Sudan rebels shell southern city during defence minister visit

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese rebels shelled the main city of the oil-producing South Kordofan state during a visit of Sudan's defence minister, Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, rebels and residents said.

Sudan's army has been fighting rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North) in South Kordofan, which borders South Sudan, since June last year. But the state capital Kadugli was until this month mainly kept out of the fighting.

SPLM-North spokesman Arnu Lodi said the rebels had fired shells on army positions inside Kadugli on Friday after coming under fire from government warplanes.

"There was an aerial bombardment against SPLM-North positions and villages so we fired back against military positions in Kadugli," he said.

Residents said the shelling started when the defence minister, a close ally of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, was addressing worshippers during prayers marking Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.

"Some seven rockets hit the town, one of them close to the place where the minister spoke," a resident said, asking not to be named. "Worshippers were really afraid."

Sudan accuses South Sudan, which seceded from the north in July 2011, of backing the SPLM-North, whose fighters were part of the southern rebel army during Sudan's long civil war. South Sudan denies the accusation.

Events in Sudan's border states are hard to verify as the government bans foreign media from travelling there.

Sudan's army spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid could not be reached on his mobile phone, but the newspaper al-Intibaha, run by an uncle of Bashir, confirmed on Saturday that rebels shelled Kadugli when the defence minister was in town to celebrate Eid.

This was the fourth reported shelling of the state capital this month. The rebels first shelled Kadugli on October 8. At least one rocket hit a U.N. compound, prompting the United Nations to move its staff out of the town.

Lodi, the rebels' spokesman, also accused the army of bombing the rebel-held area of Kauda in South Kordofan on Saturday.

Fighting in South Kordofan and nearby Blue Nile state has displaced or severely affected 900,000 people, the United Nations said a week ago. Sudan agreed in August to let aid into rebel-held areas but the United Nations has been unable to win government approval to go ahead with distributing food.

Under international pressure, Sudan and South Sudan agreed last month to establish a buffer zone along their border after clashing along it several times in the past year. Indirect talks between Khartoum and the rebels, however, have made scant progress.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz and Ulf Laessing, editing by Rosalind Russell)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coe reveals Olympic fears that kept him awake at night

LONDON (Reuters) - London Olympics organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe had sleepless nights worrying about possible terrorist attacks during this year's Games, according to his autobiography to be published next month.

Coe, 56, who exuded calm and confidence as the chairman of the committee that organised the hugely successful Games in July and August, tells of his concerns that kept him awake at night.

"I was less concerned about a Twin Towers scenario because there were missiles on tower blocks and Navy Seals in exercise boarding boats on the Thames," he writes in extracts published by The Times on Saturday.

He says though, he was haunted by a "lone wolf" terrorist attack.

"I was haunted by the fear of that when people were celebrating having street parties or watching TV screens in pubs ten deep. That fear never left me.

"I counted off the days, counted off the hours."

In his book he describes meeting Chris Allison, the assistant commissioner of the Metroplitan Police a few days before the Games ended.

"We didn't even need to say what we were thinking. We just looked at each other and I said: 'This isn't done until we've got everybody home safely.' And he said, 'Yeah, I know'."

In an interview with The Times, Coe says he was sitting with his sons in the Olympic Stadium on the last night of the Paralympic Games when it suddenly occurred to him that the venture that had dominated his life for the last 10 years was over.

After the closing ceremony had ended, his sons asked if they could go down on to the track. Thinking of lots of bureaucratic reasons why they could not he was just about to say "no," when he realised it did not matter any more if they did.

He went down to the track with them and said: "As we stood there, it was instinct. I just pulled them both into a hudddle and thanked them for the last 10 years."

Asked if he felt guilty at not being around for his young family, he said, "Yes absolutely it was an obsession."

Coe, who won the 1,500 metres gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and the 1984 Games in Los Angeles is unopposed in the election for chairman of the British Olympic Association on November7.

His book, "Running My Life - The Autobiography" is due to be published the following day.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; Editing by John Mehaffey)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hanson holds slender advantage in Shanghai

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Swede Peter Hanson's lead was trimmed to a single shot by world number one Rory McIlroy in the third round of the BMW Masters golf on Saturday.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy hit a three-under-par 69 to move within one stroke of fellow-Ryder Cup winner Hanson, who shot a third round 70 to hold the lead at 16-under.

Hanson started the day two shots clear, but watched his lead evaporate after bogeys at the fourth, fifth and eighth.

He was joined for a time at the top of the leaderboard by Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, who carded eight birdies in his first 15 holes, before double bogeys on holes 16 and 17 on the Lake Malaren course.

McIlroy, who is looking to add the European money list title to the U.S PGA Tour title he has already secured, had the chance to draw level at the top on the 17th, but the ball hit the lip and did not go in.

World number 25 Hanson opened the tournament with rounds of 66 and 64, and was looking for a similar effort on Sunday to secure top spot at the $7 million event.

"The wind was blowing from opposite direction today which made it a little bit trickier, and some of the pins were tucked away," he said.

"It's great to play with Rory. Every time you get the chance to play against the world number one it's a fantastic thing to do.

"Hopefully I can stay ahead of him but I think it's going to be a tough one tomorrow and I need to play a little bit better than I did today.

"Winning on the European Tour is always massive and this is the start of a big stretch for us. If I can get it back to the first two rounds I think I've got a good chance."

South Africa's George Coetzee holds third spot, two strokes behind McIlroy, while another six players including Britain's Justin Rose and Luke Donald are a further stroke back.

(Editing by Josh Reich)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Paraguay sentences Argentine hooligans, sends them home

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay has sent home 35 Argentine soccer hooligans sentenced to two-year suspended jail terms for acts of vandalism at a match in Asuncion and banned them for five years from returning across the border.

The hooligans, fans of Argentine side Colon, were arrested after fighting with home supporters of Cerro Porteno and riot police during a Copa Sudamericana match on Tuesday.

"The 35 fans of Colon will be expelled from Paraguay. We have already informed the police about the signed resolution," Judge Jose Delmas told reporters on Friday.

The hooligans were sentenced at a brief trial after agreeing to pay for the damage.

Cerro Porteno won the match, the second leg of a last-16 tie, 2-1 to go through to the quarter-finals 4-2 on aggregate.

The Copa Sudamericana is South America's equivalent of the Europa League.

(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; writing by Rex Gowar in Buenos Aires; editing by Josh Reich)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five-year-old kid found dead

Rajahmundry (AP), Oct 28 (PTI) A five-year-old boy was found dead in mysterious condition in the cattle farm of a farmer at Vadisleru village in East Godavari district today, police said. Undavalli Sai Tharun Lokesh was playing outside his house in the afternoon when he went missing following which his parents lodged a police complaint, they said. The boy was found in a nearby cattle fodder storage farm after police launched a hunt to trace him. A sharp-edged object was found impelled through Lokesh's heart, police said, adding they are investigating whether the boy was murdered or accidentally fell while playing. PTI CORR NSK

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Young SI stabbed to death in TN

Rameswaram (TN), Oct 27 (PTI) In a tragic incident, a 26-year old Sub-Inspector of Police, who joined the force only last year, was stabbed to death by a group of youths after he asked them to take an alternative route while on their way to attend the death anniversary of Maruthupandiar brothers. Police said T Alwyn, attached to the Tirupachethi station, was regulating vehicles at Podukulam near here when he asked the youths to take another route to proceed to Sivaganga District for the 'guru pooja' of the two brothers, 18th century rulers of Sivaganga who fought against the British. Infuriated over being diverted, the youths attacked the SI with sharp weapons. Two other police personnel who were at the spot were also injured in the attack, police said. The gang members had also pushed down a DSP from his jeep and escaped in it, abandoning their vehcile. Alwyn, survived by wife and two toddlers, was rushed to the Government Rajaji Hospital here, but died without responding to treatment. PTI COR SSN VS SS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

JPPF celebrates Accession day

Jammu, Oct 27 (PTI) Jammu Province People's Forum (JPPF) today said the need to celebrate Jammu and Kashmir's accession with India arises because in no other state "people" challenge the rationale of merger with the country. JPPF, an amalgam of more than 50 social, commercial and other organisations, celebrated the Accession Day here today. Speaking on the occasion, JPPF president, retd justice Pavitra Singh said, "the question arises why and what is the need of the celebration of this day as almost all states which acceded with the dominion of India do not celebrate their accession day." "Nowhere in India, the accession of even a single state is challenged whereas in case of J&K it is. Hence there is a drastic need of celebration to make people aware of the fact of the state regarding accession," Singh said. "Kashmir centric people" are misleading the public by giving wrong information and are following Germany's Information Minister Gobbles propaganda which says that hundred lies make the truth, he said. The same is being done by the separatists and Kashmir centric anti-India parties, Singh said. PTI AB SHS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wilshere returns for Arsenal after 14 months absence

LONDON (Reuters) - Jack Wilshere, who last played for Arsenal in the final game of the 2010-11 season, was named in the starting lineup for their Premier League game against Queens Park Rangers at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna also returns for his first match of the season after recovering from a broken leg.

Wilshere has been out for 14 months with ankle problems, but after playing for Arsenal's Under-21s and being on the bench for last week's game at Norwich City, manager Arsene Wenger restored him to the starting lineup.

Arsenal go into the game looking for a win following successive defeats against Norwich in the Premier League and Schalke 04 in the Champions League while QPR seek their first Premier League win of the season.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; Editing by John Mehaffey)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Roma's Zeman takes another swipe at Agnelli and Juventus

By Terry Daley

ROME (Reuters) - AS Roma manager Zdenek Zeman has accused Juventus and the Agnelli family of failing to reform Italian football while they had the game "in their hands for 20 years".

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli said on Friday that Italian football was in need of drastic reform if it was to reverse a dramatic decline at domestic level during which it lost its fourth Champions League place to Germany.

Zeman, who has been frequently critical of Juventus, resumed hostilities by suggesting that the Turin club should have looked to reform Italian football while they were in charge of the game.

"Agnelli said that the system of Italian football is going through a period of rapid decline. I think he's right, there is need for reform, a need to improve," Zeman told reporters in the leadup to Roma's match with Udinese on Sunday (1945 GMT).

"The thing is that it's something that everyone says, meanwhile it's another thing altogether that they (the Agnellis) had football in their hands for 20 years and there was all the time needed to make those improvements."

Agnelli said Italian football was in need of drastic reform on Friday, saying that the present structure was like a local sports club and not appropriate for a multi-million euro business.

"We support a structural reform of professional football ... those who don't condemn Italy to being marginalised in Europe and the world," he told a Juventus shareholders' meeting.

"Reform of the league, the number of professional clubs and the youth sector. Reform of the status of professional sports, currently governed by a law from 1981 - trademark protection, stadium regulations.

"Comprehensive reform of sporting justice, which cannot deal with investments worth millions of euros as though they were a dispute in a local sports club."

(Reporting by Terry Daley, editing by Josh Reich)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

U.S. presidential race still virtually even - Reuters/Ipsos poll

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama holds a narrow lead of 2 percentage points over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Reuters/Ipsos poll results released on Saturday, leaving the race effectively tied as fewer voters say they are likely to change their minds.

Obama led Romney by 47 percent to 45 percent among likely voters, a slim margin within the daily national online tracking survey's credibility interval.

The poll also found that 88 percent of registered voters now say they will definitely vote for their candidate, leaving just 12 percent who say they could change their minds, 10 days before Election Day on November 6.

An average of about 15 percent said they could switch contenders in Reuters/Ipsos polling last week.

Nearly one in five - 18 percent - said they had already cast their ballots. Among those, Obama led 55 percent to 41 percent for Romney. That result is not considered predictive because more Democrats vote early than Republicans.

The survey was conducted October 23-27. It sampled 1,665 registered voters and 1,291 likely voters.

The precision of Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. For this survey, the credibility interval is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for registered voters and 3.1 for likely voters.

(Reporting By Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cycling sponsors face doping dilemma after Armstrong scandal

By Keith Weir

LONDON (Reuters) - Cyclist Lance Armstrong's doping scandal is causing sponsors to question their future in a sport that allows them to reach mass audiences at a moderate price, but risks tainting their brand.

The Dutch Rabobank pulled out of professional cycling on Friday, ending a sponsorship deal worth 15 million euros a year and leaving one of the Tour de France's best known teams facing an uncertain future.

U.S. sportwear giant Nike dropped seven times Tour de France winner Armstrong last Wednesday after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said his success had been fuelled by an elaborate and sophisticated doping scheme.

The choice for companies is stark. Do they cut their losses to avoid contamination from the sport's dark past or buy into the view that Armstrong's demise marks the end of that era?

"I know that our sponsors continue to be very supportive and view this as a necessary process to move the sport forward," said Jonathan Vaughters, manager for the Garmin-Sharp team.

"Our sponsors now require us to be very focused on anti-doping procedures," added Vaughters, speaking in a telephone interview from the United States.

"We have very strong clauses in the contract, which means if there are any current anti-doping infractions, that can cause total termination."

Vaughters admitted to doping during a career as a professional rider but launched his team five years ago with a public commitment to clean riding.

The team has won over Japan's Sharp Electronics, who signed up as a sponsor in June 2012, sharing naming rights with Garmin, the U.S. maker of navigation devices.

BIG, AFFLUENT TV AUDIENCES

Besides sponsorship, cycling teams can earn prize money in major events like the Tour de France, the world's top cycle race, which will stage its 100th edition in 2013.

Bradley Wiggins scooped 450,000 euros for his Sky team in July when he became the first Briton to win the Tour, and there is prize money for each daily stage winner.

The Tour, run by the family-owned French group Amaury Sport Organisation, does not charge spectators but generates its income through the sale of TV rights to an estimated 190 countries and has its own sponsorship deals.

Rabobank's departure is unlikely to trigger a mass exit from a sport that delivers such exposure, said Ulrich Lacher, Managing Director of sponsorship strategy firm IFM Sports Group.

"There is hardly any other sport that offers such good return on investment in terms of media exposure, especially in western and southern Europe," said Lacher.

"In cycling, team names are mentioned in reports in all the media and the sponsorship fees involved are relatively modest," he added. "If you are looking for immediate and affordable brand awareness, it is a unique opportunity."

To sponsor the shirts of a top European soccer club can cost upwards of 20 million euros per season and, in contrast to cycling, the company does not usually get to put its brand in the team name.

Cycling also has an ideal consumer base for sponsors, attracting affluent and active middle-aged men who get on their bikes at the weekend when their fathers would have headed for the golf course.

"Cycling is probably the sport with the highest buying power of any fan group in the world," said Vaughters of Garmin-Sharp.

SPONSORS REASSURE

Rabobank's departure was the biggest blow to the sport since the German mobile phone company T-Mobile quit in 2007, sick of a series of doping scandals.

In the wake of the Armstrong affair, teams are underlining their commitment to clean riding.

Sky, the road race team formed in 2010 as an extension of pay TV company BSkyB's sponsorship of British cycling, warned team members this week that they faced the sack unless they signed a document saying they had never doped.

In the wake of the Rabobank exit, other major sponsors have offered some reassurance that they will stick with cycling.

The Lotto Belisol team, funded by the Belgian national lottery, said it would remain in the sport, estimating that the benefits were worth four times what it spends.

Denmark's Saxo Bank recently renewed for 2013 its sponsorship of a team owned by Bjarne Riis, a Dane who won the Tour in 1996 but later admitted to doping.

"We have full confidence in the Saxo Bank team and especially their owner Bjarne Riis," said Kasper Elbjorn, head of group public relations at the bank.

"The sponsorship has been a great branding exercise in Asia and in Europe where we have most of our offices."

After the shock of losing their backer, Rabobank's riders are hoping that a new sponsor will keep them on the road.

"Great time for a sponsor to jump onboard, help improve cycling and its image!" Australian Rabobank rider Mark Renshaw said in a tweet. "There are riders who are clean, work hard and love the sport."

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands in UK join anti-austerity march

From H S Rao London, Oct 20 (PTI) Thousands of protesters in London, Glasgow and Belfast today held a loud but peaceful march against British government's austerity measures aimed at slashing the nation's debt. Labour leader Ed Miliband is among dozens of speakers addressing crowds at the biggest march in London. Demonstrators want the coalition to end public service cuts and instead create policies they say can create growth. However, the government says austerity measures are vital to cutting the deficit. Union leaders recently criticised Labour for supporting a public sector pay freeze. Organiser Trades Union Congress (TUC), which says workers and campaigners from across the UK are involved with the demonstration, estimates that 100,000 people are taking part while the Met Police has not released an estimate. Last year, more than 250,000 people had taken part in a London anti-cuts march and rally. Thousands of activists poured down London's streets in a demonstration against reductions to public sector spending which officials are pushing through in order to rein in the Britain's debt, which stands at more than 1 trillion pounds. Banners on display have included those reading "Cameron has butchered Britain", "no cuts" and "plebs on parade" - a reference to the row that led to the resignation of government chief whip Andrew Mitchell, the BBC reported. Demonstrators were brought to London in more than 250 coaches. PTI HSR SAP

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Morocco denies pagan rock carving destroyed

RABAT (Reuters) - The Moroccan government has denied that an 8,000-year-old rock engraving depicting the Sun as a divinity has been destroyed in the south of the country in an attack residents had blamed on ultra-orthodox Salafi Muslims.

Communications Minister Mustafa el-Khalfi took journalists to the site of the pagan engraving in the Toukbal National Park to demonstrate that reports of its destruction were untrue.

Ahmed Assid, a prominent activist for the indigenous Amazigh people and member of the Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture (IRCAM), had said the petroglyph had been destroyed this week and that local activists had blamed Salafis. However, Assid said at the time he had yet to see pictures of the reported damage.

Meryem Demnati, of the Amazigh Freedoms and Rights Watchdog, had also said the petroglyph had been destroyed.

Morocco has generally followed a tolerant form of Sunni Islam, but Salafis rose to prominence after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. Hundreds were jailed after suicide bombings in the city of Casablanca in 2003.

Amazigh, or Imazighen, are berbers who lived in north Africa long before Muslims arrived there in the 7th century. While there are no official figures on their numbers, Morocco is widely believed to have the biggest Amazigh community in the world.

(Reporting by Souhail Karam; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kuwait sets parliamentary elections for December 1

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait set December 1 as the date for a parliamentary election and amended the voting system on Saturday, state media reported, a day after the oil producer's ruler ordered changes to the electoral laws.

Friday's announcement that the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, ordered the changes prompted the opposition to say it was considering a boycott of the election.

Sabah had dissolved parliament on October 7, meaning that an election had to take place by mid-December.

Persistent political turmoil has held up development projects in the Gulf state, and ally of the United States.

"The cabinet ... approved the ordering of a call to voters to elect members of the parliament on December 1, 2012," the government said in a statement carried by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) after an extraordinary meeting.

The cabinet ordered a change to electoral procedures to allow voters to chose only one candidate in an electoral district, the statement said. Voters were previously allowed to cast ballots for four candidates.

(Reporting By Ahmed Hagagy, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Sami Aboudi)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Libya gov't says former Gaddafi spokesman captured

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The former spokesman of Muammar Gaddafi's government has been captured, exactly a year after the death of the Libyan dictator, the prime minister's office said on Saturday.

Moussa Ibrahim, who was the mouthpiece of the Gaddafi regime during last year's war, was caught in the town of Tarhouna, 70 km (40 miles) south of Tripoli.

"Moussa Ibrahim has been arrested by forces belonging to the Libyan government in the town of Tarhouna and he is being transferred to Tripoli to begin interrogation," a statement from the prime minister's office said.

Fluent in English, Ibrahim would hold regular press conferences in the luxury Tripoli hotel were journalists stayed during last year's war.

His whereabouts have been unknown since the fall of Tripoli in August 2011 but there have been past reports of his capture.

Saturday marks one year since Gaddafi's capture and death in his hometown Sirte, after he was caught hiding in a drain pipe.

(Reporting by Ali Shuaib and Hadeel al-Shalchi; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alison Williams and Sophie Hares)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

British protesters demand end to "failing" austerity

By Isla Binnie

LONDON (Reuters) - Thousands of British protesters marched through central London on Saturday against public spending cuts and tax rises enacted by a government fighting accusations it is run by an upper-class elite that ignores the plight of recession-hit voters.

Blowing horns and whistles, protesters filed past the Houses of Parliament behind a banner declaring "Austerity is Failing", calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to revive Britain's struggling economy.

The march comes at a time when Cameron's Conservative-led coalition is reeling from the resignation on Friday of a senior minister accused of calling police "plebs", a class-laden insult for working people.

"If the working class strike for a day, we'll see who runs this country," said Nick Chaffey, 48, a Socialist Party campaigner married to a teacher who has taken a pay cut.

"I've got friends who are in desperate straits, living in fear of losing their job and their house."

Cameron's party has faced a barrage of negative headlines over the departure of Andrew Mitchell - the "Chief Whip" or party enforcer - four weeks after he swore at police guarding the gates to Cameron's Downing Street office.

A separate row involving finance minister George Osborne, who sat in a first class train carriage with a standard class ticket before paying for an upgrade, added ammunition to critics who say the Conservatives are privileged and out-of-touch.

"Who Do They Think They Are?" asked the Daily Mail newspaper in a front page headline, while the Financial Times said the bad news over Mitchell and Osborne capped a "dismal week for the Tories", the centre-right party that is trailing in the polls.

Under grey autumnal skies, demonstrators waved banners saying "No Cuts", "Tax the Rich, Teach the Poor" and "Plebs of the World Unite", poking fun at Mitchell's resignation.

Others handed out leaflets decorated with Wild West-style "Wanted" posters bearing Cameron's picture and the message: "Running a government by and for millionaires".

Nurses, cleaners, librarians and ambulance drivers were among tens of thousands who joined the march and a rally in London's central Hyde Park, in one of the biggest anti-austerity protests this year. Marches will also take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland.

Trade union leaders are trying to use the rally to pile more pressure on Cameron, telling protesters the government's economic plan has failed and only prolonged Britain's recession.

"Austerity isn't working. It is hammering the poorest and the most vulnerable," Brendan Barber, head of the Trades Union Congress, an umbrella group which represents 54 unions, will say in a speech at the rally.

"Ministers told us that if we only accept the pain, recovery would come. Instead we have been mired in a double-dip recession."

COALITION UNDER PRESSURE

The coalition government has responded to calls from unions and the opposition Labour Party to do more to increase growth by relaxing planning laws and boosting lending to businesses.

But its latest attempt to ease the pressure on squeezed households backfired this week when Cameron said the government would legislate to force energy companies to give customers their lowest tariff.

The announcement appeared to take his own ministers by surprise and sowed confusion over what he meant and whether it would actually happen.

Cameron's party staked its 2010 election campaign on the austerity programme, calling for deeper cuts to welfare spending in the years to come while dismissing the idea of a tax on the wealthy.

In an emergency budget announced after winning power, his coalition government said it would cut most departmental budgets by an average of around 20 percent over four years.

It announced a public sector pay freeze, set a new ceiling on the total state benefits any family can receive and cut tax relief on pensions.

It has also raised the VAT sales tax to 20 percent from 17.5 percent, increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco and raised payroll taxes for employees.

Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband said the government's policies had damaged the economic recovery.

"They told us austerity would help our economy grow. But our economy has not grown. It has flatlined," he will tell the demonstration in a speech.

But opponents of the unions say the government should stick to its plan to eliminate a budget deficit that stood at 8 percent of gross domestic product last year, the biggest of any major European country.

Sajid Javid, a Conservative Treasury minister, said the government was right to focus on cutting borrowing and data last week indicating a fall in unemployment and inflation showed its economic policies were on track.

"There is a still a lot to do," he told Sky News. "I don't pretend for a second that we are out of the woods, but this government is facing up to the problem, it is not sticking its head in the sand like Ed Miliband."

(Writing by Peter Griffiths; Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Maria Golovnina and Sophie Hares)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Subsidy of over Rs 3.83 cr given on education loan in Haryana

Chandigarh, Oct 20 (PTI) The Haryana Women Development Corporation has so far released subsidy amounting to over Rs 3.83 crore to different banks under its education loan scheme to promote higher education among girls and women. The scheme has benefited as many as 4325 girls and women to attain higher education in the country and 234 others to study abroad, Women and Child Development minister Geeta Bhukkal said. The state government had started the scheme in 2007, the minister said. Under the scheme, subsidy of five per cent per annum on interest is being provided to beneficiaries to pursue higher education. PTI CHS TKP RKC RKC

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Al Qaeda warns Hollande against French hostage rescue

NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - A leader of al Qaeda's north African wing warned France on Saturday that any attempt to forcibly rescue six French citizens held hostage by the militant group could lead to their death.

French President Francois Hollande is pushing hard for military action against al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali to quash what he sees as a growing risk of them launching an attack on French soil, diplomatic sources said earlier this week.

Speaking for the first time since he was made head of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) earlier this month, Yahya Abu Hammam said Hollande had been ratcheting up rhetoric against the group.

"He has promised his people that he will free the hostages without negotiations with the jihadists," Hammam said in an interview published by the Mauritanian news agency ANI.

"I want to send a message to the relatives of the French hostages who are with us: The decision of war that Hollande seemed to have taken means that he has signed for their execution and he must be responsible for his decisions."

Seven workers for French firm Areva were seized in northern Niger in 2010, and three have since been released. Two other French citizens were taken hostage in Mali in November.

Hammam said Hollande was pursuing the same policies as predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and this could have a dire outcome for the hostages, alluding to Michel Germaneau, executed by the group in July 2010 following a failed rescue operation.

Calls by Paris for speedy intervention have angered AQIM and its affiliates, some of whom warned on October 13 they would "open the doors of hell" for French citizens if Paris keeps up such pressure.

Hammam also warned France against pushing for military action to dislodge al Qaeda and other militant Islamic groups that have occupied the northern half of Mali since April.

Regional leaders and international organisations met in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday to seek a response to the occupation of the north of the country, but failed to resolve differences on how to tackle the growing security threat.

"What France and other Western countries are calling for - the importance of preserving the territorial integrity of Mali - is nothing but a form of political hypocrisy that these countries are known for," Hammam said.

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif in Jeddah and Laurent Prieur in Nouakchott; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stosur beats Ivanovic to set up Wozniacki final in Moscow

By Gennady Fyodorov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Top seed Samantha Stosur reached her first final in eight months with a comeback 2-6 6-3 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic in the Kremlin Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

The Australian will face another former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday's final after the Danish third seed beat unseeded Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-3 6-7 6-4 in the first semi-final at the Olympic indoor arena.

After splitting the first two sets, 2011 U.S. Open champion Stosur broke Ivanovic in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead after the Serbian missed an easy volley on break point.

Ivanovic took a medical break after falling behind but looked a shadow of her former self after coming back on court as Stosur reeled off the next three games for an easy victory.

Wozniacki had a much tougher time against her Scandinavian rival. She served for the match at 6-5 in the second set but 46th-ranked Arvidsson battled back to force a tiebreak.

In the third set, the Dane again served for the match after pulling ahead 5-3 and missed her chance on her serve but she finally ended Arvidsson's resistance in the next game.

World number 11 Wozniacki, looking for her second WTA title of the season after winning the Korea Open last month, blamed the slow surface for her inability to finish the match.

"It was very tough to finish off the point on this surface, especially because we know each other so well," she told reporters. "I had to raise my game in order to win today."

Second seed Andreas Seppi faces Malek Jaziri, the first Tunisian player to reach the last four on the ATP Tour, while fourth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci takes on giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the men's semi-finals later on Saturday.

(Reporting by Gennady Fyodorov, Editing by Tom Pilcher)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

China urges restraint as tensions mount between two Koreas

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China on Saturday urged North and South Korea to exercise restraint and safeguard peace on the peninsula, after the communist north threatened to fire on the south.

Impoverished North Korea said on Friday it would attack if Seoul allowed activists to drop anti-northern leaflets on its territory, in its most strident warning against its long-time foe for months.

South Korea's defence minister told parliament its military would retaliate in the event of attack.

"As a close neighbour of the peninsula, China urges the two Koreas to resolve the conflict through dialogue and consultation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement.

"We hope the two parties can stay calm and not make any provocative or radical actions."

North Korea, which relies heavily on China to support its economy, shelled a South Korean island almost two years ago, killing civilians.

A looming presidential election in the south and plans to deploy longer-range missiles by the government in Seoul have angered the north and prompted an escalation of belligerent rhetoric from Pyongyang.

(Reporting by Fayen Wong; editing by Andrew Roche)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Power generation in fifth unit of thermal unit stopped

Tuticorin (TN), Oct13 (PTI) Power generation in the fifth unit of the Tuticorin Thermal Power Station has been stopped after an air-heater developed a fault today, officials said. It would take one or two days to rectify the fault, officials said. The first and fourth units, which became faulty recently, were set right and had only been operated since yesterday. But they could not generate full amount of power from the units, officials said. Instead of generating 840 mw from the other four units, only 600 mw to 650 mw is generated, officials added. PTI CORR SSN BN BS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha formally withdraws support from UPA

New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) The two Lok Sabha MPs of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha today formally withdrew support from the UPA government slamming it for anti-people decisions like FDI in multi brand retail, price spiral and "creating a record in corruption". A delegation of JVM MPs and seniors leaders led by party chief Babulal Marandi met President Pranab Mukherjee and submitted a letter withdrawing support from the government. Marandi was accompanied by another party MP Ajay Kumar, and leaders Pradip Yadav, Gautam Sagar Rana, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad and others. In the letter, Marandi said that the JVM had extended unconditional support to UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 on the plank of secularism and with the hope that this government will fulfil peoples aspirations. He said that he was also hopeful that the government will try to bring Jharkhand in the category of developed states by giving special attention to it. Congress and JVM had fought the last general elections together in an alliance. "On the contrary, the government of Manmohan Singh has put unbearable burden on common people with one after another anti-people decision like bringing FDI in multi-brand retail and massive increase in price of diesel and cooking gas. "Similarly the government is establishing a record in corruption with one after another scam like 2G spectrum, CWG, and coal block allocations taking place. JVM (P) withdraws support from Manmohan Singh government in these situations," Marandi said. Talking to PTI, he said that his party will maintain equi-distance from both BJP and Congress as "both have only looted Jharkhand". Marandi ruled out the possibility of his return to BJP saying "question does not arise". The JVM (P) chief said that his party will go alone in Jharkhand but "will support if any Third Front shapes up at the central level after 2014 general elections". Marandi had announced withdrawal of support to UPA government last month itself soon after the government introduced FDI in multi-brand retail. PTI AMR ZMN

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Security guard killed

Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 21:06

Security guard killed

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

Security guard killed

Security guard killed

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

Security guard killed

Security guard killed

  .   Share  .  Email  .  Print  .  A+A-

Nagpur, Oct 13 (PTI) A middle-aged security guard of a private company was killed after being shot at by another security guard at Gondkhairi near a newspaper printing press, Police said today. The incident took place in presence of the owner of a Marathi daily, they said. Top officials including Superintendent of Police Manoj Sharma reached the spot as tension prevailed in the area. No arrests were made till late evening. PTI JOE ABC

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Interview: Chidambaram calls for "calibrated risks" from RBI

By Stanley White

TOKYO (Reuters) - Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram called on Saturday for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to take "calibrated risks" to support the struggling economy as a reciprocal measure to government fiscal efforts.

In an interview with Reuters, Chidambaram said the government was committed to "fiscal correction", a nod to rating agencies that have threatened to make India the only BRIC nation with a junk credit status, even accounting for recent economic reforms.

Chidambaram was appointed in August to revive Asia's third-biggest economy back to its former glory. After growing close to 10 percent before the global financial crisis, years of policy inertia has slowed the rate of expansion to close to 5 percent and a deep budget deficit has put the country's credit rating in peril.

After loosening rules on foreign investment in retailing and airlines in a set of "big bang" reforms to kick start a revival in the economy, Chidambaram said it was now the RBI's turn to take action.

"It's a call that the RBI has to take," Chidambaram told Reuters on the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund meeting in Tokyo, two weeks before the RBI is due to review policy.

"But I hope that the positives outweigh the negatives and that while the government has taken and will take a number of fiscal measures, that these measures will encourage the RBI also to take what I call some calibrated risks."

The central bank has resisted pressure to cut interest rates since April, partly because of concern that inflation was too high and also because it wanted to see the government take action to lift growth, which was 5.5 percent in the April-June quarter, low by India's recent standards.

"Decision making in life is about taking risks. That's my view," Chidambaram said. "But I'm not the governor."

The minister might not get his way. Many economists expect the RBI to keep its main policy rate unchanged at 8 percent at an October 30 policy review.

The finance minister argued that India's sovereign credit rating should not be downgraded by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P) as the country's real and potential growth rates are higher than most countries.

He defended the country's subsidies programmes, saying that the government was making changes to decrease wasteful spending for some schemes but that some subsidies should not be eliminated for the sake of the country's poor.

Credit ratings agency S&P warned this week that, even with recent reforms, India faced a one-in-three chance of a downgrade within the next two years, which would put the country in "junk" status and make its debt less attractive to investors.

"Our actual growth and potential growth is way above advanced countries and the rest of the world, so I don't think we deserve a downgrade," Chidambaram said.

"We are a safe and attractive destination for investment."

Standard & Poor's ranks India at the lowest investment grade, with a negative outlook.

One challenge is curbing a budget deficit that a government panel warned last month had taken the country to a "fiscal precipice" and could hit 6.1 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year to March 2013. Another obstacle to fiscal consolidation is costly subsidies on food and fuel.

India's government is committed to policies to promote a "fiscal correction" and that by changing the way some subsidies are distributed the government could cut costs by 20 percent, Chidambaram said.

Regulatory uncertainty and policy gridlock have battered foreign corporate investment towards India over the past year, adding to dramatic slowdown in growth.

Foreign direct investment into India has fallen 67 percent since the start of the current fiscal year in April after a record high the previous year. Investors pulled $1.93 billion from India in the second quarter, helping send the rupee to a record low.

It is too early to tell if the economy has bottomed out, but there are signs that foreign investment is returning to India, which is one reason behind a recent appreciation in the rupee, said Chidambaram.

Reforms announced over the past month have included raising the price of subsidised fuel to rein in the budget deficit, opening the retail sector to foreign supermarkets and relaxing foreign investment in airlines to help make structural changes to support growth.

A major obstacle to cutting rates is the level of inflation.

India's inflation has remained well above the central bank's March-end target of 7 percent. Recent fuel price rises to reduce subsidies are expected to add to inflationary pressures in coming months.

Data on Monday is expected to show that Indian inflation accelerated in September to its highest level this year, a Reuters poll shows.

(Editing by Neil Fullick)

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

RAJATGUPTA 2 LAST

Gupta faces a maximum sentence of 25 years. Gupta faces a maximum sentence of 25 years. The India-born ex-McKinsey head was found guilty by a Federal jury in June this year of passing confidential company information about Goldman Sachs to hedge fund founder and close business associate, Raj Rajaratnam. Letters by Gates and Annan are among the more than 200 that have been sent to the judge. India-born Ajit Jain, a top Berkshire Hathaway executive and possible successor to Warren Buffett, has also written to judge Rakoff in support of Gupta. Jain said in his letter that the impression of Gupta at his trial of someone who abused his position "for personal gain or aggrandisement" is "wholly inconsistent with the character of the man I know". "On no occasion of our meetings did Rajat ever seek to inappropriately obtain or leverage information," he wrote, adding that Gupta "has already paid a terrible price" and "been disgraced personally and professionally". Jain said in the years that he has known Gupta socially, "he customarily chided me to become more active in philanthropic causes." "I suspect that there are more meaningfully redemptive possibilities for Rajat than a substantial period of incarceration," Jain, who had earlier testified as a defence witness by videotape at the trial, said in his letter. Many letters have been written by company heads, academics, friends and family, including his wife and four adult daughters. "I know I have to accept the decision of the jury but I cannot but feel that who my husband is and what he stands for did not fully come out at the trial," Gupta's wife, Anita said in her letter to the judge. Corporate leaders in India, including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Godrej group head Adi Godrej, and Ajit Rangnekar, dean of the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business which Gupta had co-founded, had also written letters in support of Gupta ahead of the trial. PTI YAS NS KSR

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chouhan meets Prez, PM

New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed various issues related to the state including coal linkages. During his meeting with the Prime Minister, Chouhan said coal linkages are not lined up yet for Phase II of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project in the state's Khandawa district. "For want of coal linkages, the project is not getting the environmental clearance and as a result project work is held up," he said. He requested the prime minister to issue instruction for allocation of coal linkages at the earliest. Chouhan informed Singh about the deteriorating condition of national highways in the state and requested him to take the monitoring of national highways under the Prime Minister's Office for better results. He also requested the prime minister to increase the annual allocation of houses under Indira Awas Yojana to 3.83 lakh units. Madhya Pradesh has been allocated only 84,358 houses in 2012-13 under the scheme. Singh assured Chouhan of all possible help on the issues raised by him, an official statement from Madhya Pradesh government said. In his meeting with Mukherjee, Chouhan requested him to give his consent and time for laying the foundation stone of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University at Bhopal. The president assured him that he will spare some time in this regard, the statement added. PTI AKV NES ZMN

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

J-K Guv for urgent steps to reduce earthquake risks

Srinagar, Oct 13 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today stressed on the importance of putting in place State and District Disaster Management plans on "urgent" basis to reduce the earthquake risks in the state. "Since no reliable scientific tools have so far been developed for accurate forecasting of an earthquake, the best option available is to ensure most effective preparedness to mitigate the consequences of any natural or manmade disaster," Vohra said inaugurating a three-day workshop on "Urban Earthquake Disaster Risk Reduction" at Kashmir University. In this context, he stressed on the vital importance of enlarging awareness about all aspects of disaster preparedness on a continuing basis. The workshop has been organised by the Kashmir University in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Governor said the entire North West Himalayan Region was seismically vulnerable and Jammu and Kashmir was in seismic zones IV and V while Srinagar was itself in Zone V and has witnessed several earthquakes in the past. The 2005 Uri earthquake had resulted in over 76,000 killed and over a lakh injured on both sides of the LoC, besides considerable loss of property, he said adding, to meet future disasters it is necessary for taking every required step to remain fully prepared. He called for organising area-wise training workshops by involving students, Scouts, Guides, NCC Cadets, Civil Defence volunteers, engineers and the society at large to cope with any arising situation in the future. Referring to the installation of three Advanced Warning Systems in the Amarnath Shrine area by the Meteorological Department during this year's Yatra, Vohra said this provided better and more accurate weather reports. He hoped that the Doppler Radar would also be soon established at Srinagar, which will provide a huge facility for more accurate weather prediction in the Kashmir Valley. Later, the Governor inaugurated an Exhibition of the sophisticated life saving disaster response equipments put up by the 7th National Disaster Response Force under the aegis of NDMA at the University Campus. PTI MIJ KAS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 21:36

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

LD VIOLENCE 4 LAST

  .   Share  .  Email  .  Print  .  A+A-

(Reopens CAL12) (Reopens CAL12) Superintendent of Police Ranjeet Kumar Mishra said that 16 persons persons were arrested for the violence and arson in Madhubani district over the past two days. Those who damaged public property were being identified and FIRs would be lodged against them, he said. District Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Singh said that prohibitory orders were imposed on Madhubani town and Jainagar. He said of three persons injured in police firing at Jainagar, two were sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital while another was admitted to the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. The SP appealed to the people to maintain calm and ignore rumours spread by anti-socials. PTI CORR KDK PC HKS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Burney in India to trace family of girl

Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 21:36

Burney in India to trace family of girl

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

Burney in India to trace family of girl

Burney in India to trace family of girl

Like this story, share it with millions of investors on M3

Burney in India to trace family of girl

Burney in India to trace family of girl

  .   Share  .  Email  .  Print  .  A+A-

Amritsar, Oct 13 (PTI) Human rights activist and former Pakistan minister Ansar Burney today said he had come here to trace the family and relatives of a 21-year-old deaf and dumb Indian girl living in his country for the past 13 years. Burney along with his wife and brother had crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah border. The human rights activist said he had come to India to find the family and relatives of deaf and dumb Geeta who was found by police at Lahore Railway Station nearly 13 years ago. He said it was assumed the girl had mistakenly boarded the Samjhauta Express and reached Pakistan from India. Burney said he had brought pictures and video of Geeta nicknamed Guddi. The former federal minister said Geeta could communicate vaguely and hardly remember that she had seven brothers and three sisters in India. He said the Pakistani government would be in a better position to send her home if her family was traced in India. Burney also appealed to the Indian government to help in tracing the girl's family. He said he would also meet members of the Haryana Gulia Khap who would honour him for helping in getting freed Indian sailors, including Haryanvis, from pirates. PTI CORR SUN RKC RKC

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

HR Govt asked to pay Rs 1 lac compensation to rape victim

Kaithal (HR), Oct 13 (PTI) A court today asked the Haryana Government to pay a compensation of Rs one lakh to a mentally- challenged rape victim, and awarded life term to the convict uncle. Pronouncing the judgement, Additional Sessions Judge R S Chaudhary directed the state Government to pay Rs one lakh compensation to the family of the 13-year-old girl, who was raped by her uncle in 2011. The victim's uncle was sentenced to life in prison by the court and also asked to pay a fine of Rs 25,000. The girl was raped by her uncle while she had gone to a village school for cleaning work in place of her mother in 2011. PTI COR SUN PMS

23.24 | 0 komentar | Read More