynosure of the media, every international designer wants to dress her up. After all, the Oscars is a major event where importance is given to what the stars are wearing. You just can't go wrong here and I am sure that she will make us proud,' he added. In photo: Actress Freida Pinto attends the 8th Annual Awards Season Diamond Fashion Show Preview hosted by the Diamond Information Center and InStyle held at The Beverly Hills Hotel on January 8, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California.

She has featured in Vogue's 10 best dressed list, beating the likes of beautiful actresses like Anne Hathaway and Drew Barrymore. Freida's stylist, George Kotsiopoulos, says she is on the wish list of many designers and brands. Even designer Jemima Khan, ex-wife of Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, has expressed a desire to dress up Pinto for the Oscars. Freida has, however, received flak from some Indian designers for wearing only international designers and Western dresses at red carpet events. In photo: Actress Freida Pinto of the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' arrives at the 2008 AFI FEST Tribute to Danny Boyle held at ArcLight Hollywood on November 7, 2008 in Hollywood, California.

'I am not against her wearing international designers but I wanted her to wear at least one Indian outfit at any of these events. It is really sad because she is an Indian first and it would have been great if she had worn something Indian like a sari,' designer Rahul of label Sarali said. Others say it's her choice and should be left at that. In photo: Actress Freida Pinto arrives at the 20th anniversary of the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala presented by Cartier held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 6, 2009 in Palm Springs, California.

'I do not understand why there is a fuss about her not wearing any Indian designer. She has an international stylist and the fact remains that the whole project is international with Indian stars in it. So they are doing what they think is good for her as well as for the movie,' designer Manav Gangwani told IANS. 'Everyone has an opinion and let us accept the fact that what she has done most of us can never achieve. So let's celebrate the fact and cheer for her and the movie,' he added. In photo: Freida Pinto attends the VH1's 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards after party at the Viceroy on January 8, 2009 in Santa Monica, California.

Rahul Khanna of the label Cue agrees with Gangwani and said: 'At these red carpet events, you just can't go wrong. The whole world is watching you and you want to wear the best and look great. If she is wearing international designer brands, it is her personal choice.' In photo: Freida Pinto attends the 34th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards at the Intercontinental Hotel on January 12, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Pakistan not inclined to seek Kasab's extradition

Islamabad: Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist captured during the Mumbai attacks, can be tried in India as he had committed a crime in that country, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said on Saturday.
India could conduct the trial of Kasab according to its own laws, Mukhtar told reporters in the eastern city of Gujrat. Kasab cannot be extradited and he can be tried in India as he had committed a crime there, he said.
The accused who had been detained in Pakistan in connection with the Mumbai attacks will be brought to trial in a Pakistani court, said Mukhtar, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan People's Party.
Pakistani officials have said that formal charges have been filed in connection with the Mumbai attacks against nine suspects, including Kasab. Six of the other eight suspects have been detained by Pakistani authorities while two are still at large.
A judge has remanded four of the detained suspects to the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency till March 3.
Mukhtar also said that US drones only have permission to land in Pakistan for logistical reasons. All missile attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas were being conducted by drones operating from Afghanistan, he said.
Rejecting reports that the Inter-Services Intelligence agency is backing the Taliban, Mukhtar said Pakistan's armed forces are cooperating with the civilian government.

Bush goes to hardware store that offered him a job

Dalls: Former President George W. Bush has visited a Dallas hardware store that earlier this month made him a lighthearted offer to work as a greeter.
Andrea Bond, a manager at Elliott's Hardware, says Bush walked into the store Saturday and quipped: "I'm looking for a job."

The store had published an open letter to Bush, inviting him to apply for a store greeter position. The tongue-in-cheek appeal appeared in The Dallas Morning News and its commuter-oriented sister publication, Quick.
Bond says Bush spent about an hour shopping and talking to customers during the surprise visit. He bought a few flashlights, batteries and a can of WD-40. He also bought night lights.
Bush and his wife, Laura, moved into a home in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas on Friday.

PM fit to resume work, say doctors

New Delhi: A month after his repeat bypass heart surgery, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is now fit to resume his work, doctors attending on him said.
"The Prime Minister's four weeks recovery time is over. Four weeks mean there is good amount of healing. He is now more or less independent and he can resume work," Dr Vijay D'silva, ICU specialist and one of the doctors from Asian Heart Institute attending on Manmohan, said.
The premier underwent a 'redo' coronary artery bypass surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on January 24 as doctors removed five blockages in his heart. He was discharged from the hospital on February one.
The sternum bone, (chest or breastbone) which helps to protect lungs, heart and major blood vessels from physical trauma, was cut open to gain access to the thoracic contents while performing the 14-hour long cardiothoracic surgery, has also been "fixed", he said.
As per the norms to be followed by such patients, the Prime Minister will now be on diet restrictions and will have to undergo physiotherapy and exercises for another one week.

Genpact, HCL among eight in race for Satyam

Satyam’s board member Tarun Das said recently that six to seven companies were interesting in taking over the software firm.
While the board will come out with detailed guidelines, including the eligibility criteria, shortly, the initial enthusiasm of a few of the original contenders have dimmed somewhat.

Here’s a snapshot of the likely bidders.

LARSEN & TOUBRO:
Enthusiasm takes a knock
Engineering and construction giant Larsen and Toubro (L&T), which acquired a 12 per cent stake in Satyam, is seen as the most aggressive suitor for the troubled IT firm. L&T, in fact, has been the only firm to have categorically expressed its interest to the government in acquiring management control. It has invested around Rs 670 crore in the company so far.
However, that enthusiasm seems to have taken a knock, with L&T Chairman and Managing Director A M Naik telling reporters in Mumbai today that many things had changed in the last few weeks: some key clients had moved out and some key employees had also left.
L&T, however, still sees a lot of synergy between the core strengths of the beleaguered software giant with that of L&T Infotech. “Satyam has a huge focus in the enterprise application space and the engineering segment. These two complement L&T Infotech as a large chunk of their work also comes from ERP practice,” added the banker.

SPICE GROUP:
Favours 51% stake
The Spice Group, too, has expressed interest to invest around Rs 2,000 crore in Satyam, and wants to buy a 51 per cent stake. B K Modi, Chairman of Spice Group, told Business Standard that his company “is close to appointing a consultant to advise on the bid”. He said he believed that Satyam had only 43,000 employees, adding that if he won the bid, he “will change the brand name of Satyam”. The new name, however, might still start with an ‘S’. Modi estimates the liability from the 13 class actions suits would range between $440-840 million (around Rs 2,200-4,200 crore) but adds that “I will contest these suits”.

TECH MAHINDRA:
Keeping options open
Another strong contender is the Mahindra and Mahindra group’s IT business Tech Mahindra. The company has kept its options open as there is still no clarity on the customers, employees and the liabilities. “For Tech Mahindra this will be a good diversification strategy as it is too dependent on one sector that is telecom and one client,” said an analyst. However, the biggest concern for Tech Mahindra is the liabilities. Besides there is a growing concern among the management of the company on the constant news that some or the other top clients of Satyam have left.
Deepak Parekh, member of the Satyam board, is also on the board of Mahindra and Mahindra since 1990. If Tech Mahindra decides to bid, it could raise the concern of transparency and corporate governance unless he steps down from the Mahindra boards, opines Haresh Ganatra, SC Advocate, Ganatra & Co.

HCL TECHNOLOGIES:
A stretch after Axon
The Delhi-based IT services provider is also being considered as an eligible candidate for acquiring Satyam. But an analyst said acquiring yet another firm, that too with a headcount of above 50,000, could be a stretch for the firm. HCL Tech has cash and cash equivalent of $146 million and treasury investments $270.1 million. Analysts said that though Satyam would increase HCL’s scale and size, its capabilities were similar to HCL Axon’s to a certain extent and that would not be complementing HCL’s existing capabilities. “Satyam will not bring in any new capability for HCL. Besides there are chances of overlap and redundancies,” said an analyst.

GENPACT:
Content with being a BPO?
A leading player in the BPO segment, Genpact is another firm that is looking at acquiring Satyam to increase its presence in the IT services segment. However, analysts and bankers are not too sure about the synergies as well as the possibility of the firm in the race. Genpact has cash on hand worth $385 million. However, experts said the acquisition would be of value if Genpact could integrate Satyam’s IT solutions with its BPO business.

HINDUJA GROUP:
Cautious
Hinduja Global Solutions, the business process outsourcing (BPO) arm of the Hinduja Group with an estimated worldwide revenue of $10 billion, is the next big suitor in the acquisition race.”From what we have heard, while the group has submitted interest for the full operations of the company, it is more interested in the BPO operations of Satyam. But the management bandwidth needed to run an IT services firm is clearly missing,” said an analyst. The BPO has over 80 clients as on December 31, 2008 and a cash reserve of Rs 490 crore as on March 31, 2008.

ESSAR GROUP:
Only BPO
Essar Group’s IT business arm Aegis Ltd is another firm interested in Satyam’s BPO business. When contacted, the company said it would not like to comment. “As far as Aegis is concerned, the group is interested in acquiring the BPO operations. The focus for the company has been to grow in the BPO business,” said a source close to the company. Satyam Chairman Kiran Kiran, however, has ruled out sale of parts of Satyam.

I-GATE:
No longer in race
Satyam has lost its value with customers moving out of the company, according to Phaneesh Murthy, chief executive of the US-based iGate Corporation. “The process has taken time, customers have moved out and Satyam has lost its value. We have lost interest in buying the company,” Murthy said.

Air attack shows LTTE not finished yet

According to pro-LTTE websites, two so-called Black Air Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam carried out kamikazee style suicide 'dives" into the Sri Lanka Air Force headquarters on Slave Island in Colombo and at a SLAF base at Katunayaka between 2120-2145 hrs on Friday killing two persons and injuring 54 others.
The pro-LTTE web site Tamilnet has released a photograph of the two so-called kamikazee pilots -- Colonel Roopan and Lieutenant Colonel Siriththiran -- with LTTE [Images] chief Velupillai Prabakaran before they embarked on their mission. According to the LTTE version, the maximum number of casualties were on Slave Island -- two killed and 45 injured. Only six were injured in the attack on the SLAF establishment at Katunayake.
There are no reports of either of the aircraft involved in the mission having carried explosives in order to add to the destruction effect. Whatever damage was caused was by the remaining fuel in the aircraft, which could not have been much and the resulting fire. The aircraft, which had been tasked to crash into the SLAF headquarters, actually crashed into one of the top floors of a building located in front of the SLAF headquarters building in which the offices of the Inland Revenue Department of the Lankan government are located.
It is evident from available details that heavy anti-airaft fire from the SLAF building made it difficult for the pilot to crash into the building. He, therefore, crashed his plane into the building of the Inland Revenue Department.
While pro-LTTE web sites have projected the crashing of a second aircraft into the SLAF base in Katunayake also as a kamikazee style attack, the Sri Lankan government claim, that the plane was actually shot down by anti-aircraft fire before it could reach its intended target, carries greater credibility.
During the current offensive in the north, the advancing Sri Lankan armed forces could not lay hand on the remaining LTTE arsenal at Kilinochchi. The LTTE's withdrawal from Kilinochchi was pre-planned and orderly. Before the Sri Lankan army captured it, the LTTE managed to remove from Kilinochchi everything that it had accumulated there, including its arsenal.
The LTTE's subsequent withdrawal from Mullaithivu was less orderly. It did not have the time to remove the fittings. While it managed to shift most of its arsenal, it could not move some heavy items such as artillery pieces and boats under construction, which eventually fell into the hands of the army.
It managed to move well in time its aircraft holdings and its reserve of aviation fuel. Though the army claimed to have captured from the withdrawing LTTE all but one of the air strips, which it was suspected to be using, it could not lay its hands on the aircraft and the fuel reserve. The assumption was that the area under the effective control of the LTTE having been reduced to less than 100 square kms, it would no longer be able to assemble the aircraft and send them on an offensive mission without its preparations being detected by the Lankan army.
The Armed Forces must now be having their electronic intelligence (ELINT) collecting stations at Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu. If they were functioning satisfactorily, the LTTE pilots should not have been able to assemble their planes, take off and reach Colombo.
The fact that they were able to do so would indicate that the ELINT capability of the SLAF is poor or that the Black Air Tigers had taken off from a place not within the ELINT range of the SLAF stations. Such a place could be in one of the uninhabited islands in the seas between Sri Lanka and the Maldives .
Much of the analyses on the options available to the LTTE, if and when the army ejects it from the shrinking territory under its control have been focussing on the possibility of Prabakaran and his officers shifting to some place in South East Asia or in South Africa .Even if individual leaders and officers manage to sneak in there, they would not be able to shift their remaining arms and ammunition, planes, artillery pieces and other equipment to these locations.
For the LTTE to be able to stage a come-back one, it needs a beach-head out of the reach of the Sri Lankan armed forces where it can re-group, re-train and re-plan and wait for an opportunity to strike back from the beach-head. The jungles in the Wanni area could provide such a beach-head for a small number of men with light arms and ammunition. it cannot provide a reserve for planes and artillery units. Only an uninhabited island out of the reach of the SLAF can fulfill this need.
If one presumes for analysis sake that the LTTE planes that attacked the SLAF set-ups in Colombo must have come from an uninhabited island, the question would arise whether the limited fuel they would have carried could have helped them to reach Colombo. Since it was a kamikazee mission, they would not have needed fuel for a return journey.
Whatever be the fact as established ultimately, it is important that all the uninhabited islands in the Maldives area and in the Lakshadeep area of India are kept under effective watch to prevent the LTTE from setting up a beach-head on any of them.

Sharif accepted blame for Kargil to save Pak Army's image

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed that he took the blame for the 1999 Kargil War to save the Pakistan Army from further humiliation
"The Kargil Operation was planned and executed by the army under the then COAS General Parvez Musharraf's leadership without my knowledge,"The News quoted Sharif, as saying on the sidelines of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) general council meeting in Raiwind..
Hundreds of Pakistani army men and militants infiltrated into India between May and July 1999.
Pakistan has blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents, but documents left behind showed the involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by General Ashraf Rashid.

Obama must tell Pak that War on Terror is for its own survival

In the coming weeks, President Barack Obama will have to look at ways to convince Pakistan that the fight against extremists in that country and in neighboring Afghanistan is not a favor being done to the United States, but an exercise aimed at ensuring Pakistan's own survival, both in the short and long term.
Obama will have to grapple with a series of very difficult questions, the answers to which will eventually define his administration's success or failure in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, an editorial in the New York Post has said.
Obama, according to the editorial, will have to consider whether to keep supporting a central government in Kabul or focus more on cultivating local leaders.
The rampant corruption of President Hamid Karzai's government has driven far too many Afghans back to the extremists.
Obama has said that he is open to talks with some Afghan militants.
In recent weeks, American commanders said they are expanding contacts with so-called moderate members of the Taliban. At this point, there may be no other choice.
The editorial says that Obama and his team must quickly come up with a plan to expand and train the Afghan Army (which eventually must replace American and NATO troops) and police force, curb a 720 million dollar Afghan opium industry that finances the Taliban and encourage development along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
He will also have to figure out a way to persuade NATO allies to send more troops - with orders to fight - and more money.
The editorial says the new American president has rock star ratings in Europe, and therefore, needs to leverage some of that to get leaders there to finally ante up.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, that nuclear-armed country faces terrifying problems: political and economic instability, home-grown extremists who are far too cozy with Pakistan's intelligence services, a lawless border region used by the Taliban to execute bloody attacks on Afghanistan.
This week the government effectively ceded the Swat Valley - which is in the border region but just 100 miles from Islamabad - to militants in a misguided bid for a false peace.
The White House's decision to invite senior Pakistani and Afghan officials to Washington next week is very welcome. Saudi Arabia, Iran and India must also be involved, says the editorial.

Taliban agrees to 'permanent ceasefire' in Swat

Islamabad: Pakistani authorities and the local Taliban have agreed to a permanent ceasefire in the troubled Swat valley following peace talks between militants and religious hardliners, a top official said on Saturday.
Syed Mohammad Javed, the commissioner for Malakand division which includes Swat, told reporters that the security forces and the Taliban would observe the truce. He made the announcement after meeting Maulana Sufi Mohammad, a hardline cleric who is negotiating with the militants.
Asked how the Taliban would be disarmed, Javed said talks are underway with the militants on this issue.
The Taliban had unilaterally announced a 10-day ceasefire on Sunday to facilitate peace talks which began after Sufi Mohammad's group, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi, reached an agreement with authorities to enforce Islamic laws in Swat and Malakand.Javed said the government will take more steps to restore peace in the region.
"You will hear more good news in the days to come," he said. He appealed to people who had left Swat valley due to fighting to return to their homes, saying the administration had provided funds to rehabilitate them.

Military offensive against LTTE not enough: Pranab

Berhampore/Kolkata: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today virtually snubbed Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee for alleging that he was appeasing the Left Front government by attending foundation stone laying ceremonies ahead of Lok Sabha polls saying there should be no politics in development. Mr Mukherjee also made it clear that military offensive against LTTE is not enough and must be followed by other measures.
Without naming Mamata, Mukherjee, who is WBPCC president, said his involvement in development projects was not to help a particular political party but in the interest of the people.
"Mamata Banerjee may become the new chief minister but the same rule will be in force. There should be no politics in the matter of development," Mukherjee told reporters at Raghunathgunje situated in his Lok Sabha constituency of Jangipur in Murshidabad district.
Mukherjee said he would be present at the foundation-laying ceremony of East-West Metro corridor in Kolkata tomorrow at the invitation of the state government.He said his presence in a state government-sponsored programme should not give an impression that he was helping any individual. "None was helped personally due to my presence."
Mamata had said yesterday that she would tell Mukerhjee "not to encourage the CPI(M)" and ask him to reconsider attending such programmes.

Priyamani sizzles in Bikini!

'Drona', directed by Karuna Kumar, has Priyamani at her glamourous best. In addition to a hot rain dance with Nithin, the dusky Malayali beauty is seen in bikini.
It seems, the former model is going all out to change her village belle image that has been dogging her after 'Paruthiveeran', the performance which fetched her the National Award for the Best Actress.
Here are some sizzling pictures of Priyamani from 'Drona'.

LTTE PLANES ATTACK COLOMBO

Colombo: At least two LTTE aircraft entered Colombo's airspace and droped two bombs near Sri Lankan army headquarters on Friday night. At least 28 people are reportedly injured in the air attacks.
"Two aircraft came and the engagement is still going on," said Lankan air force spokesman, Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara.
The LTTE aircraft was spotted over the skies in northwestern Mannar forcing the authorities in Colombo to activate air defences system and shut down power supply in the national capital.
According to sources, the radar in Mannar detected the LTTE aircraft short while ago following which the air defence system in Colombo was activated.
Anti-aircraft guns were heard firing in the air in Colombo.
Power was cut off and searchlights pointed to the sky to detect any suspected LTTE aircraft, he said.
Troops in the north reported that two unidentified aircraft were heading towards Colombo, the sources said.
Past tense
On November 6 last year, the Sri Lankan Air Force and the army went on an alert following reports of an LTTE aircraft hovering around northern Vavuniya.
An LTTE mini aircraft had dropped two low-intensity bombs at a power station in the Sri Lankan capital immediately after attacking an army camp in Mannar late last October.
On the same night, prior to the Colombo air attack, an LTTE light aircraft dropped three bombs targeting the Thallady Army camp in North-western Mannar causing minor injuries to three army soldiers, according to the military.
The Tigers prior to that carried out an air and ground attack on a military camp in the northern town of Vavuniya in September, killing 11 Sri Lankan soldiers.
The LTTE is believed to have at least three Czech-built Zlin ZO 143's light aircrafts which were likely acquired between April and July, 2006.
The LTTE air force came into prominence when it struck the Sri Lankan military air base inside Colombo's international airport in March, 2007

Mumbai attackers had 320 targets on hit list

New Delhi: Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) ringleaders had ambitions well beyond Mumbai and had placed India's financial hub in a list of 320 worldwide locations as potential targets for commando-style terror strikes, The Guardian has said in a report published on Thursday.
According to the report, western intelligence agencies that accessed the computer and email account of the LeT's communications chief Zarar Shah found a list of possible targets, only 20 of which were in India.
Two of the November 2008 attack's key planners - Zarar Shah and Lashkar's operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi - are now in police custody in Pakistan.
Analysts say the computer list is more of a statement of intent because Lashkar would need time to set up terrorist cells in so many places.
Islamabad's decision to bring criminal charges against nine men accused of involvement in the Mumbai attack has partly placated Indian officials but officials in New Delhi have been warning that they want to see people brought to justice for terrorist acts.
"There has been some speculation that raids in Spain which netted 12 men - an Indian and 11 Pakistanis - were a result of the investigations into Lashkar's role in the Mumbai attacks," the report said.
"The dozen men were reportedly picked up for forging passports and other travel documents for terror organisations, including al-Qaeda. Pakistan's government has said the Mumbai attacks were partly planned from Spain."
The US has been trying behind the scenes to coordinate intelligence exchanges between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The CIA has worked hard to be seen to help New Delhi - including by recovering phone numbers deleted by the terrorists on their satellite phones.
The fallout from Mumbai has destabilised the government of Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, which is attempting to face down Islamist groups his predecessors cultivated.
Intelligence agencies have warned that Mumbai raises the spectre of a new style of terrorist assault. The city of 190 million people was brought to a halt by 10 heavily armed gunmen rampaging through a railway station, a house, restaurants and hotels for three days, killing over 170 people.

H1B: Waking up from the American dream

Since early December 2008, Sreehari Gopalakrishnan has applied to 176 firms, and the rate of call back has steadily declined.
"Earlier, it used to be from 20 to 30 places but now it is less than 10 per cent", says Gopalakrishnan, an analyst with a firm in Connecticut that does relocation management. With the current economic downturn and the housing slump, his company has several houses in its inventory worth millions of dollars.
His current firm hired him over three years ago on an H1B visa. When the visa expired in December 2008, the company gave him an extension for two months. "They knew me and liked my work, so they gave me the extra time," said Gopalakrishnan. However, that extension expires at the end of February.
His firm cannot ask for another extension. It has filed for a Green Card in his name, but that application is still in its final stages of processing. The company has over 200 people working on H1Bs, he says, of whom many have been asked to leave, while others await with anxiety the day their employment will be terminated.
Gopalakrishnan has been sending out job applications at a frenetic pace, but responses are increasingly few and far between, he says. Many of the companies that do respond are eliminated because of his visa scenario. "No one wants to go that extra mile of sponsoring you," he says, adding that companies prefer workers who have residency. In some cases, he says, he reached the last round of interviews, but then lost out because of his visa situation.
As the problem mounts, workers in US companies have begun seeking jobs in Canada, various European countries and also in Asian countries like Hong Kong. "They are not hit as bad," Gopalakrishnan says. "Plus, the grass is always greener on the other side."
For Varun Sharma, an associate with Merrill Lynch on an H1B visa, the next few weeks will be crucial. As on date, his position with Bank of America seems secure -- but that can change overnight, he says. Against the background of talk that companies caught up in the financial crunch will first lay off guest workers, tensions have been mounting.
"When such talk begins, you realize that this is not your country; that you can get kicked out at any time," Sharma says. "In this situation, there is considerable anxiety, fuelled by rumours."
Sharma believes that his visa will automatically transfer from Merrill Lynch to Bank of America, but even so he has started taking measures to guard against potential problems. "I was never extravagant, but now I am even more careful," says Sharma, discussing the ways he has been cutting down on spending. "I don't randomly spend $100 like I used to." Friends who took cabs to work now take the subway, he says. "It is a tough time. Everybody has to cut down."
Friends who have been laid off have begun seeking jobs in India. "People are not talking about it clearly, but they are considering options back home even if the pay is less," he says. Others are looking for opportunities in small hedge funds, and are willing to work for really low pay.
Sharma believes he is safe, but has been keeping his eyes open for opportunities. He visited the London office of Merrill Lynch to see how operations there are doing. "I am obviously talking to people, but not as seriously," says Sharma, arguing that he is reluctant to jump ship because those who survive the recession will likely emerge stronger.
"It is only a matter of time," he believes. "The recovery will not be as fast as we wish, but the economy will recover." He believes that people from India who seek work visas need to understand that the US is not the dreamland people perceive it to be; when you get here, he says, you are forced to tone down your expectations. "When I came here, I wanted to buy a car in my second year and a home in my fourth year, but all that has to change," said Sharma.
The situation is far more critical for those who have lost their jobs, and have a deadline to vacate the country. Vivek Joshi never imagined that on February 6, he would come in to work and realize that he no longer had the job he has been doing for two years, in the Minneapolis office of a consulting firm.
Joshi worked with the company's health and financial services, setting up business processes. On that day, he was asked to leave, without any notice. "They have provided me a severance package which they are going to provide as a lump sum amount," said Joshi. He now has 30 days to look for another job so that he can transfer his H1B and remain in the US -- and he cannot afford to be picky. Any firm that will transfer his visa, and give him employment commensurate with his qualifications and experience, will do, he says.

Taliban pose a danger to US, Pakistan, India: Zardari

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has acknowledged that the Taliban ,with whom his government reached a truce deal in the restive Swat valley days ago, are "murderous thugs and militants" who "pose a danger to Pakistan, the United States and India".
The US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, who is just back from Pakistan, told CNN in Washington: "Zardari doesn't disagree that the people who are running Swat now are murderous thugs and militants and they pose a danger not only to Pakistan, but to the United States and India".
When specifically asked if Zardari gave him any commitment, Holbrooke, who conveyed Washington's concern to Zardari on telephone, said: "That I don't know. But the issue isn't whether he signs the deal or not, the issue is the negotiations themselves."
The United States has conveyed strong concern to Zardari over the truce deal with a Taliban-linked group for enforcing Shariah law in the restive Swat Valley.
US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are worried that this deal should not turn into a surrender to the Taliban militants, Holbrooke told Zardari in a telephonic conversation.
Holbrooke said the US is worried over the peace deal as it gives the Taliban the authority in a critically important part of the country. "It's hard to understand this deal in Swat, less than 100 miles from the capital in Islamabad .President Zardari says it's an interim arrangement while they stabilize the situation," Holbrooke said.
Over the US' concern that the deal might turn into a surrender, "President Zardari has assured us that's not the case. He is sending a very high level delegation, including the Pakistan foreign minister. Several senior military officials, Army chief General Kayani will be in town, the head of the Inter-State Intelligence will be in town next week, the Afghans are sending their group," he said.
"I can assure you, and President Zardari knows this, that this will be the top initial subject of conversation," he said.
Holbrooke said the increase in US troops in Afghanistan would turn the tide as the US revamps strategy to upgrade the civilian and economic and reconstruction components in Afghanistan.
"Above all we've got to deal with Pakistan. We have to stem the deterioration in the tribal areas," Holbrooke said.
Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan will arrive in the US next week to participate in the strategic review on Afghan policy.

LeT plans terror strikes across the world

The terror attacks on Mumbai were merely a dress rehearsal for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba ,which is planning to unleash a global wave of terror.
Investigations into the November attack, conducted by he Mumbai police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Intelligence Bureau, have revealed the LeT's global plans.
Sabahuddin, chief of the LeT's Nepal unit and a co-accused in the 26/11 attack, has told interrogators that the Lashkar cadres were instructed to be prepared for terror strikes across the world.
Sabahuddin's statements are backed by the e-mails of LeT leaders Zarar Shah and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, say IB sources.
The Inter Services Intelligence had given the LeT the go-ahead to spread its terror tentacles beyond South Asia, as the Al Qaeda has restricted its operations to fighting the United States-led forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to Intelligence Bureau sources. The ties between the ISI and Osama bin Laden's terror outfit have also weakened after the build-up of American forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Zarar Shah's e-mails, accessed by the FBI, prove that the LeT had zeroed in on 300 tragets across the world. Twenty of these targets are located in India.
Sabahuddin added that the LeT has already sent its cadres to conduct reconnaissance of these places and would strike when the time is right.
But IB officials have warned that in spite of the LeT's global plans, India will continue to be the terror outfit's prime target.

Over 5 lakh jobs lost, admits Govt

Government on Friday admitted that the estimate of 500,000 job losses following the economic meltdown does not project the full magnitude of the problem in the country, but said it was addressing the situation with all seriousness.
"I agree that it is only a sample survey by the Labour Bureau. It is not the report of the entire country. It does not reflect the total job loss in the country," labour minister Oscar Fernandes said responding to a calling attention motion on the issue in the Lok Sabha.
The sample study in certain sectors indicates that five lakh workers have lost their jobs during October-December 2008, he said.
The motion was given by Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Rupchand Pal and Santashri Chatterjee (both CPI-M) who were sharply critical of the government's "insensitive" attitude to large scale retrenchment and wage cuts and spoke of job losses to the tune of 20 lakhs (Rs 2 million) in the country.
Fernandes said a meeting of the state labour ministers was discussing the issue and his ministry has set up a crisis group to monitor the situation.
The government was also providing unemployment allowance equivalent to six months salary in 12 instalments to workers in the organised sector.
Dissatisfied over the minister's reply, the Left members staged a walkout.

'Pak set to open new front against India'

The time has come for India to take a firm stand on terrorism and initiate stern actions - be it political or military - against Pakistan. It has become important after Al Qaeda recently issued a warning against India to "lay off its hands from Pakistan or face the consequences".
India should convey it to Pakistan and other countries perpetrating terrorism against us that we are capable of facing any threat coming from any quarter. While Union Home Minister P Chidambram has already made it clear that the Indian Army is well prepared to face any attacks on its soil, there is a need to convey the message.
Pakistan is taking no action against the terrorist organisations that planned the audacious Mumbai terror attack last year. India has not received any official response from Pakistan on the dossier pertaining to investigations into the Mumbai attacks.
It is clear with the warning from Al Qaeda that Pakistan is all set to open a new front against India. The terror infrastructure in Pakistan is active even though they seek to convey an impression that they are taking action against terrorists and their infrastructure.The number of camps operating in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir has seen a significant increase from 32 in 2005 to 53 in 2008. Before the Al Qaeda moves towards India with its entire infrastructure, there is a need to nip their objectives in the bud.

Signs of protectionism by US 'worrying,' says India

In an apparent criticism of the protectionist measures built into the US government's multi- billion corporate bailout package, India today said these were "worrying signs" from the world's biggest economy. "We are already witnessing worrying signs of protectionism in the world's biggest economy.
We need to argue against this trend at the international fora," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said inaugurating the 42nd Indian Labour Conference. He was apparently referring to Washington's bar on firms receiving bailout money from hiring foreign workers if they are to replace Americans at work, though he did not make any direct mention.
Industry estimates suggest nearly 100,000 Indians were among the 163,000 that had applied for non-immigrant skilled workers visa (H1-B) in FY'09. The US has capped the number of H1-B visas at 65,000 a year.
The bailout-condition could affect Indian skilled workers. In the wake of the global financial meltdown, Mukherjee said, "We will need to press for trade and aid flows to developing countries and look at regional cooperation to strengthen defences against such crises".
Mukherjee said there was a need to invest more in infrastructure, provide adequate credit support to the poorer sections of the society and create better facilities for upgrading skills and re-skilling of the workforce

Bangladesh admits use of its soil for Mumbai attacks

Dhaka, Feb 19: Three months after the horrendous attack on Mumbai, Bangladesh, for the first time on Thursday, ‘officially’ admitted that terrorist outfits operating from its soil may also have been involved in the plot.
“The terrorist attacks that have been carried out within the region in the recent months, even in Mumbai, there is a cross-border linkage among all the terrorists,” The Daily Times quoted Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hassan Memoud, as saying.
Memoud also accepted that the banned militant outfit, Harkatul Jihadul Islami, has its base in Bangladesh, and continues to function from there. He also claimed that the militants are being trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan before transported to Bangladesh for carrying out such attacks.
“Terrorists from outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkatul Jihad were trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan before coming to Bangladesh,” Memoud said. Incidentally, Pakistan has been suggesting the presence of an international network of terror operatives; who were actively involved in the planning of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had claimed that the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (HuJI), which operates out of Bangladesh, may have played a role in the Mumbai terror strike. Besides the Bangladeshi connection, Pakistan had claimed that there were "clear indications that some of the planning for the attacks was done in Dubai and there is also an element of local Indian support.
Memoud’s acceptance of a plausible Eastern link to the Mumbai attacks, would for sure come as embarrassment to the Awami League-led government in Dhaka as it had been strongly condemning the Pakistani claim of links between a terror outfit in Bangladesh and the terrorists involved in Mumbai carnage. But, India had been all along not buying the Bangladeshi angle to the Mumbai attacks and had been calling it diversionary tactics of the Pakistani establishment.

Azharuddin joins Congress

India's former cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin has formally joined the Congress party, party leaders confirmed Thursday.
Formal membership of the party had been given to the cricketer, who was removed from the team after his alleged involvement in match fixing, Congress leader Veerappa Moily told reporters.
'Azharuddin approached me with a desire to join the party a few days ago and the decision to offer him a membership was taken after holding a discussion with party president Sonia Gandhi,' Moily said.
However, the party has not yet decided whether he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Azharuddin's controversial past is not a problem for the party, he added.
'There are no criminal cases lodged against him anywhere and it is Azharuddin who has filed a case against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Everyone is aware that there are a number of leaders in the opposition with criminal background,' Moily added.
Azharuddin was the captain of the Indian cricket team for about nine years in the 1990s.
'I know him personally for the last 25 years and he is a nice man. He has been the most successful Indian captain and has yet not been proven guilty by a court of law,' Moily said.

Indian team leaves for New Zealand

The Indian squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, left here early this morning for New Zealand on a 47-day tour comprising two Twenty20 Internationals, five One-Day Internationals and three Test matches.
The squad for the limited overs events departed while the members of the Test team, who are not part of the T20 and ODIs squads, would leave later.
The team: M S Dhoni (Captain), V Sehwag (vice capt), Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Dinesh Karthik and Sachin Tendulkar.

India, Pak close to working out Kashmir outline solution

New Delhi: India and Pakistan were close to working out the outline of a solution to Kashmir and reached an understanding on disengagement in Siachen while discussing demilitarisation on both sides of the Line of Control, says former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri.
Kasuri, who was spearheading the peace talks with India under former President Pervez Musharraf, also said there was a substantial understanding on a Joint Mechanism that would have representatives from the two countries besides both sides of divided Kashmir.
The agreements could not fructify because of "sheer bad luck" and the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Islamabad not materialising, he told Karan Thapar on India Tonight programme on CNBC TV18.
Kasuri said Pakistan had hoped Singh would visit the country but in 2007 there were assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states. After that before he could be invited, Pakistan was embroiled in a controversy over the removal of Chief Justice Iftekhar Mohammad Chaudhari.
Kasuri replied in the affirmative on being asked whether the two countries had come close to working out the outline of a solution to Kashmir.
"Yes you see...We wanted Kashmiris to be involved and India was not that keen, so we arrived at this modus vivendi that your Kashmiris would travel to Pakistan, our Kashmiris would travel here (India) and meet your leaders and your Kashmiris meet our leaders in an indirect form. We would have preferred a direct Kashmiri participation," he said.

'Nukes might come to India via sea'

New Delhi, Feb 18: Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Wednesday warned that there was a possibility of anti-India elements smuggling nuclear weapons into the country via sea route, and called for augmented safety measures at ports.
Speaking to reporters, the Navy Chief talked about low-end or low-intensity maritime threat under which nuclear weapons could be smuggled into India in cargo containers. Admiral Mehta further said that security system was missing at ports for containers, and stressed on the need to screen all containers that enter the country.
"Container is the most likely means for the terrorist organisations for illegal transporting of nuclear weapons. Hence, the serious concerns about container security," he told reporters at a seminar on "Port Sector - Developments and Security".
He said the country from where a container leaves should issue safety certificates. "Countries should certify that whichever container leaves the port is safe," Admiral Mehta added. Talking about greater synergy amongst the Navy, Coast Guard and port authorities, the Navy Chief disclosed that control rooms would be set up in the Eastern and Western Naval Command. "These (control rooms) are the measures we propose for greater coordination that a joint operation centre functions from Eastern and Western Command... We will have a composite control over maritime assets," Admiral Mehta said.
The control rooms will coordinate among Eastern Command Chief, Western Command Chief and Director General Coast Guard. "It should be the integral part of country's security system," said Mehta.
The Navy Chief’s warning comes in the wake of November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, which were carried out by terrorists who entered the country’s financial capital from Karachi in Pakistan via sea route.
The 10 terrorists, nine of whom were killed by Indian security forces and one was captured alive, sailed from Karachi in a Pakistani vessel and hijacked Kuber, an Indian boat en route Mumbai.
The route taken by the Mumbai attackers exposed loopholes in India’s coastal security and the Central government has since then prioritised it. It has even announced plans to set up a coastal command.
The Navy Chief’s warning also comes at a time when al Qaeda has warned India against attacking Pakistan, and the neighbouring Islamic country’s move to impose Shariat law in large parts of its restive northwest, including the Swat Valley, in a bid to buy peace with the Taliban extremists.
The ‘peace deal’ has brought Taliban, who came into being in Afghanistan and are now present in “huge amounts” in Pakistan – in the words of President Asif Ali Zardari – more closer to India than ever before.
Following the Pak-Taliban deal, intelligence sources have revealed that the Taliban may target western cultural centres in India. The possibility of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists – belonging either to the Taliban or al Qaeda – also cannot be ruled out considering the volatile political and security situation in the neighbouring country.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Cabinet on Wednesday okayed integrating maritime security, under which there will be enhanced information sharing between the Navy and the Coast Guard.

Rupee may weaken to 50/dlr, outflows weigh

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The rupee could weaken to 50 against the dollar on Wednesday for the first time since early December, pressured by outflow concerns from the stock market following weak regional indices.
* Traders will be watching the central bank for any sign of dollar sales to support the rupee, which fell 1.7 percent on Tuesday to 49.67/68 from Monday's close of 48.84/85.
* One-month offshore non-deliverable forwards were quoting at 50/50.1, pointing to a weaker start.
* Japan's Nikkei stock index fell 1.2 percent by 0254 GMT to a nearly three-month low, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 1.6 percent. Nifty (^NSEI : 2776.15 +5.65) stock futures were trading down 1.3 percent, indicating a lower opening in India.
* The euro hit a fresh 2-½ month low against the dollar on Wednesday after warnings from ratings agencies fuelled fear that a deep recession in Eastern Europe would cause more damage to European banks.
* India's central bank sold $318 million in intervention in December, sharply lower than $3.1 billion it sold in November, as the rupee pulled back from a slide, the central bank's bulletin showed.

Pak situation a matter of concern, says Clinton

There are 'contradictory communications' emanating from Islamabad about what it intends to achieve in the peace deal with Taliban in the restive Swat valley, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.
"I want to get the whole picture of what it is they're attempting to achieve," Clinton said in Tokyo during her first official visit after taking over as the Secretary Of State. She said US will 'thoroughly study' the deal, before reacting to it, but expressed concern over the situation in Pakistan.
"The entire situation in Pakistan is a concern," Clinton told the ABC news in an interview, her first as the Secretary of State to a TV news channel.Clinton, who is currently traveling to Tokyo, said she would like to thoroughly study the peace deal between Pakistan and the Taliban militants before making any comments.
"Obviously, we believe that the activity by the extremist elements in Pakistan poses a direct threat to the government of Pakistan, as well as to the security of the US, Afghanistan and a number of other nations," she said, according to a State Department transcript of the interview.
"So before I comment on what its meaning might be, I want to be sure that we have as good an understanding of both the Pakistan government's intention and the actual agreed-upon language. And that I don't have at this time, so I want to wait until we can provide that," she said.

No formal request made for Kasab's custody: Pak

Islamabad: In a day of flip-flops, Pakistan on Wednesday said it had not "as yet" sought custody of Ajmal Amir Kasab from India, hours after a top legal official here claimed that a formal request had been made and it would be "very difficult" to prosecute other accused in the Mumbai attacks if he was not handed over.
Pakistan "has made no formal request to India as yet" for the custody of Kasab, the lone gunman captured alive during the November 26 Mumbai terror strikes, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a brief statement.
The statement came shortly after Deputy Attorney General Sardar Mohammad Ghazi, who has been appointed Special Public Prosecutor for the trial of Pakistani suspects linked to the Mumbai attacks, said Kasab is the "prime suspect" and it would be "very, very difficult to prosecute the other suspects" in this country if he is not handed over to Pakistan.
In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made it clear that India will react only after it receives an official communication from Pakistan.
Ghazi told Dawn News channel, "the government of Pakistan has formally requested the Indian government to hand over the custody of Ajmal Kasab because he is the prime suspect and the rest of these suspects, they are abettors, they abetted the crime"

Pakistani journalist killed in Swat

Islamabad: Pakistani journalist Mosa Khankhel, a correspondent for Geo TV and The News, died with his boots on as he headed for Swat in the country's restive northwest to report on peace talks between a radical cleric and his son-in-law who heads the Taliban that controls the area.
Unidentified gunmen shot Khankhel dead at Matta, near Swat, where the peace talks were to be held.
In his last report before his death on the departure of cleric Sufi Mohammad of the Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) for talks with Maulana Fazlullah, the journalist said: "The convoy is departing for Matta. Sufi Ahmed will go with the convoy to Matta.
"Attempts are being made to restore peace in the area," Khankhel added.
The TNSM had Monday signed an agreement with the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) government to impose Shariat laws in the provinces Malakand region, which includes the once picturesque tourist destination of Swat.
President Asif Ali Zardari has said he would approve the pact if the Taliban, whose writ runs in the Malakand region, laid down their arms and restored peace in the area.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Information and Broadcasting Minister Sherry Rehman, immediately condemned the journalist's killing, terming it an unacceptable act.
Khankhel is the fourth journalist to be killed in terrorist violence this year.
Tahir Awan and Mohammad Imran were killed in an explosion at the scene of a suicide blast they were reporting on at the NWFP's Dera Ismail Khan town.
Awan freelanced for local dailies Eitedal and Apna Akhbar while Imran was a trainee cameraman with Express News.
In Rawalpindi adjacent to Islamabad, unknown assailants gunned down Aamer Wakil who worked with Rohi TV and edited the local daily Awami Inqalab.
A week later, journalist Kamal Azfir survived an attempt on his life in a firing incident near Kohat in NWFP.

Team India's new look

Talibanism looms large over Pakistan

Pakistani Islamists’ convoy led by cleric Soofi Mohammad, arrives for talks with Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah at Mingora in the troubled Swat valley on February 17, 2009. Pakistan has agreed to impose Islamic law in the region where government troops have failed to put down a bloody insurgency. Fazlullah has waged a nearly two-year campaign to enforce Taliban-style sharia law in Swat, formerly a ski resort popular with Westerners.

Pakistani Islamists and residents listen to a speech by unseen cleric Soofi Mohammad, after arriving at Mingora in the troubled Swat valley on February 17, 2009, for talks with Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullahon. Pakistan has agreed to impose Islamic law in the region where government troops have failed to put down a bloody insurgency. Fazlullah has waged a nearly two-year campaign to enforce Taliban-style sharia law in Swat, formerly a ski resort popular with Westerners

The delegation members of a pro-Taliban leader Soofi Mohammad, leave after an agreement with government officials in Peshawar on February 16, 2009. The Pakistan government and Islamic hardliners signed an agreement to enforce sharia law in the northwestern Swat valley. The announcement followed talks between the government of troubled North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and a local militant leader, Soofi Mohammad, on formalising the implementation of strict Islamic law.

A local resident distributes sweets among people after the government decision to implement Islamic Law, Monday, Feb. 16, 2009 in Mingora, the main town of Pakistani Swat Valley. The government agreed to impose Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency there

Representatives of Taliban and Islamic militants listen to speakers during their peace meeting with Pakistani government officials in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. At the meeting, regional government officials say Pakistan will impose Islamic law in parts of its northwest where Taliban fighters increasingly hold sway

Participants attend a peace meeting between Pakistani officials and representatives of Islamic militants and the Talibans in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. At the meeting, regional government officials say Pakistan will impose Islamic law in parts of its northwest where Taliban fighters increasingly hold sway

Pakistani Christians carry quilts to be donated to refugees from the troubled Swat Valley in Islamabad on February 17, 2009. Pakistan's military vowed to hold fire and respect a controversial agreement signed between the government and militants to enforce Islamic law in the violence-torn Swat valley

Dhoni, Sehwag on 'little' NZ grounds scary, says Vettori

Christchurch: New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori says the prospect of facing Indian big-hitters like Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the upcoming home series is "pretty scary" as it will be tough to contain them on the small grounds in Christchurch.
The last time India toured New Zealand six years ago they went down 0-2 in Tests and lost the one-day series 2-5. But India's current form in all three forms of the game has Vettori worried and he said stopping Dhoni and Sehwag could turn into a nightmare for his bowlers.

"You look at the individual players and some of the world's best are coming," Vettori said.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag batting on the little grounds in New Zealand is pretty scary," the leg-spinner said.

However, Vettori is seeking comfort from India's past record i Christchurch.

"You balance that with them being notorious for not touring New Zealand all that well," he said.

Why Taliban is happy with the Pakistan government

The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday welcomed an agreement between religious hardliners and authorities to enforce Islamic law in the troubled Swat and nearby areas as the government said the pact would be approved by the President only after peace is restored to the area.
Endorsing the pact signed by the North West Frontier Province government and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi chief Sufi Mohammad, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said: "If Sufi Mohammad has signed the draft of the proposed Shariah package, then it is acceptable to us as he is an expert on Shariah."
TNSM spokesman Izzat Khan said he was satisfied with the outcome of the talks between the government and his group regarding the enforcement of Islamic law in Malakand division, a part of NWFP that includes Swat valley.
A group of clerics in Swat also asked the government to stop military operations in Swat. Meanwhile, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said President Asif Ali Zardari will approve the implementation of Islamic laws in Swat and Malakand after peace is restored in the region.
The deal should not be seen as a "concession" to the militants, she said. "It is in no way a sign of the state's weakness. The public will of the population of the Swat region is at the centre of all efforts and it should be taken into account while debating the merits of this agreement," Rehman said.
The federal government will monitor the situation in Swat and the security and well-being of the people of the region will be the top priority, she said.
"The proposed Nizam-e-Adal Regulation (Islamic laws) will bring speedy justice at the doorstep of the common man.This regulation will also meet the demand of the people for the establishment of an appellate forum in their own area," Rehman said.

I am not good enough for politics, says Sourav Ganguly

New Delhi: Amidst reports that he is being wooed by political parties to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha poll, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said that he was not good enough for politics.
"It is not true. I am not good enough for politics," Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata when asked if he was planning to join politics. Asked about reports that he was going to join the Samajwadi party, Ganguly quipped "I have my own state."
The speculations about Ganguly joining politics gained momentum after his wife Don said earlier, "The West Bengal government definitely wants that he (Sourav) should step into politics and when I was in Lucknow for a programme, some minister who was there said that Sourav should come and fight from Uttar Pradesh."
"Such offers keep coming but Sourav has not yet decided," she had added.Asked which party wanted to offer a ticket to Sourav, Dona said "I don't remember, I think Samajwadi Party although I may be wrong. Since I am not into politics I don't exactly know the names of people in politics. But I think it was SP."
When queried on the matter, SP leader Amar Singh told reporters "Nobody from our side has officially gone to Dona Ganguly. But if Ganguly wants to join SP, we will consider ourselves lucky." Sourav has already been invited by the ruling coalition in his home state to fight the coming elections on a Communist Party of India - Marxist ticket.

Govt moves CLB to sack boards of two Maytas companies

NEW DELHI: A day after handing over Satyam probe to CBI, the government today moved Company Law Board (CLB) to supercede the boards of Maytas Infra
Maytas Properties, the two firms promoted by the kin of disgraced promoter of Satyam Computer B Ramalinga Raju. "In order to prevent further acts of fraud against the said companies (two Maytas companies) and to safeguard operations
of these companies in public interest, the government has moved the CLB to remove the existing directors of these companies," Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta told reporters this evening. The government, he said, has also requested the CLB to bar the existing board members of the two companies from becoming directors in any other company. In addition, Gupta said, the government is also seeking to restrain the present directors from disposing of properties. Pending the petition, which will come up for hearing on February 24, he said, CLB has been requested to "nominate government directors on boards of each company".
The government has already handed over the probe of the Rs 7,800-crore Satyam fraud case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The government, Gupta said, has prayed to CLB to immediately restrain all the current directors from "alienating, mortgaging, creating charges or liens or interest in the properties, assets owned and/or controlled by them without the leave of CLB". According to a filing by Maytas Infra in the Bombay Stock Exchange, B Narasimha Rao has been appointed the additional director with effect from January 30.
The other directors, according to the company website, are R P Raju and B Teja Raju. The government, Gupta said, has moved CLB as there is a "strong possibility of the affairs of Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties having been conducted by its present management with fraudulent intent, causing breach of trust to stake holders of the company". The Minister added there was a persistent negligence by the boards in discharging the functions, which was proving detrimental to the business and operations of the companies.
Also ReadFollowing disclosure of fraud by former Satyam Chairman Raju, the government ordered probe by Serious Fraud Investigation Office in Satyam Computer and related companies including Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties. Before disclosure of fraud, Satyam wanted to acquire Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties for USD 1.6 billion, but the deal was aborted following protest by some shareholders.

Pak signs pact with Taliban, enforces Sharia law in Swat

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government and Islamic hardliners on Monday signed an agreement to enforce Sharia law in the northwestern Swat valley, a provincial minister told reporters.
Militants in the Swat Valley declared a 10-day ceasefire as a goodwill gesture ahead of the expected formal announcement of the agreement on Monday. Several past deals with militants have failed, but Pakistan says force alone cannot defeat al-Qaida and Taliban fighters wreaking havoc in its northwest and attacking US troops in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The United States has said the deals merely give insurgents time to regroup. Regaining the Swat Valley from militants is a major test for Pakistan's shaky civilian leadership. Unlike the semiautonomous tribal regions where al-Qaida and Taliban have long thrived, the former tourist haven is supposed to be under full government control. But militants have gained power since a peace deal last year collapsed within months, and violence has increased.
Provincial government leaders confirmed they were talking to a pro-Taliban group about ways to impose Islamic judicial practices in the Malakand division, which includes Swat. The Swat Taliban's version of Islamic law is especially harsh. They have declared a ban on female education, forced women to stay mostly indoors and clamped down on many forms of entertainment.
Also ReadTaliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the militants would adhere to any deal reached with the group if Islamic law is implemented in the region. He also announced the 10-day ceasefire. "We reserve the right to retaliate if we are fired upon," he said. "Once Islamic law is imposed, there will be no problems in Swat.
The Taliban will lay down their arms." Khan also said the militants had freed a Chinese engineer held captive for nearly six months. Long Xiaowei was freed on Saturday, days before a planned visit to China by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Provincial law minister Arshad Abdullah said the deal would require the pro-Taliban group to convince the militants to first give up violence. Then existing laws governing the justice system can be amended or enforced, he said.
"They have to succumb to law," Abdullah said. "They have to put down their arms." Past deals required militants to stop fighting but eventually unravelled amid militant complaints that the government was not meeting their demands.
The pro-Taliban group - known as the Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammedi, or the Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Law - is led by Sufi
Muhammad, who Pakistan freed from custody last year after he renounced violence. Muhammad is the father-in-law of Maulana Fazlullah, the leader of the Swat Taliban. Muhammad, who has long agitated for Islamic law in the region, said that after the formal announcement he will go to Swat and ask Fazlullah and his men to lay down their arms.
A broad peace deal reached last year with Fazlullah's militants effectively collapsed within a few months, and Pakistani security officials blame that agreement for the militants' gains in Swat since then. The deal was supposed to let religious scholars advise judges in the courts, but the agreement encountered obstacles, said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for North West Frontier Province.
An Islamic judicial system is a concession to the insurgents, but it is also a long-standing demand of many civilians in the conservative region who are dissatisfied with the inefficient secular justice system.
Hussain noted that the Swat Taliban had responded well to the talks, but he warned that if "someone does not agree and does not adopt the way of dialogue, the government would be compelled to use force to establish its authority."
Pakistan has tried to avoid negotiating directly with militants, often using tribal elders as intermediaries.
Also ReadPakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi deflected concerns about a negative US reaction to the talks, insisting the country was reaching out to peaceful groups.
"We are not compromising with militants, instead trying to isolate the militants, and for that I do not think America will have any objection," he said.
Deteriorating security in the nuclear-armed country has included a string of attacks on foreigners.
UN officials said on Sunday they were still trying to establish contact with the kidnappers of an American employee seized Feb. 2 in the southwest city of Quetta. On Friday, John Solecki's kidnappers threatened to kill him within 72 hours and issued a 20-second video of the blindfolded captive.
It was unclear exactly when the deadline would expire, and UN officials said Sunday they were still trying to establish contact with the kidnappers, who identify themselves as the previously unknown Baluchistan Liberation United Front. The name indicates the group is more likely linked to separatists than to Islamists.

Market falls 3.4% as budget dashes stimulus hopes

MUMBAI: Indian equities ended with sharp losses Monday as traders unwinded long positions after the UPA government washed away expectations of a stimulus package in the form of interim budget. All the sectoral indices ended lower with metals, realty and banks being the worst hit.
Terming the budget as populist and aimed to woo voters ahead of general elections due by May, analysts said it had nothing in store for corporate India.
“It was a disappointing session for the market as nothing emerged from interim budget. Traders were expecting seven year tax holiday for gas producers but it didn’t happen. Reduction in corporate tax also didn’t materialise. These were the major setbacks. There is a possibility of weakness in energy stocks Reliance Industries, Cairn and ONGC and GAIL but broad based weakness is not expected. We expect the market to be subdued for next two-three sessions and then it will start following global markets,” said Satish Kannav, senior analyst, Arihant Capital Markets.
What emerged as a worry from acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s budget was the expected rise in fiscal deficit to 6 percent of GDP in 2008-09 from a planned 2.5 per cent. This could keep away foreign investors, already wary of emerging markets.
Mukherjee projected a fiscal deficit of 5.5 per cent in 2009-10 but hinted at a rise as government spending may jump later this year to shield the economy from a global slump and stem job losses.
The Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex ended at 9,305.45, down 329.29 points or 3.42 points. The index fell to a low of 9,279.10 from a high of 9,637.04.
National Stock Exchange’s Nifty lost 3.39 per cent or 99.85 points to 2848.50, falling from a high of 2953.20. The low was 2839.10.
Secondline stocks were equally affected, with the BSE Midcap Index ending 2.93 per cent lower and BSE Smallcap Index losing 2.1 per cent.
“As long as the market holds support at 2850/9300-9400 (Nifty/Sensex), strong hands will absorb the selling and will help to remain aligned with global markets. Weak hands created shorts at higher levels on temptations but it will be wise to wait for the next two sessions to ascertain whether the market has actually entered a downturn,” Kannav added.
Sectorwise, BSE Metal Index, down 4.75 per cent, was the worst hit, followed by BSE Realty down 4.58 per cent, BSE Bankex down 4.58 per cent and BSE Capital Goods down 4.55 per cent. Jaiprakash Associates (-7.88%), Reliance Infrastructure (-6.35%), ICICI Bank (-5.79%), Reliance Communications (-5.78%) and Larsen & Toubro (-4.96%) were the major Sensex losers.
I T C, up 0.95 per cent, was the only Sensex gainer.
Elsewhere, European stocks were in the red tracking Asian peers while US stock markets are shut for President’s Day.

Budget Highlights

Rs 11,842 cr allocated to Jawahar Nehru Urban Renewal Mission
Food, fertiliser, petroleum subsidies to go up
Allocation of Rs 14,1703 cr for defence sector
Rs 4,900 cr allocated to Bharat Nirman Scheme
Rs 8,300 cr for mid-day meal scheme
Rs 1,200 crore for Total Sanitation Programme
Rs 6705 cr allocated for child development schemes
Tax collections in 2008-09 to exceed that of 2007-08
FY09 fiscal deficit seen at 6% of GDP vs 2.5 %
Tax collections down by Rs 60,000 crore over estimates
Plan expenditure revised to 3 lakh crore
Revenue deficit revisied at 4.4% of GDP
Custom duties rates steadily reduced in UPA rule
Tax collection to increase in 2008-09
Govt expenditure estimate revised to over 9 lakh crores
Pranab Mukherjee resumes Interim Budget speech
Kerala MP falls ill; session adjourned for 10 minutes
Part of NIF proceeds also to be used for capital investment
PSU turnover up 84%
Centre has pumped in Rs 652 cr into Regional Rural Banks
Personal Income tax structure has been rationalised
Tax rates must fall during the time of crisis
Turnover of PSUs rose by 84% in 2003-08
Young widows to get priority in ITI admissions
The RIDA corpus was hiked from Rs 5,500 to Rs 14,000 cr
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme for widows
Govt to provide subsidy to farmers in 2009-10
Six new IITs started in 2008-09
Educational loan schemes revised
2 new IITs in MP and Rajasthan in 2009-10
Rs 65,300 crore in loans loans waived off for farmers
Industrial production fell by 2 pct in 2008 on a YoY basis
Govt took prompt stimulus packages to curb slowdown
Allocation to agriculture increased by 300%
Outlay for higher education increased 900 per cent
Govt took prompt stimulus packages to curb slowdown
Govt approved 37 infrastructure projects
Tax to GDP ration risen by 12.5%
60.12 lakh houses built under Indira Awaas Yojna
Highest priority to rural development
Per Capita income grew by 7.4% in UPA regimen
Agri revival package implemented in 25 states
Employment generation schemes to be expanded
Economic growth has to be sustainable and inclusive
Manufacturing and agriculture sector are the growth drivers
FRPM targets being relaxed
Export growth for the first 9 months of the current year down to 17.1%
Export growth slowed down to 17.1% for the last 9 months
Export growth at 26.4% annually in the last 4 years
Government has approved 37 new infrastructure projects
Serious chocking of credit due to global downturn
Export growth at 26.4% annually in the last 4 years
India second fastest growing economy at 7.1% growth
Agriculture annual growth rate 3.7%
Savings rate up to 30.7% in 2008
Farmers real heroes of our success story
Investment rate has grown to 39%
Fiscal deficit down by 2.7%
Focus to maintain growth rate of 7-8%
After a popular Railway Budget by Rail Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the government is all set to present the Interim Budget. Ahead of the general elections, UPA government's interim Budget is likely to provide more focus on sectors like rural development and infrastructure facilities like roads and ports.
Highlights of Railway Budget - 22% more capacity in passenger trains. Two per cent fare cut across the board. 43 new trains to be introduced in FY-2010.
With the government focusing on ways to battle slowdown by providing stimulus to the industry, some of the sectors like the higher education and the health are likely to be pushed to the back-burner in the interim Budget.