Dhoni the best man to lead India: Akram

Sydney: Under-fire Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got much-needed support from former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram who said the "hullabaloo" about his leadership is "ill-timed" as speculated replacement Virender Sehwag is not qualified for the job.
"The entire hullabaloo around MS Dhoni's captaincy is extremely ill-timed. Captain-bashing is a favourite pastime of cricket pundits in the Indian sub-continent and the media just loves it," wrote Akram in his column for a sports website.

"...I believe Dhoni is the best man to lead India and will remain so in the immediate future...In recent times, BCCI's planning has reflected poorly on India's overseas performances. So, it would be unfair to make Dhoni a scapegoat.
"There are two names - Sehwag and Virat Kohli -- doing the rounds as 'next' captains. In my book, none of them qualify for the job," he said.
Akram said while the pressure on Dhoni is understandable after consecutive Test whitewashes on foreign soil but Sehwag was not too impressive either when he got the chance to lead the side in the final Test against Australia.
"Sehwag was very unimpressive when he led the Indian team at Adelaide and Kohli is a kid who has just begun his career.
He can wait for another five years. I had expected better body language from Sehwag and his team during the Adelaide Test, but I was disappointed," he said.
"This 'I give-a-damn' attitude is counter-productive when the chips are down. What did Sehwag do to salvage India's pride at Adelaide? I sometimes see streaks of Shahid Afridi in Sehwag. That dreadful propensity to self-destruct!" he explained.
"Dhoni may not have done enough as skipper, but two bad series does not mean he should be derided and kicked out. Does the BCCI really have an option?"
Akram said he expects a "new" India to take the field in the shorter format starting tomorrow with a Twenty20 against Australia even though bowling remains an area of concern.
"There is still a lot to play for in Australia. With Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar coming in, India are a solid ODI and T20 team. I think India have the right mix to give high-flying Australia a run for their money and we shall see a 'new' India in the first T20," he said.
"India's bowling remains a concern. Ishant Sharma has been the biggest disappointment. He has talked about the 'luck factor'. All that is just a lame excuse. After playing 45 Test matches, Ishant has not learnt to take responsibility," he said.
"When a quick bowler can't make an impact on a Perth or MCG wicket, he never will. First things first, he must first learn to bowl on one side of the wicket."
Akram said Inda need to keep their confidence level up to get the results.
"Self-belief will be crucial going forward in the remainder of the Australian tour. India must not tamper with their batting order. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir must open the innings because they already have a 'feel' of the conditions," he said.
"The more India back themselves, the better they will play. It's a brand new chapter and India must demonstrate the body language of a world champion. Hope Dhoni shows the way with his young brigade," he added.

Tata Global, Tata Coffee soar on rollout plans with Starbucks

Stocks of Tata Global Beverages traded with strong gains, a day after the company outlined its plans to roll out stores in alliance with global coffee chain Starbucks. The joint venture, in which Tata Global will be a 50 per cent partner, will launch 30-50 outlets this year with an investment of Rs 400 crore ($80 million) to be split equally.

At 1030 hours, stocks of Tata Global traded with 4 per cent gains on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The BSE Sensex traded with 1 per cent gains.

Analysts said the deal can result in re-rating of Tata Global on account of margin expansion. Tata Global trades at 22 times price earnings and benefits of the roll out will accrue to the company.

Star Bucks, which operates in 57 countries and has more than 17,000 stores worldwide, operates at margins of 18 per cent against Tata Global's margins of 9.5 per cent.

Tata Coffee, which will be the sourcing partner for coffee beans in the country, also traded with nearly 1 per cent gains.

However, there might be some correction in prices of Tata Coffee going forward, analysts said. Investors had earlier estimated benefits of store roll out to come to Tata coffee, which will now accrue to its parent Tata Global.

Tata Coffee stocks have surged over 50 per cent since the MOU was signed with Starbucks a year ago.

Government will help Yuvraj Singh: Sports Minister

New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken has come out in support of Yuvraj Singh, who is undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.

Maken said the government will help Yuvraj, as the nation prays for his speedy recovery. "Wish Yuvraj a speedy recovery! Asking officials to find the quantum and nature of help required. Government shld & will help him," Maken tweeted last night.

Yuvraj, who played a stellar role in India's ODI World Cup triumph last year, has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy in the US.

The 30-year-old left-hander has been in US since last month being treated for what was earlier claimed to be a tumour in the lungs by his family. But it has now been diagnosed as malignant and Yuvraj is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the Cancer Research Institute in Boston.

Wishes and prayers are pouring in from all corners of the world.

While Yuvraj's father Yograj refused comments on the matter, his mother Shabnam Singh told a national daily that her son was doing fine. "He is fine and will be back soon on the field. Don't worry," she said.

His physiotherapist Dr Jatin Chaudhary, however, assured that the ailment is curable and the batsman would be fit to resume cricket in May.

"It is a rare tumour and is cancerous but it has been detected in stage one itself. Doctors had to decide whether to continue medication or go for chemotherapy but since parts of the tumour are just above the artery of his heart, there was a danger that while running it could burst. But it is 100 per cent curable," Chaudhary said.

"The doctors decided that he would have to undergo chemotherapy and he travelled to the US on January 26. End of March, he would undergo a CT scan and should recover by then. After that it is just some rehabilitation in April before he is fit to be back on the field in May," he added.

"Thankfully no surgery is required, he is already a lot better than what he was and can't wait to be back on the cricket field," he said.

Chaudhary said the detection of cancer was delayed by wrong diagnosis by an Indian hospital.

"His first biopsy report was stolen from his car and the second from a hospital, I don't want to name, did not give the correct diagnosis. It was a Russian doctor who detected the cancer and after consultations with doctors in US, it was decided that Yuvraj would undergo chemotherapy," he said.

"Once he is done with chemo in March, his rehabilitation would be complete by April end and he would be perfectly fit to play in May," he added.

Yuvraj has played 37 Tests, scoring 1775 runs at an average of 34.80.

He has 8051 runs at an average of 37.62 from his 274-match ODI career, the highlight of which was his stellar role in India's World Cup triumph last year.

In 23 Twenty20s, Yuvraj has scored 567 runs at 31.50.

Sahara India withdraws sponsorship of Team India and Pune Warriors

New Delhi: Sahara India has withdrawn sponsorship of Indian cricket team and the Pune Warriors from the IPL.

"We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI," Sahara has said in a statement.

Sahara has requested the BCCI to pass on Pune Warriors team to some other interested party immediately.

I dare PM to resign, says Narendra Modi on 2G verdict

Mandvi:  Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had no right to continue in the office in view of the Supreme Court's ruling in the 2G spectrum case.

"When the Supreme Court has given a clear verdict, Manmohan Singh has no right to stay in the post even for a minute," Modi said, addressing a Sadbhavna fast meeting here.

"I dare the Prime Minister to give up his silence and resign," he said.

Modi also targeted Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, saying that "the court has established charges against Chidambaram. The Supreme Court has directed the lower court to hold a trial".

"After the apex court's directives, Congress has come out in the open to save him," Modi said.

"This raises a suspicion that entire Manmohan Singh-led government is making all these efforts not to save Chidambaram but all those people who are behind him and whose names have still not cropped up," Modi said.

"In the history of the country, we have not seen such a scam where the country's exchequer was looted to the tune of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore."

The apex court today cancelled 122 telecom licenses granted during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja, saying that first-come-first-served policy was wrong. As to Chidambaram, the Court left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of his alleged role in the 2G scam. 

For NDTV Updates

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/i-dare-pm-to-resign-says-narendra-modi-on-2g-verdict-172782?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

Raja's first year in jail includes badminton, canteen snacks

New Delhi:  Having spent a year behind bars for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam, former communications minister A Raja seems to have adapted to life in Tihar Jail, officials said on Thursday.

"After a few weeks of initial sullenness and shock, Raja seems to have adapted to jail life. He was not talkative or interacting with other inmates, but now he seems to have become friendly with others in his ward," a jail official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Raja was arrested February 2 last year, taken into Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody and then brought to Tihar Jail on February 17.

Jail sources said Raja has never thrown any tantrum at any point of time.

"Raja is lodged in a 15 by 10 feet cell, ventilated with a grated iron aperture near the ceiling at jail number one, ward number six. He spends most of the time reading books, newspapers and prepares notes on his court hearings. He sticks to the routine," the official said.

Apart from watching television, Raja also plays badminton with other inmates in the evening.

"He usually takes a one-hour walk from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. inside the ward premises. Initially, he used to talk only to jail guards from the Tamil Nadu battalion, but now he speaks with everyone in broken Hindi," the jail official said.

Raja is also much more disciplined as compared to other high-profile prisoners.

"The only special demand he made was for some Tamil newspapers, which have been provided to him," the official added.

Sources added that his ward is changed every two days for security purposes, as he is a former minister.

Raja, who was initially getting home-cooked food, is now eating meals prepared in the jail.

"He is eating jail food and two times a week, he gets home-made south Indian dishes and shares it with other inmates," the official told IANS.

Raja seems hooked to snacks from the Tihar canteen, which he shares with fellow inmates as well.

"He usually gets omelette, biscuits and namkeens from the canteen," the official said.

Raja became the communications minister in 2007. He is accused of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in the selling of scarce second generation (2G) telecom airwaves to favoured companies at a fraction of their actual cost, causing huge losses to the exchequer. 

For NDTV Updates

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/rajas-first-year-in-jail-includes-badminton-canteen-snacks-172760?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

Saif-Kareena Engaged: Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor To Engaged On 10 February?

Even though Kareena Kapoor has denied her impending marriage to Saif Ali Khan, rumours are abuzz that the couple will be getting engaged on 10 February.
While earlier sources close to the couple had said that they would be getting married right after the release of their film ‘Agent Vinod’ in March, seems like the hot jodi wants to speed up its wedding and hence getting engaged on the Valentine month.
Speaking to DNA, a source said, “Both Saif and Bebo have been going steady for several years and are now ready to take

that relationship to another level with a wedding. And the first step towards the grand wedding may take off with an engagement on 10th February. They have deliberately avoided having their engagement on Valentine’s Day, instead they have planned the event around the day. Though Saif is extremely busy with post production work of ‘Agent Vinod’ and Kareena travelling for the film promotion of ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’, they are quite excited about the engagement.” That also probably explains why Kareena recently bought a royal necklace worth Rs 40 lakhs. Friends of the couple say that the venue of the engagement hasn’t been finalized yet but it would either take place in Mumbai or in Saif’s Delhi residence. “Wherever it happens, the engagement is going to be a big event. Both their family members are gearing up for a big celebration and are busy with the preparations around the ring ceremony. Bebo is currently in London along with Karisma, but has ensured that all her close friends be there for the special day in her life. She may wear an ethnic outfit designed by (fashion designer) Vikram Phadnis,” added the source.
With Riteish-Genelia all set to tie the knot on Friday and Saifeena getting engaged the next week, it looks like Bollywood is all set for the wedding season.

Uttar Pradesh polls: Congress manifesto counters BJP's promise of building temple in Ayodhya

Lucknow:  An accent on youth and technology, with a big Rahul Gandhi poster dominating a crowded stage. A focus on education and health, minority quota, better law and order. A counter to the BJP's promise of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya by saying "stick to the court order on the Babri Masjid." So where are the freebies in the Congress' UP manifesto ? Union Minister Kapil Sibal put it succinctly when he said in Lucknow today, "Just vote us back after this 23-year exile. You'll get everything."

The Congress promises a school in every village, one intermediate college for every 2,500 families, residential schools for the very backward, and 500 model schools.  The 20 lakh jobs that its vision statement released last week envisaged. It also promises doctors available at walking distance for all, upgraded district hospitals, a health lokpal (ombudsman) at the state level to ensure implementation of health schemes.

In fact, there will be focus on full and timely implementation of the UPA government's policies - that includes the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for backward minorities that the Centre has pushed through. The party also promises to explore the idea of having a sub quota for very backward Dalits.

Clean UP is the mantra and the Congress says that does not only mean physical cleanliness. It promises action against the corrupt and says it will bring the Chief Minister under the Lokayukta.

So no free or cheap laptops for UP's students, a la the BJP or Samajwadi Party? No, says Mr Sibal, "we would rather provide the information highway." Fittingly, the Congress pulled out technology man Sam Pitroda to accompany Mr Sibal at the party's UP manifesto launch.

"We are a nation of a connected billion. We are now making connected universities and are connecting 250,000 panchayats. Technology will play an important part in UP too," said Sam Pitroda, who is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's technology and innovation adviser and was a prominent part of the team that gave shape to Rajiv Gandhi's technology dreams.

Minister and the man in charge of the party's manifesto drafting committee Salman Khurshid came late, blamed his helicopter and said the right men - Mr Pitroda and Mr Sibal - were there as the manifesto is focused on education.

BJP, Congress spar over Taslima Nasreen's book

New Delhi: A war of words ensued between the BJP and the Congress on Wednesday over the cancellation of the official release of controversial author Taslima Nasreen's book in Kolkata with the former accusing Congress of driving the country towards a dangerous mindset and the latter saying fanaticism was intrinsic to the Opposition party's DNA.
"We condemn it. Congress is driving the country towards a dangerous mindset," senior BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi said reacting to the cancellation of the release of the seventh part of Nasreen's 'Nirbasan' (Exile) at Kolkata Book Fair.
Reacting to BJP's attack, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said that BJP has a tendency of "tilting at windmills".
"Fanaticism is intrinsic to the DNA of BJP and its affiliate organisations," Tewari said asking the Opposition party to "purge itself from fanaticism" and look within before levelling "false allegations" against Congress.

2G: Ten facts on Supreme Court's big verdict on Chidambaram and telecom scam

New Delhi:  The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver three important verdicts on different parts of the telecom scam tomorrow. Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly will announce whether Home Minister P Chidambaram should be investigated by the CBI, which is handling the telecom or 2G scam. Since Justice Ganguly is retiring on Thursday, he will be sitting in a bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia.

Here are 10 big facts about this story:

1) The Supreme Court will announce tomorrow morning whether P Chidambaram should be formally investigated as part of the CBI inquiry into the telecom scam. Mr Chidambaram was Finance Minister in 2008 when nine companies were granted 122 mobile network licenses with second-generation spectrum or airwaves thrown in for free. The  swindle - which cost the government Rs. 1.76 lakh crores according to the government's auditor - was allegedly engineered by A Raja, who was then Telecom Minister. He is now in jail and is being tried for criminal conspiracy, cheating and breach of trust by a public servant which carries a maximum sentence of a life term in prison.

2) The court will also decide on whether 122 licenses issued during Mr Raja's tenure as Telecom Minister should be cancelled.

3) Why is Mr Chidambaram in the hot spot? Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy says that as Finance Minister, Mr Chidambaram endorsed the decisions taken by Mr Raja, and is therefore complicit in the scam. Mr Swamy along with lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan has petitioned the Supreme Court on different dimensions of the scam.  The CBI's investigation was ordered in 2010 on the basis of petitions by Mr Swamy and Mr Bhushan in the Supreme Court. Mr Swamy says that documents show that Mr Chidambaram was consulted by Mr Raja in four meetings on the pricing of spectrum and licenses. Mr Chidambaram, he says, over-ruled officials in his ministry who suggested an auction of spectrum.  Instead, Mr Raja chose to award licenses on a first-come-first-serve basis - and then manipulated the rules to allegedly help companies he favoured and moved them to the head of the queue. They were sold licenses at rates used in 2001, even though India's mobile subscriber base had shot up nearly a 100 times since then.

4) While the Supreme Court will decide on  whether the  CBI should investigate Mr Chidambaram, a special CBI court that's handling the telecom scam trial will decide on Saturday whether he should be made a co-accused in the case. That petition has also been filed by Mr Swamy.

5) Mr Raja has in his defence in court repeatedly stated that Mr Chidambaram and the Prime Minister were both kept updated on how he planned to allot what's called the 2G licenses. He has also threatened to summon Mr Chidambaram as a witness.

6) Is there any evidence against Mr Chidambaram? What has escalated the case against Mr Chidambaram, currently the Home Minister, is a note that was sent by the Finance Ministry in March this year to the Prime Minister's office. The note suggested that in 2008, the Finance Ministry headed by Mr Chidambaram could have done more to insist that Mr Raja conduct an auction of valuable spectrum.

"... the Finance Minister did not deal with the need, if any, to revise entry fee or the rate of revenue share... Subsequently, in a meeting held on January 30, 2008, between the then Minister of Finance and (the then Minister of) Telecommunications, it was noted by the former that he was for now not seeking to revisit the current regimes for entry fee or revenue share," the note from the Department of Economic Affairs said.


7) Mr Chidambaram's defence: The government has staunchly defended Mr Chidambaram so far, and has said that he was not in direct communication with Mr Raja about his policies.  The government has argued that it was not Mr Raja's policies that were the problem, but a manipulation of the rules that spawned the massive telecom scam.  Mr Chidambaram has said that he tried to enforce an auction of spectrum and that he alerted the Prime Minister to the potential problems of Mr Raja's policies. Mr Chidambaram has said that he was in favour of an auction and had said so on more than one occasion. As for allowing sale of equity by Swan and Unitech, Mr Chidambaram has said there was no violation, it was in sync with DoT guidelines and was legal.

8) Was an auction necessary?  TRAI or The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recently said that guidelines in 2008 did not mandate an auction for 2G frequency. In a report submitted to the trial court headed by Judge OP Saini, the regulatory body said that when licenses were awarded, the goal was not revenue generation. The idea was to improve mobile phone services for the average Indian and to provide more connectivity at low prices. TRAI's report has been seized by many of those on trial as part of their defence.

9) A third important verdict is expected: the Supreme Court is likely to decide on whether to sanction Prashant Bhushan's request for a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to monitor the CBI's inquiry. Mr Bhushan and Mr Swamy have both alleged that the CBI is under pressure from the government to protect Mr Chidambaram.

10) Mr Swamy alleges that Mr Chidambaram should also be held responsible because it was on his watch as Finance Minister that two companies were allowed to sell their licenses to foreign investors at huge profits. Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom landed partnerships with Telenor and Etisalat DB  respectively. Their promoters have argued that they did not sell their stake; they diluted  equity. The government has said that the laws at the time were not broken by either company. The huge prices paid by the foreign companies, however, do highlight how under-valued the licenses were.
 

For NDTV Updates

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/2g-ten-facts-on-supreme-courts-big-verdict-on-chidambaram-and-telecom-scam-172423?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

74 dead in worst soccer violence in Egypt

Cairo: At least 74 people were killed and hundreds injured after soccer fans rushed the field in the seaside city of Port Said on Wednesday following an upset victory by the home team over Egypt's top club, setting off clashes and a stampede as riot police largely failed to intervene.

It was a bloody reminder of the deteriorating security in the Arab world's most populous country as instability continues nearly a year after former President Hosni Mubarak was swept out of power in a popular uprising.

The melee - which followed an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry, the home team in the Mediterranean city, and Al-Ahly, based in Cairo and one of Egypt's most popular teams - was the worst case of soccer violence in Egypt and the deadliest worldwide since 1996. One player said it was "like a war."

In Cairo, fans angered that another match between Al-Ismaili and Zamalek was halted because of the Port Said violence set fire to the bleachers at the main stadium in the Egyptian capital, authorities said. No injuries were reported, and employees said firefighters extinguished the blaze before it caused much damage.

The clashes and ensuing stampede did not appear to be directly linked to the political turmoil in Egypt, but the violence raised fresh concerns about the ability of the state police to manage crowds. Most of the hundreds of black-uniformed police with helmets and shields stood in lines and did nothing as soccer fans chased each other, some wielding sharp objects and others hurling sticks and rocks.

Security officials said the ministry has issued directives for its personnel not to "engage" with civilians after recent clashes between police and protesters in November left more than 40 people dead.

The violence also underscored the role of soccer fans in Egypt's recent protest movement. Organized fans, in groups known as ultras, have played an important role in the revolution and rallies against military rule. Their anti-police songs, peppered with curses, have quickly become viral and an expression of the hatred many Egyptians feel toward security forces that were accused of much of the abuse that was widespread under Mubarak's regime.

There have been other recent violent incidents at soccer games. In April, the ineffectiveness of the police force also was on display when thousands of fans ran onto the field before the end of an African Champions League game between local club Zamalek and Tunisia's Club Africain. The hundreds of police on duty at Cairo International Stadium could not stop the violence then, either.

Activists scheduled rallies Thursday outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in Cairo to protest the inability of the police to stop the bloodshed.

Many gathered outside Al-Ahly club in Cairo, chanting slogans against military rule, and hundreds filed into Cairo's main train station to receive the injured arriving from Port Said. "We die like them, or we ensure their rights," the crowd chanted, along with slogans denouncing the military rulers.

As the train arrived, scores jumped on top of the train and raised Egyptian flags.

"They came at us with machetes and knives...they threw some of us from the fourth floor," one returning fan told the private TV station ONTV.

"Everyone was beating us. They were beating us from inside and outside, with fireworks, stones, metal bars, and some had knives, I swear," another fan told the station, which did not give their names.

In Port Said, residents marched early Thursday, denouncing the violence and saying it was a conspiracy by the military and police to cause chaos.

Army tanks and armored vehicles joined police patrolling near hospitals and morgues. Police were not to be seen in the streets after the violence and were unavailable to break up fights that followed.

The tension also spread to the nearby Suez province. About 500 protesters, including soccer fans and activists, gathered outside the main police headquarters to protest what they called police negligence.

A security official said the police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to reporters.

The scuffles erupted when fans of Al-Masry stormed the field following a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly. Al-Masry supporters hurled sticks and stones as they chased players and fans from the rival team, who ran toward the exits and up the stands to escape, according to witnesses. One man told state TV he heard gunshots in the stadium, while a lawmaker from Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood said the police didn't prevent fans carrying knives from entering the stadium.

TV footage showed Al-Ahly players rushing for their locker room as fistfights broke out among the hundreds of fans swarming on to the field. Some men had to rescue a manager from the losing team as he was being beaten. Black-clothed police officers stood by, appearing overwhelmed.

The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including one police officer, and 248 were injured, 14 of them police. A local health official initially said 1,000 people were injured and it was not clear how severely. Security forces arrested 47 people for involvement in the violence, the statement said.

State TV appealed to Egyptians to donate blood for the injured in Port Said, and the military sent two aircraft to evacuate serious cases to the capital, Cairo.

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the military leadership that assumed power after Mubarak's ouster, welcomed Al-Ahly team players who were flown back to Cairo from Port Said on a military aircraft.

"This will not bring Egypt down," he told reporters at a military air base east of Cairo. "These incidents happen anywhere in the world. We will not let those behind it go ...This will not affect Egypt and its security."

The military declared three days of mourning starting Thursday.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim told state TV that 13,000 Al-Masry fans stormed the field, jumping a low fence and attacking about 1,200 Al-Ahly fans. He transferred the Port Said local security chief to a desk job as a punitive measure.

Al-Ahly goalkeeper Sharif Ikrami, who was injured in the melee, told the private station ONTV that dead and wounded were being carried into the locker room.

"There were people dying in front of us," he said. "It's over. We've all made a decision that we won't play soccer any more. How will we play soccer after 70 people died? We can't think about it."

Hesham Sheiha, a health ministry official, said most of the deaths were caused by concussions, deep head wounds and suffocation from the stampede. He said 40 people were seriously injured.

In an interview with the team's station, Mohammed Abu Trika, a player with Al-Ahly, criticized police for standing by and not intervening in the violence.

"People here are dying and no one is doing a thing. It's like a war," he told the team TV station. "Is life this cheap?"

Egypt's state prosecutor ordered an immediate investigation into the violence, and the Egypt Football Association ordered an indefinite suspension of the league games. The parliament said it would convene an emergency session.

The two sides also traded conspiracy theories, with each side blaming the other for trying to destabilize the country.

Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood lawmaker, said the military and police were complicit in the violence, accusing them of trying to show that emergency regulations giving security forces wide-ranging powers must be maintained.

"This tragedy is a result of intentional reluctance by the military and the police," he said.

The manager of the Al-Masry, Kamal Abu Ali, announced he also was resigning in protest.

"This is not about soccer. This is bigger than that. This is a plot to topple the state," he told the same station, using an often-cited allegation by the military against protesters.

Bob Bradley, the former U.S. national team coach who was hired in September as coach of Egypt's national team, was not at the stadium, U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Michael Kammarman said.

It was the deadliest incident of soccer violence since Oct. 16, 1996, when at least 78 people died and 180 others were injured in a stampede at a stadium in Guatemala City before a World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica.

The Port Said game was a face-off between two teams with a long history of fierce competition, Al-Masry, the home team, and Al-Ahly, a record 36-time winner of the Egyptian league and a six-time winner of the African Champions League.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he was "shocked and saddened" by the deaths.

"This is a black day for football. Such a catastrophic situation is unimaginable and should not happen," he said in a statement.

The Confederation of African Football, which organizes the African Cup, said a minute's silence would be held before all quarterfinals this weekend as a mark of respect for the dead.

CAF President Issa Hayatou said, "African football is in a state of mourning."

Meena Model Racket: Mumbai Police Arrests Meena In Models Sex Racket Scandal

Mumbai police has arreted five aspiring models and the flesh trade kingpin Meena at a flat in MHADA colony in Versova on Monday night.
“The girls used to charge from Rs 60,00o to Rs 1 lakh per night”, said police inspector D R Gangure.
Police second a decoy customer who demanded a high-profile call girl from Meena.
The girls were arrested during the raid. They have been booked under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.
Police said, Meena used to rope in aspiring models in her flesh trade racket and used to earn handsome commissions.

BJP on the attack after SC order, Cong says no setback

The Supreme Court judgment setting a three-month deadline for the government for sanctioning the prosecution of public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act was a slap in the government's face, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Tuesday.

“BJP welcomes Supreme Court's judgment. This judgment is a slap in the face of Manmohan Singh government,” senior party leader Balbir Punj told reporters.

"It is a a judgment which will have far reaching consequences, in the citizens' fight against corruption and in empowering the citizens," he said.
He called it the second major embarrassment for government, and said the first was the Supreme Court striking down the appointment of PJ Thomas as chief vigilance commissioner.
“The first embarrassment this government faced was when prime minister had cleared Thomas's candidature as the CVC chief,” he said.
Punj also accused the government of not taking action against those involved in major corruption cases.
“Many people who are guilty and accused of acts of omission and commission are going scott free,” he said. “In the 2G case, so far only (A) Raja has been sent to jail, other people who occupy more important posts in government and were equally responsible are free”.
“I am sure, this latest judgment will help the law catch them,” he said.
The government, however, insisted that the Supreme Court's observation on sanction of prosecution in 2G case was not a setback to it and said it has taken a number of "proactive" anti-corruption measures that includes removal of discretionary powers for ministers.
Minister of state in PMO V Narayanasamy told PTI that the observations by the apex court did not "reflect upon" the functioning of the government and cannot be used as an instrument to "settle political scores."
"It is not a setback. It is not an issue where one can settle political scores...It is one of the observations made by the Supreme Court. Several matters come before the Supreme Court and the court gives its observation on those issues," he said.
He was responding when asked to comment on the Supreme Court holding that filing of a complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act is a constitutional right of a citizen and the competent authority should decide within a time frame on granting sanction of prosecution of a public servant.
The minister said the UPA government has taken a number of "pro-active" measures on the anti-corruption front by introducing legislations like Lokpal and Citizens Charter.
"We proactively removed the provision for sanction to prosecute officials. This has been done in Lokpal. We have been taking a number of steps in this regard," he said.
The petitioner, Subramanian Swamy welcomed the Supreme Court verdict saying it has "simplified the issue" in graft cases lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
Terming the ruling as a "victory for the Constitution and the war against corruption", Swamy said it has also "empowered all of us who are fighting against corruption."
"It has empowered the citizen to go directly to the court to seek an inquiry against any act of corruption without seeking a sanction," he said.
Swamy also lauded the apex court for fixing a four months' deadline for the sanctioning authority to take a decision on a plea for grant of sanction to prosecute a public servant, failing which the sanction would be deemed to have been given.
"The delay won't be accepted beyond three months as the government has to decide on sanction and if they want to consult the Attorney General, then one month more. So, maximum within four months, it (government) has to decide, else it will be treated as deemed sanction," he said.
He also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to issue an ordinance amending section 19 of the PCA, which deals with grant of sanction for prosecution of a public servant.
"I urge the Prime Minister (PM) to atone for his past delay by issuing an ordinance amending section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act," he said.
Swamy said that the PM can now be approached directly by any private person seeking sanction.
"Anybody can (now) get inquiry conducted by the court without needing any sanction. Sanction is required only at the stage of trial and not at the stage of inquiry," he further said.
The Supreme Court Tuesday gave the government a three-month deadline for sanctioning public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The apex court said this while allowing a petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy saying the prime minister was sitting on his application seeking sanction to prosecute former telecom minister A Raja for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam.
An apex court bench of justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly also said the time period would be extended by another month if the government wanted to take the opinion of the attorney general.  
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)

BlackBerry under siege in Europe

New York:  The iPhone has taken a big bite out of the BlackBerry in a market where the older phone once dominated: business customers in North America.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Samsung is poised to do the same to Research in Motion, BlackBerry's maker, as a growing number of businesses are buying, or plan to buy, phones using the Android operating system.

Although BlackBerry is a must-have accessory for the growing business class in the developing economies of the world and RIM is adding customers there at a healthy clip, the company faces a problem in its established markets. Businesses are looking for another option besides the BlackBerry.

RIM, Apple and Android phones now equally share the workplace market. In a recent global survey of information workers - people who use a computer or another smart device for at least an hour a day - Forrester Research found that 27 percent of smartphone users said they had an Android phone; 26 percent, a BlackBerry; and 24 percent, an iPhone. "Android and Apple together are eating BlackBerry's lunch," said Frank Gillett, a Forrester analyst.

While some companies are cautious about allowing employees to use Android phones in the office because of security concerns, more businesses that let employees bring their own devices have approved Android devices. Apple's iPhone continues to be popular. Samsung Electronics sold 300 million handsets in 2011, almost all of them Android phones, and became the biggest phone manufacturer in the world. It appears to be in the best position to profit from a shift in the market.

"We've seen quite a huge growth of Android in the enterprise over the last 18 months," said Nick McQuire, research director of enterprise mobility strategies at the International Data Corporation. "We see it as being neck and neck with Apple to be a top mobile enterprise platform in Europe."
RIM's answer to the increasing popularity of Android handsets and the iPhone is a new version of the BlackBerry software, called BlackBerry 10. But phones based on the new software system have been delayed several times and are now not expected until late 2012. Thorsten Heins, the company's new chief executive, said the new software would address the "consumerization of I.T.," referring to the growing trend of businesses letting their employees choose which devices they bring to work.

Mr. Heins believes that RIM's advantage in the business market remains the company's focus on security. He said that RIM regularly speaks to chief information officers, who say they do not like that Android devices and iPhones have become prominent in the work place.

"They are in a pickle. Their pickle is security," Mr. Heins said in an interview. "When the first big security flaw even happens in one of the large enterprises, you will see this turn around. Wait for the day this happens."

But waiting is not something people in businesses are doing. I.D.C. recently surveyed business managers and information technology managers at 728 businesses across seven Western European countries and found that Android was the fastest-growing mobile operating system for business customers in 2011.

Chief information officers at big enterprises said they were not yet formally supporting Android, though all of them have said they had plans to do so in the next 18 months. They are probably hesitating because they need to plan security measures to protect corporate devices, Mr. McQuire said.
Still, the general acceptance of Android in European businesses is a harbinger of RIM's continued struggles. The Tieto Corporation, a European firm that provides information technology services to large companies, said it had seen strong and increasing demand from customers for Android-based business software. Ville Virtanen, an enterprise mobility marketing director at Tieto, said that customers found Android phones to be cheaper and that the software was the least complicated for distributing work-related apps to employees.

And security concerns are being addressed. Some of Samsung's new phones, like the Galaxy S II, include extra security features for enterprise customers. The newest version of Google's Android operating system, called Ice Cream Sandwich, has built-in encryption. In October, Samsung introduced a program called Samsung Approved for Enterprise, which includes a suite of tools tailored specifically for businesses.

Apple's ascendance in the business market with the iPhone and iPad has been especially surprising to many people because the company had shown little interest in catering to the needs of corporate users when it made solely computers. Not long after the iPhone came out in 2007, however, Apple began adding features to the device, like better compatibility with Microsoft's Exchange, a messaging system that is ubiquitous in big companies.

"Once Apple added those capabilities, the floodgates opened," said Mr. Gillett of Forrester. "It was very hard for I.T. to look the C.I.O., C.T.O. and powerful employees in the eye and say, 'You can't use that device.' "

Planet Magpie, a California-based information technology consulting firm, said that employees working for the majority of its 350 clients were using the Apple phone. "A lot of people on BlackBerrys have switched over to the iPhone," said Robert Douglas, president of Planet Magpie. He said that for many businesses, ditching the BlackBerry has actually decreased costs, because companies no longer have to support the BlackBerry enterprise server, RIM's proprietary system designed to protect data on devices. RIM's server, he said, was "always a bit flaky."

RIM also faces practical alternatives to the BlackBerry enterprise server, like Good Technology, an information technology company that provides security and management tools for iOS, Android and RIM devices.

The wild card in the enterprise sweepstakes is the Microsoft Windows smartphone. Nokia, the giant phone maker, has staked its future on the new software, called Windows Phone 7. Information technology managers are comfortable with Microsoft, and the company has deep relationships with most companies.

The big question is whether Microsoft and Nokia will be ready in time to exploit RIM's weakness. Windows Phone 7 is shipping on several new handsets, like Nokia's well-received Lumia 900, and its Windows 8 software for tablets is set to land this year.

Kristen Batch, a spokeswoman for Microsoft, said the company was not ready to announce its plans for business customers.

Waiting is a risk RIM and its new chief executive are willing to take. "I don't want to launch a product that isn't ready," Mr. Heins said. "I want it to be a perfect experience."

China opens largest electric car-charging station

Beijing: China's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery swapping station has been put into operation in Beijing, Xinhua reported quoting sources in the city's power supply authorities.

Located in the eastern Beijing's Chaoyang district, the Gaoantun charging station can charge up to eight vehicles simultaneously and it takes only four to six minutes to swap a battery of an EV.


The station has been installed with over 10 types of EV charging or battery swapping machines, covering all charging modes that are available in China.

Beijing is striving to build a new energy vehicle grid as part of the nation's plan to usher in more energy-saving and environmentally-friendly vehicles.

Beijing hopes to build a three-level EV charging and battery swapping network that consists of six large-scale concentrated charging stations, 250 charging and battery swapping stations and 210 small-sized delivery stations by the end of 2015.

So far, the China's capital city has completed construction of 12 charging and battery swapping stations and 274 charging posts.

The city was chosen as one of the 25 pilot cities in China for the utilisation of new-energy vehicles.

China plans to have over 500,000 electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2015 and five million by 2020.

IANS

E-books damaging society: US novelist

London: Jonathan Franzen, who is being hailed as one of America’s greatest living novelists, has warned that our desire for the instant gratification of e-books is damaging for society.

The author of Freedom and The Corrections said consumers had been conned into thinking that they need the latest technology.

“The technology I like is the American paperback edition of Freedom. I can spill water on it and it would still work! So it’s pretty good technology. And what’s more, it will work great 10 years from now. So no wonder the capitalists hate it. It’s a bad business model,” a newspaper quoted Franzen as saying.


“I think, for serious readers, a sense of permanence has always been part of the experience. Everything else in your life is fluid, but here is this text that doesn’t change.

“Will there still be readers 50 years from now who feel that way? Who have that hunger for something permanent and unalterable? I don’t have a crystal ball.

“But I do fear that it’s going to be very hard to make the world work if there’s no permanence like that. That kind of radical contingency is not compatible with a system of justice or responsible self-government,” he lamented.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, Franzen argued that e-books, such as Amazon’s Kindle, can never have the magic of the printed page.

“The Great Gatsby was last updated in 1924. You don’t need it to be refreshed, do you?” he said.

“Maybe nobody will care about printed books 50 years from now, but I do. When I read a book, I’m handling a specific object in a specific time and place. The fact that when I take the book off the shelf it still says the same thing - that’s reassuring.

“Someone worked really hard to make the language just right, just the way they wanted it. They were so sure of it that they printed it in ink, on paper. A screen always feels like we could delete that, change that, move it around. So for a literature-crazed person like me, it’s just not permanent enough,” he asserted.

ANI

Sony launches LED TV for Rs 3.6 lakh

New Delhi: In order to strengthen its position in the Indian television market, Japanese consumer durable maker Sony today introduced a 65 inch LED TV, priced at Rs 3.6 lakh.


"Sony India launches its biggest screen size 65 (165cms) HX925 LED TV in the current line-up of Bravia," the company said in a statement.

The newly introduced product will come along with a skype camera and two pairs of 3D glasses.

"It is available at all Sony Centers and other major electronic outlets across India," the statement said.

Indian televsion market is estimated to be around 17.5 million units, of which LCDs contribute around 4.5 million units.

Sony is among the top players in the Indian television market along with the likes of Korean majors Samsung and LG.

Rival Samsung and LG also currently offers such high-end LED television products in India.

Samsung offers a 60 inch LED TV for Rs 4 lakh, while LG sells a 65 inch TV for Rs 3.99 lakh.

Sony's televisions, which are sold under the Bravia brand, are the biggest revenue generator for the company in India, contributing about 35 per cent to its overall sales that stood at Rs 5,500 crore in last fiscal.

Sony India had last year launched 15 new LED TV models as part of an initiative to register a revenue growth of about 30 per cent to over Rs 7,000 crore this fiscal.

Sony India had said it expected the Indian operations to contribute about 10 per cent of its overall global turnover, up from the current 5 per cent, by 2015. In the fiscal ended March 31, 2011, Sony Corporation had posted revenue of USD 86.521 billion.

PTI

Tablet boom makes Apple No 1 PC maker

Washington: Apple Inc overtook Hewlett-Packard Co as the world's largest vendor of personal computers in the fourth quarter, helped by booming demand for its iPads, research firm Canalys said on Monday.


In the fourth quarter, tablet demand helped drive the global PC market 16 percent higher than a year ago to 120 million computers, Canalys said.

Excluding tablets, the market fell 0.4 percent from a year ago, said Canalys, one of the first research firms to include tablets in PC forecasts. Other firms have said they will likely follow.



Bureau Report

Shame UPA's pandering to the Taliban

So, our dear leaders have caved in to the politics of vote banks yet again in election season. I use the term "dear leaders" advisedly, after all, we are taking a leaf out of the book of North Korea to prevail upon Salman Rushdie not to visit the Jaipur lit festival.

This gnomic fascist mindset of the Congress party does not do the minorities any credit. Do they really believe that the Taliban fringe of the Deoband speaks for all Muslims? And, why the closing of the Indian mind with ridiculous cases against Google and Facebook.

The Congress has a standard knee-jerk reaction to always play the nanny state. It is shameful that a great author who is a proud possessor of a Person of Indian Origin card and who by any reckoning has brought insight, delight to readers and glory to our country is not welcome as a supine Congress party quivers at the dictates of the loony fringe.

Isn't it curious that Rushdie has been a regular visitor for years and yet when elections in UP are a fortnight away, the Deoband decides to test its mettle.

Despite, the fact that the fatwa on Rushdie also came about because of a similar jelly like approach to ban his novel, as India was the first country in the world to do it, Rushdie still finds his creative wellsprings here. Shame on us then. Remember another great democracy the United Kingdom spent millions protecting Rushdie from the fatwa.

The politics of bans, quotas and appeasement of all kind of every lunatic fringe is in the DNA of the Congress party.

Even the diminishing returns of the politics of appeasement have brought no realisation. So libraries are burnt down, books banned and yet we still piously and smugly proclaim our democratic credentials. The Economist newspaper has repeatedly pointed out that the Indian censors zealously guarding Indian maps beat China hollow.

When are we going to understand that dissent is the essence of a mature country? Does the Congress party really want to act as a thought police and cave in every time a special interest group wants to flex its muscles?

A responsible government would have spurned the call to deny Rushdie a visa, yet Ashok Gehlot still engulfed in the Bhanwari Devi sex murder tries to pressure the organisers to ensure that Rushdie stays away.

The Muslims should punish the Congress party for insulting their intelligence with these gimmicks, complete with Rahul Gandhi's flexi beard.

For all you know, the meeting of minds between the Taliban and the Congress party might have some interesting results.

But, Shame.

Dhoni not bothered about losing captaincy

Sydney: Facing severe criticism for his unimpressive captaincy and performances in Test cricket, under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni has offered to quit the leadership role in the longer format of the game if the BCCI feels there is a better replacement waiting in the wings.

Dhoni said if somebody could do a better job than him in Tests, then he will be more than happy to step down as captain for the sake of the team.

"It (captaincy) doesn`t belong to anyone. It`s a position I hold, and it`s an added responsibility. I always like to do well till I am in job but it`s not something I want to stick to. If there is a better replacement, he can come in," Dhoni said today ahead of Wednesday first Twenty20 game Australia.

"At the end of the day, you want India to perform. If there is someone who can do a better job, captaincy should be given to him. It`s not something you have to cling on to," said Dhoni as speculation grew over his Test future both as a batsman and captain.

Dhoni now has lost seven straight Test matches abroad as captain and as a batsman, his stocks have really fallen low on foreign pitches.

While he made 220 at 31.43 from four Tests in England, he scored 102 from six innings of three Tests at 20.40 on the present tour.

"The responsibility was given to me three-and-a-half years ago. I am trying to fit into the shoes, get along with the team and perform well."

Dhoni had earlier dropped hints during the Test series that he might leave Test cricket altogether by 2013 to make himself available the 2015 World Cup.

"It`s two years to 2013. I don`t know whether I would still be alive! There would be IPL, Champions League, back-to-back series. It`s not a calendar you can decide in advance or if there is a lot of rest", Dhoni said.

"I would have to decide by 2013 but it`s two years away. I can`t say in 2014 that I am not playing next World Cup and give a player of 25-odd matches (a chance to prove)," he said.

Dhoni, however, made it clear that his journey as a Test cricketer was far from over but believed the decision was not entirely in his hands.

"I am still on my way (through the journey). I haven`t reached anywhere. But it`s not an individual who decides, it`s others who decide whether you are good enough or not.

"As a player, I am giving my 100 per cent. I am still doing what I was doing. Test cricket is real cricket, but I am not discarding other formats. Every format has its own challenges," he said.

The India captain made a tongue in cheek remark about the dressing room, which according to him is humming with the noise and bubble of the youngsters -- much in contrast to the staid, sober and solemn environment when the seniors were around.

"Our one-day squad looks very different. It`s lot more noisy and lift the dressing room atmosphere. People pull each other`s legs and it`s livelier. It`s very, very different," he said.

"It`s like you have come from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul! It`s that kind of difference. It`s very noisy. It`s a very different generation of players.

"As for me, I keep adjusting. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music of latest version," he said.

Without mentioning any names, Dhoni also took pains to emphasise the importance of senior players in the team and said the criticism coming at their door after the Test debacle was unjust.

"Age is just a number. If people keep scoring runs, nobody would talk about it. When you don`t score runs, everything comes out? - how fast you can run, your turning speed. But we don`t get worried about it."

Looking ahead, Dhoni expects good performances from the team in the shorter formats of the game over the next few weeks.

"(Suresh) Raina and (Virat) Kohli have been around. Then there is Rohit Sharma who is very talented but not part of our Test side, we are not able to give him adequate chances," he said.

Despite the presence of promising youngsters in the team, India fared miserably in the last two Twenty20 World Cups, losing all super league games in England and the West Indies. The next one is due in Sri Lanka later this year. And Dhoni singled out the absence of a seaming-allrounder as the sole missing link in his team.

"A lot depends on where you are playing. If you are playing in the sub-continent, spinners become vital. The wicket slows down a bit and even part-timers can have a bowl.

"When it comes to England and Australia, it changes. We don`t have a perfect seam bowling all-rounder and it would have really balanced out the side. Then we could have five bowlers who can be really effective," he viewed.

Dhoni was full of praise for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has started to make his impression felt as a multidimensional player, but said it would be wrong to compare the Saurashtra player with Yuvraj Singh.

"Jadeja has begun to contribute (like Yuvraj). He gives us a similar kind of balance. He more often than not bowls his 10 overs and is good enough to bat at number 6 of 7. We can play three fast bowlers and two spinners," he said.

"But it`s difficult to replace Yuvraj Singh who changes his batting style according to the situation in the game," Dhoni said.

The skipper also feels that India is a better fielding side in limited overs games.

"We have improved as a fielding side, especially in ODIs. To stop batsmen from taking a quick single and the opportunity to run him out is critical in T20s and ODIs," Dhoni said.

"Fortunately, I have players who from infield go to boundary in slog overs without a hassle. I am not too worried about the right fielder at the right position."

Dhoni underlined the importance his team attaches to the two Twenty20 games in Sydney and Melbourne this week.

"We don`t get to play too many Twenty20 Internationals. We need to make the most of it. We must not yet think about the ODIs. We would look to win this game (Sydney)."

The Indians were thwarted in their bid to get ready for the game as they found out damp practice pitches at the venue, ANZ Stadium, on Monday.

"We would have liked to go out there and spend more time. The wickets were damp and we were not able to practice. The outfield will be very important. It`s not a cricket ground and the sand content is more (in the outfield)," Dhoni said.

India`s World Cup-winning captain also emphasised that it is not easy to shift from one format to another in a short space of time.

"It`s not easy to shift to a different format. The five-day format to T20 over game or vice versa is difficult. It`s a different challenge," Dhoni insisted.

"You have to adapt really well in this game. You have to be ahead of the bowler, what he`s looking to do and be the first one to play shots and score runs."

Dhoni believed it wasn`t easy to be on the top of your game always in cricket.

"It`s a sport where you will not be at the top always. There are constant phases of ups and downs, our sport has a lot of variables. Just one mistake and you could be out. You may be in best of form but it`s no guarantee. All players are the top level are good enough to perform at international level," he said.

Asked about Australia`s present Twenty20 unit, especially Brett Lee, 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg and captain George Bailey who was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL, Dhoni had good things to say about the trio.

"He`s (Lee) a very good bowler with plenty of experience. He`s always experimenting, always trying to come up with deliveries which can help contain (the batsmen). He bowled well in Big Bash (League) and he`s quick and also has variations when it`s needed.

"He`s among the top few. (Lasith) Malinga would be up there with his slinging action too which is very difficult to pick," Dhoni said.
"Bailey has been with Chennai Super King. I`ve interacted with him and he`s an interesting character. He plays strokes, is intelligent and understands the game well.

"(As for Hogg), the spinners are like wine. They more they age, the better they get. It would be a nice contest between youngsters and him."