2. DMK MP Kanimozhi was secreted away from the Tihar Central Jail
premises here on Tuesday evening much to the disappointment of a
battery of photographers, correspondents and well-wishers who waited
outside.
Among her well-wishers were Rajya Sabha MPs, MLAs from Tamil Nadu
and DMK workers who had arrived here two days ago.
“This is only the beginning, we will get justice when the case finally
ends. This is justice…it has been delayed long enough,” said Rajya Sabha
member Vasanthi Stanley.
“We have been waiting for this moment for around 190 days…she has
undergone unnecessary pain. At last, we are getting to celebrate and
enjoy this moment. The party will be revived to its former glory after this
victory,” said Saravanan Nambi, DMK representative from Avinashi in
Tamil Nadu, who had been waiting outside Gate No. 3 of the jail since
4.30 p.m.
To reach Chennai on December 3
Chennai Special Correspondent writes:
Ms. Kanimozhi will reach Chennai on December 3, the DMK announced
on Tuesday. She will be in Chennai on December 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11.
Again she will be in Chennai from December 24 to 31 when the court
closes for holidays, a party release said.
3. Oil marketing companies review meet today; no change likely in prices of diesel,
LPG and kerosene
The continued economic acrimony in the eurozone and the continued slowdown of
the U.S, economy has softened the international crude oil prices, raising hopes of
another petrol price cut by the oil marketing companies (OMCs) when the matter
comes up for review on November 30.
With the Indian basket averaging around $107 per barrel, the petrol prices are
likely to be cut by another one rupee, the second reduction this month. The OMCs
on November 16 cut the fuel prices by Rs. 2.22 per litre. Petrol now costs Rs.
66.42 in Delhi.
“The oil prices are to come up for fortnightly review on November 30 and another
reduction can be expected,” a senior OMC official said.
This would be the second reduction in petrol price since January 2009 when rates
were cut by Rs. 5 per litre.
Before that, the then Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora made oil
firms slash the petrol price by an equal proportion in December 2008.
However, no change is likely in the prices of diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene,
which continue to be subsidised heavily.
4. As the row between Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the Mullaperiyar
dam is generating a lot of heat both inside and outside
Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to have
hinted that the Centre is trying to work out an amicable
settlement, including convening a meeting of between Chief
Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Jayalalithaa and Oommen
Chandy.
The Prime Minister is said to have told various delegations from
the two States on Tuesday that the Centre was concerned as the
issue involved the interests of the people of both the States and
it would do whatever possible to resolve the matter at the
earliest. He would discuss the issue with Water Resources
Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and see what could be done next.
Earlier MPs from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, cutting across party
lines, disrupted the Parliament proceedings, shouting slogans for
and against a new dam and later sat on dharnas separately in
front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Lok Sabha member Thol.
Thirumavalavan alleged that the new dam slogan was a ploy by
Kerala to hoodwink Tamil Nadu people and deprive water later.
5. Welcoming the decision of the Indian government to allow
foreign direct investment in the multi-brand retail sector, the
United States said that it will “deepen” the India-U.S. economic
cooperation.
“We welcome India‟s decision. We think economic reforms such
as these will further strengthen business-to-business ties
between our two countries,” State Department spokesman, Mark
Toner, told reporters.
Single-brand retail will now be open to 100 per cent foreign
direct investment.
“While this threshold for FDI in multi-brand retail serves as an
excellent starting point for India‟s retail sector, continued
relaxation of the FDI cap will serve to maximize investments in
supply chains, bring foreign expertise to farming and food safety
practices, and offer the best prices and choices for consumers
and producers alike,” USIBC (U.S. India Business Council) said.
6. An official says an earthquake with a magnitude of 6
shook the capital and parts of the northern Philippines.
There are no immediate reports of damages or injuries.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
chief Renato Solidum says movement in the Manila Trench
off the country‟s west set off the earthquake on
Wednesday but it occurred deep under the ocean floor and
did not cause any destruction.
Mr. Solidum says the quake was felt in metropolitan Manila
and in the nearby provinces of Zambales, Bulacan,
Pangasinan and in the mountain resort city of Baguio.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where
earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-
magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in
1990.
7. The White House has asked Pakistan to attend the
crucial international meet on Afghanistan in Bonn
early next month.
Islamabad had on Tuesday decided to boycott the
conference in Bonn to protest the killing of its 24
soldiers by NATO forces in a cross-border fire on the
AfPak border over the weekend.
“We certainly urge Pakistan to participate in this
conference. It‟s very important for the future of
Afghanistan,” White House Press Secretary, Jay
Carney, told reporters.
“Pakistan obviously will play an important role in the
future of Afghanistan, and we urge them to
participate in the conference,” Mr. Carney said in
response to a question.
8. Rohit puts the host on victory path with an impressive
innings
Rohit Sharma's brilliant 72 and useful contributions from
the lower-order helped India battle back from the brink
and script an exciting one-wicket win against the West
Indies in the first One-Day International at the Barabati
Stadium here on Tuesday.
Chasing West Indies' 211 for nine in 50 overs, India was
tottering at 59 for five when Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja
joined forces. The sixth-wicket pair raised 83, easily the
best phase of the Indian innings.
At the end of the day, the two fast bowlers
also turned match-winners for India with
their last-wicket partnership.
Incidentally, this was India's 10th
. consecutive win at home, and its third
against the West Indies at this venue.
9. Called Gliese
581g, the
exoplanet is
located 123
trillion miles
away from Earth
Scientists claim to have discovered a potentially habitable planet which has an environment
much similar to that of the Earth and may contain water and even life.
The exoplanet, called Gliese 581g, is located around 123 trillion miles away from the Earth and
orbits a star at a distance that places it squarely in the habitable or the Goldilocks zone, the
scientists said.
The research, published in the Astrophysical Journal, suggests that the planet could contain
liquid water on its surface, meaning it tops the league of planets and moons rated as being
most like Earth, they said.
Compelling case
“Our findings offer a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet,” said lead
researcher Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of
California, Santa Cruz.
“The fact that we were able to detect this planet so quickly and so nearby tells us that planets
like this must be really common,” Prof. Vogt was quoted as saying byDaily Mail.
The new findings are based on 11 years of observations of the nearby red dwarf star Gliese
581 using the HIRES spectrometer on the Keck I Telescope by a team from UC Santa Cruz and
the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
The team reported the discovery of two new planets around Gliese 581. This brings the total
number of known planets around this star to six, the most yet discovered in a planetary system
outside of our own.
Like our solar system, the planets around Gliese 581 have nearly-circular orbits, the team said.
Gliese 581 has a mass three to four times the Earth's and orbits its star in just under 37 days.
Its mass indicates that it is probably a rocky planet with a definite surface and enough gravity
to hold on to an atmosphere, they said.
10. Alok Kumar beats back Jason Williams' challenge
A stoic and unfazed Alok Kumar weathered Canadian
Jason Williams's challenge at 4-2 in Group E in the
IBSF World snooker championship on Tuesday on a
day which began badly for Indians.
India thrashes Poland
Tushar Khandekar and Yuvraj Walmiki scored two
goals each as India spanked Poland 7-0 to enhance
its chances of finishing on top of Pool „A' in the
Champions Challenge hockey tournament here on
Tuesday.
India now has seven points from three matches.
India 7 bt Poland 0; Japan 2 bt Canada 1; Argentina 5
bt Malaysia 2 .
