PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. articles from November 2005

PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. archives from November 2005

Moscow, Nov 1 (PTI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the world community to strip terrorists of all support, including media focus on them, to prevent the spread of terrorism around the globe.
November 1, 2005... "Any attention to them (terrorists) on the part of the media, any double-standard interpretation of their motives and results of their activity means nothing but a political and administrative support of terrorist acts," Putin said. He...

Toronto, Nov 1 (PTI) Canada has decided to unveil sweeping changes in its immigration policy and is planning to take in as many as 300,000 new workers annually for the next five years to tackle a huge backlog of prospective immigrants.
November 1, 2005... Canada is on track to accept 245,000 immigrants this year, the very high end of last year's target, and will raise its target for next year to between 225,000 and 255,000, Immigration Minister Joe Volpe said. "We have to start thinking...

Durban, Nov 1 (PTI) Unfazed by the terror attacks in New Delhi, hundreds of South Africans, mainly people of Indian origin, were planning to visit Delhi and other parts of India in the coming weeks.
November 1, 2005... "I am going to New Delhi for the official opening of a new temple and nothing is going to stop me," Narend Singh, Minister for Arts, Culture and Tourism in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, said. He is among more than 200 people from South...

United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) The United Nations Security Council today strongly condemned the weekend bomb attacks in New Delhi and made a strong plea for international cooperation for bringing those behind the "reprehensible" act to justice.
November 1, 2005... The Security Council asked all member countries to "cooperate actively" with India for finding the "perpetrators, organisers, financers and sponsors" of the serial bomb blasts, suspected to have been carried out by Pakistan-based militant...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has condemned the serial bomb attacks in Delhi and said the weekend blasts were a reminder to the international community that terrorism remains a threat.
November 1, 2005... Offering deepest condolences to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and to the people of India, IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato said "Our sympathies are with the families of those innocent people who lost their lives in the tragedy." "The attack...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) US software giant Autodesk has set up a joint China-India operation to tap big emerging markets in the two countries, a senior company executive has said.
November 1, 2005... "People need to start considering China and India as a regional market," Autodesk Chairwoman and Chief Executive, Carol Bartz said here. Autodesk has decided to focus on the Asia Pacific region, in addition to its current markets in the...

Kolkata, Nov 01 (PTI) All major markets, including the Calcutta Stock Exchange remained closed today, on account of "KALI-PUJA." However, there will be a special Moorat Session from 6.05 pm to 7.20 pm at the Calcutta Stock Exchange.
November 1, 2005... (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) It is an art that is beyond the understanding of the common man, yet more and more artists today are venturing into it, trying to explain the complexities and fast pace of life through this medium.
November 1, 2005... Installation art, as this is more popularly called, involves three-dimensional sculptures. These can be mediums like wood, coal, stone, paper etc. These are put together on a 2d surface to create harmony. The art evokes complex and multiple...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) Chinese and American archaeologists have found that the greenhouse effect started about 5,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought.
November 1, 2005... They reached the conclusion based on research on the relics excavated from the ruins of a Neolithic site in Rizhao City, east China's Shandong Province, over the past ten years. The joint archaeological team of experts from Shandong...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) Tens of thousands of officials today fanned out nation-wide to conduct China's third on -per cent national sample census to make clearer the nation's population and the citizens' structure and qualities.
November 1, 2005... The one-per cent census will sample over 13 million people, which accounts for one per cent of China's total population. The priority of the sample census will be on the floating population, new-born and the deceased, deputy director of the...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) China maintained 'favourable' balance of payments in current accounts and capital accounts in the first half of 2005, official statistics showed.
November 1, 2005... The surplus under current accounts totalled 67.2 billion US dollars, up 59.79 billion dollars over the same period of 2004, according to figures released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Service accounts had a...

Dhaka, Nov 1 (PTI) Foreign nationals illegally staying in Bangladesh have been asked to leave the country before the upcoming SAARC summit as part of the government's effort to ensure foolproof security, official sources said here today.
November 1, 2005... Police officials have notified the aliens, majority of whom are Indians and Pakistanis, about the decision, which means they must quit before November 12 when the two-day 13th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...

Dharam Shourie.
November 1, 2005... United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) Condemning the weekend bomb blasts in New Delhi, the United Nations Security Council today asked all member countries to "cooperate actively" with India to bring the financers and sponsors of the attacks to justice....

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Leading squash players of the country, including top men's and women's seeds Ritwik Bhattacharya (Delhi) and Joshna Chinnappa (Tamil Nadu) respectively, would be in action at the 53rd Senior National Squash Championship which is scheduled to be held at the Bombay Gymkhana here from November 6-11.
November 1, 2005... Also in the fray is men's defending champion Saurav Ghosal of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra's Deepali Anwekar Parikh, seeded a rung below reigning champion Joshna. The Senior Nationals are being held in Mumbai for the first time after the...

Durban, Nov 1 (PTI) The festival of lights was being celebrated with much pomp and splendour in South Africa with people thronging special Diwali fairs and major functions being held to mark the day.
November 1, 2005... Most of the celebrations are taking place in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg, where the country's 1.2-million people of Indian-origin are concentrated. "Deepavali has always been a major Hindu festival in South Africa and...

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Lt Gen Deepak Harishchandra Summanwar, the Director General of Military Intelligence, has taken over as Colonel of Rajputana Rifles.
November 1, 2005... He took over the post from Maj Gen Rakesh Das at an impressive ceremony at RAJ RIF Regimental Centre yesterday, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. Commissioned in 1968 in RAJ RIF, Summanwar has taken part in all operations since 1971 where...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) China, the world's largest producer and consumer of steel, made 255.286 million tonnes of crude steel during the first three quarters of 2005, registering a 27.39 per cent year-on-year growth, a senior industry official said.
November 1, 2005... The production of iron during January-September was 239.213 million tonnes, up 30.98 per cent and rolled steel was 268.819 million tonnes or an increase of 25.82 per cent, Executive Vice Chairman of China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), Luo...

United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) Syria has taken strong exception to the remarks of certain western nations that the country's security services knew about the assasination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
November 1, 2005... Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said that asserting Syrian security services knew about the assasination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was like saying that the United States, Britain and Spain knew about the major...

United Nations, Nov.1 (PTI) The United Nations has warned it might be forced to ground its relief helicopters, the sole lifeline for hundreds of thousands of quake survivors, within the next two weeks due to lack of funds to fly them.
November 1, 2005... "It is extremely worrying that the international community, which was so generous after the Indian Ocean tsunami, has so far failed to come up with an adequate response to this crisis," World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for the...

Pune, Nov 1 (PTI) India and Sri Lanka cricket teams, who would be playing the 4th one-day international at Nehru Stadium here on November 3, arrived here this morning.
November 1, 2005... The team members were driven from Pune Airport to their hotel under tight security. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who played a swashbuckling knock of 183 at Jaipur yesterday to help India take a 3-0 lead over the Lankans in the seven-match series,...

United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) The UN human rights commission, undertaking a study on the condition of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, have said they will not accept the proposal to visit the prison if denied personal interviews with inmates there.
November 1, 2005... "We cannot accept the exclusion of private interviews with detainees as this would not only contravene the terms of reference for fact-finding missions by Special Procedures but also undermine the purpose of an objective and fair assessment of...

United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution designating January 27 as Holocaust Remembrance Day, and urged nations to keep the memory of the day alive so that future generations will help prevent similar acts of genocide.
November 1, 2005... Introduced by Israel, and co-sponsored by some 90 Member States, the resolution rejects any denial of the period in time as an historical event amd urges States to develop educational programmes that will instruct future generations about the...

Jamshedpur, Nov 1 (PTI) Rajeev Kumar would lead the Jharkhand team in the forth-coming Ranji Trophy tournaments, secretary of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association, B N Singh said here today.
November 1, 2005... The middle-order batsman Kumar, who has seven tons under his belt, would lead the state team in the absence of Indian stumper Mahendra Singh Dhoni whose unbeaten knock of 183 cruised India to victory in a match against Sri Lanka on Oct 31,...

Dharam Shourie.
November 1, 2005... United Nations, Nov 1 (PTI) The UN Security Council has asked Syria to stop obstructing the international inquiry into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, threatening it with unspecified action if it fails to do...

New York, Nov 1 (PTI) In an apparent reference to the Iran nuclear issue, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has opposed the use of global bodies like International Atomic Energy Agency by member states for implementing their own foreign policy agenda.
November 1, 2005... "We are not in favour of member states using technical bodies for conducting foreign policy by other means, since this is contrary to the Charter of such bodies", Yechury said yesterday on behalf of the Indian delegation at the the 60th Session...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) With growing anti-dumping charges against its goods, China's foreign trade growth is likely to slowdown next year, the Ministry of Commerce said.
November 1, 2005... China's foreign trade volume is tipped to increase by about 15 per cent to USD 1.6 trillion from an expected USD 1.4 trillion and a possible record surplus this year, it said. Foreign trade growth was 35.7 per cent in 2004, and is forecast...

Chennai, Nov 1 (PTI) The UPA government at the Centre is not blocking financial allocations to Tamil Nadu, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
November 1, 2005... Till October end last year the Centre had provided Rs 4,866 crore by way of plan allocation, finance commission grants and small savings allocations against the Rs 6,607 crore earmarked for the corresponding period of the current year, he told...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) Lauding the Indo-Pak decision to open five points along the Line of Control to provide relief material to people in both sides of Kashmir, China today said it hopes that the move would lead to increasing mutual trust and furthe r easing of bilateral ties.
November 1, 2005... "We appreciate and welcome the joint measures taken by the Indian and Pakistani governments to open the border points," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters while commenting on the agreement reached between New Delhi and...

Jamshedpur, Nov 1 (PTI) A former international athlete today shot dead a man, who was allegedly extorting him, at Adarshnagar here today.
November 1, 2005... The police said that the 41-year-old Rajendra Singh, who works in the security department of Tata Steel and had won four gold medals in at the SAF games in the 80's shot dead Niranjan Singh, who was allegedly extorting the former athlete for...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) Stepping up aid to Pakistan, China has sent a government delegation to Islamabad to discuss modalities of reconstruction in the quake-hit areas, a senior official said here today.
November 1, 2005... "China has sent a governmental delegation to Pakistan on Monday to confer with the Pakistani government on the reconstruction of earthquake-hit areas," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters. Led by the Assistant...

Pune, Nov 1 (PTI) Forecast rainfall valid until the morning of November 3: East: many places: Orissa+; a few places: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram- Tripura, Gangetic West Bengal; isolated places: Sub-Himalayan West bengal and Sikkim; mainly dry: Jharkhand and Bihar.
November 1, 2005... North: isolated places: east Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal*, Himachal Pradesh*, Jammu and Kashmir*; mainly dry: west Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Central: isolated places: Chattisgarh; mainly dry: Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha....

Kochi, Nov 1 (PTI) The Left parties will not destabilise the UPA government on "flippant" issues, but will direct them to implement better policies by interventions in Parliament and by organising agitations, CPI(M) Central Committee member Sunil Ch opra said today.
November 1, 2005... The left parties had successfully intervened in matters including BHEL and Pay Commission, Chopra told reporters here. Criticising the Kerala government for its development projects including the 'International Container Transhipment...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) China today asked Japan to show "political will" for improving Sino-Japan ties undermined by a series of events, including Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to a World War II-related shrine.
November 1, 2005... The key to normalising Sino-Japan ties should not lie in "lip words" but in "actual deeds," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters here today. He said that the responsibility for difficulties in bilateral relations...

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Auto major Hyundai Motor India (HMI) today said the company has sold 24,762 vehicles, its highest ever sale in a month, during October 2005.
November 1, 2005... Of the cumulative figure, 15,801 units were sold in the domestic market and 8,961 in the overseas market, HMI said in a release. It said sale in this October has beaten its previous highest sale record during August last when it sold a...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) Water-deficient Chinese cities are eyeing water resources in clouds to ease severe droughts plaguing the nation, the state media reported today.
November 1, 2005... Some 18.2 trillion cubic meters of water coagulated in clouds levitate across China every year. Artificial precipitation is considered an effective way to make use of the resource to refill ground and groundwater, experts said at a national...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) All major markets including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Foreign Exchange (FOREX), Bullion and Oils & Oilseeds remained closed today on account of "Diwali".
November 1, 2005... However, there will be a special Diwali muhurat trading session at the BSE and NSE today evening between 6.05 pm and 7.40 pm. The muhurat session for Bullion will be between 12.30 pm and 1.00 pm and for Oils & Oilseeds will commence from...

Hyderabad, Nov 01 (PTI) All major markets including stocks, oilseeds and commodities markets remain closed today on account of "Dipawali" festival.
November 1, 2005... However, there will be muhurat trading at Hyderabad Stock Exchange in the evening. The oilseeds market will also remain closed tomorrow, being labour holiday. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Kolkata, Nov 1 (PTI) All major markets including bullion, oilseeds, metal and jute remained closed today on account of "KALI-PUJA." However, there will be a special Moorat Session from 6.05 pm to 7.20 pm at the Calcutta Stock Exchange.
November 1, 2005... (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) China's central bank today announced a slew of measures meant to underpin the growth of Renminbi business in Hong Kong in what analysts see as an initial step towards offshore services in Chinese currency.
November 1, 2005... The People's Bank of China (PBOC) issued an announcement saying it will expand the provision of position squaring and clearing services for banks in Hong Kong. Typically, it gave the nod for Hong Kong banks to exchange the Renminbi or Yuan...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Atomic Energy Regulatory Board today said a radioactive 'pigtail', used for detecting leakages in pipe joints, which was stolen and thrown into the sea by a private firm official could not be traced, but the random tests showed t here was no threat to the safety of public.
November 1, 2005... Following a complaint from Das Offshore Engineering that Ajay Jaju, 0a radiological safety officer of Isotope Teknica has allegedly stolen and threw a pigtail, a radioactive material from a radiography camera, into Vashi Creek, the AERB was on...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) A wary China today urged the United States and Japan not to exceed the scope of their bilateral military pact and do more to ensure regional peace and stability.
November 1, 2005... Reacting to the US-Japan military pact, including the stationing of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japanese waters, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan emphasised that Tokyo and Washington should not exceed the scope of their...

Chennai, Nov 01 (PTI) All major markets, including the Stock Exchange remained closed today, on account of "DIWALI." However, there will be a special Moohrat Session from 6.05 pm to 7.20 pm at the Calcutta Stock Exchange.
November 1, 2005... (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Bangalore, Nov one (PTI) Commodities and vegetable market remain closed today an account of "Kannada Rajyotsava Day" holiday.
November 1, 2005... (THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

Margao, Nov 1 (PTI) Goan batsmen succumbed to the guile of left-arm spinner Rahul Ranout (6/28) as they went down to Hyderabad by nine wickets in their opening encounter of the South Zone Polly Umrigar U-15 league match played at Panaji today.
November 1, 2005... Resuming at their overnight second innings score of 84 for four, Goa lost their last six wickets for 23 runs to be dismissed for 107 in 78.4 overs. Rohit Naik (22), Gajanand Asgaokar (39) and Madhu Kamat (11) were the only batsmen to make...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Bajaj Auto, country's second largest bike maker, today said motorcycle sales increased 43 per cent in October to 2,05,012 units as against 1,43,491 units in the same month last fiscal.
November 1, 2005... Bikes sales during the first seven months of this fiscal grew 42 per cent to 10,73,112 units against 7,55,706 units in the same period last fiscal, the company said in a release here today. Total two-wheeler sales, including scooters, in...

Bangalore, Nov 1 (PTI) Low cost carrier Air Deccan today announced the opening of its new call centre here that can handle 25,000 calls a day, keeping in with its aggressive expansion plans.
November 1, 2005... The call centre would simplify the functionalities relating to enquiries, bookings and cancellations to make each process more convenient and easily accessible to the passenger, an Air Deccan statement said. The previous call centre was a...

Beijing, Nov 1 (PTI) China today said that "certain outcomes" have been reached on six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue and it has suggested dates for the next round of negotiations aimed at peacefully dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear we apons programmes.
November 1, 2005... "We have proposed dates for the next round of six-party talks and are awaiting the response from the other parties," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said while declining to reveal the date proposed by Beijing, host of the talks. "I am...

New York, Nov 1 (PTI) Food and Agricultural Organisation's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries has crossed 10 years, with a study finding that a number of countries are following the rules on sustainable fishing despite it being non-binding on members of the UN agency.
November 1, 2005... Drafted by 170 nations and adopted on 31 October 1995, the Code contains policy principles, technical guidelines and best practices for conducting fishing and aquaculture in a responsible and sustainable way. The Code is nonbinding, but by...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) Senior lawmaker and chairman of the Congressional India Caucus Gary Ackerman has expressed outrage at the weekend serial bomb blasts in New Delhi and said the US stands in staunch support of India in the fight against terrori sm.
November 1, 2005... "This atrocious and heinous act reaffirms the importance of standing firm with India in the fight to combat terrorism," the Democratic Co Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans said in a statement. "With our shared...

Kolkata, Nov 1 (PTI) Country's first professional golfer S K Jamshed Ali died at a private hospital here today after fighting a long grinding battle against oral cancer. He was 53.
November 1, 2005... The Arjuna awardee left behind his wife, a son and five daughters, family members said. Jamshed, the country's first caddie-turned-professional golfer to make it big in the game, succumbed to the disease at the Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital...

London, Nov 1 (PTI) England Cricket Board (ECB) were hoping to convince its Indian counterpart of changing the itinerary for their scheduled visit next year, since the one proposed involved hectic travelling, a newspaper report said.
November 1, 2005... England were scheduled to play three Tests and seven one-day internationals from March 8 to April 22, 2006. Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Mumbai will host the Tests while Goa, Indore, Guwahati, Faridabad, Cuttack, Cochin and Visakhapatnam were...

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Leander Paes and his Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic have qualified for the doubles event of the season-ending ATP Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai from November 13 to 20.
November 1, 2005... The combination made it to the elite event as the fifth ranked team. Only the leading eight teams on the ATP Doubles Race (annual rankings) qualify for the event which would be played alongside the singles event featuring top eight...

Kolkata, Nov 1 (PTI) The CPI(M)-led ruling Left Front today announced it will hold demonstrations across West Bengal on November seven against joint exercises by Air Forces of India and the US beginning that day.
November 1, 2005... Around seven lakh Left Front activists would "peacefully demonstrate" around the Kalaikunda Air Force station (in West Midnapore district) on November seven, CPI(M) politburo member and state Secretary Anil Biswas told reporters here. ...

Islamabad, Nov 1 (PTI) The death toll in Pakistan from last month's massive earthquake has risen to more than 57,000, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told parliament today.
November 1, 2005... Terming the October 8 quake as a tragedy worse than the December 26 tsunami, Aziz told the National Assembly the temblor had killed more than 57,000 and left thousands injured. "The calamity made a large number of children orphans and many...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) A major political battle that may go on well into next year is on the cards over President George W Bush's new nominee to the US Supreme Court Judge Samuel Alito, with Democratic lawmakers warning that he may push the apex co urt dangerously to the right.
November 1, 2005... The conservative darling whom Bush declared as his choice yesterday to replace Sandra Day O' Connor is the eye of the storm as Demoracts are up in arms against the nomination, ahead of a confirmation hearing in the Senate. "This one is...

Dubai, Nov 1 (PTI) Former Indian hoopsters in the United Arab Emirates have come together to provide an opening to talented local players and facilitate their participation in Indian events.
November 1, 2005... They have formed the Indian Basketball Society of UAE (IBS, UAE) and sought recognition from a professional registered body here, local media reported. "Our main aim in forming this body is to provide a platform for the talented players...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) The Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company (MahaGenco) has said it has given its gas supply contract bidders enough time for submitting their bids, considering the 30 year long span of the contract.
November 1, 2005... The company had received bids from GAIL India, Gujrat State Petrochemicals Ltd (GSPC) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) for supply of 5.5 MMCD gas for its proposed 1,000 MW expansion plant at Uran and 1,400 MW green field plant at Talegaon...

London, Nov 1 (PTI) Midland today confirmed signing up one of two drivers for 2006 season and it is not Narain Karthikeyan.
November 1, 2005... Christian Albers of the Netherlands is the driver to clinch the deal with Midland, the new name of Jordan Grand Prix for whom Karthikeyan raced in his debut season this year. Albers had driven in Formula 3 and finished behind Karthikeyan...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) The U S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today hailed UN Security Council Resolution on Syria saying that it has sent a "warning" to Damascus against interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon.
November 1, 2005... "We are very pleased that this resolution could be adopted unanimously. It sends a very strong signal to Syria of its isolation," Rice said after the Council vote. Rice took the opportunity to once again warn Syria that its "destabilising...

Kathmandu, Nov 1 (PTI) Condemning the recent terror attacks in Delhi, Nepal's King Gyanendra has expressed grief over the loss of life and property in the serial blasts.
November 1, 2005... "We strongly and unreservedly condemn this dastardly and heinous act of terrorism and express the hope that the perpetrators would be brought tojustice at the earliest," the King said in a message yesterday. In a message sent to President...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Rajesh Sonawane of Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana rallied from a 0-2 deficit to overcome Mohd Riaz 3-2 to storm into the professionals quarter-finals, in the 62nd CCI-Western India Open Squash Tournament 2005, at the CCI here today .
November 1, 2005... Sonawane, who was taken by surprise early in the match by Riaz, made a late recovery to win 6-9, 7-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-1 in a thrilling quarter-final. In contrast, top seed Rohit More of host club CCI crushed Anil Mohite 9-0, 9-3, 9-7 to join...

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) The Indian challenge at the Nike Junior Internatinal Masters tennis in Nice, France, came to an end today with all four players bowing out of the singles draw.
November 1, 2005... Sudanva Sitaram went down 6-1 6-0 to top seed Radim Urbanek of the Czech Republic in the second round of the U-14 category of the boys' section while Duje Kekez of Croatia beat Mohit Mayur Jayaprakash 6-1 6-1 in the first round of the U-12...

London, Nov 1 (PTI) NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has expressed shock and sadness over the dastardly blasts in Delhi on Saturday that left 59 people dead.
November 1, 2005... "It is with great shock and sadness we learn of the dastardly attacks of terrorism in Delhi. "Please accept our heartfelt condolences for those who have lost their lives and we also send our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) An inmate at Guantanamo Bay attempted to end his life while his lawyer was visiting him, a report said today amid indications that rising desperation is leading to dozens of suicide attempts in the American naval facility tha t holds terror suspects.
November 1, 2005... There have been about three dozen attempts at Gitmo and at least two dozen inmates are on hunger strike to protest indefinite detention, 'The Washington Post' reported. The Post also said that while the Bush administration has welcomed...

London, Nov 1 (PTI) British Prime Minister Tony Blair today expressed "sadness and outrage" over the serial bomb blasts in Delhi on Saturday.
November 1, 2005... In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Blair said he was outraged when he heard about three simultaneous bomb explosions in Delhi on Saturday, in which 59 people were killed. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has also condemned the...

Pune, Nov 1 (PTI) Fifth seeded Isha Lakhani of India beat Deborah Armstrong of Great Britain 6-2 6-3 to sail into the second round of the NECC-ITF International Women's Tennis Tournament here today.
November 1, 2005... The stylish left-hander relied on her allround court craft to brush aside the Armstrong's challenge in 54 minutes. The Pune lass, the winner of opening leg singles title in Mumbai last week, started on the wrong foot dropping her serve in...

London, Nov 1 (PTI) Hindu leaders in Britain today demanded withdrawal of a Christmas stamp featuring the picture of a man and a woman with Hindu markings worshipping infant Christ.
November 1, 2005... The stamp, issued by Britain's Royal Mail Service, shows a man having a 'tilak' on his forehead, clearly identifying him as a Vaishnava Hindu, and the woman having a traditional 'kumkum' mark on her forehead identifying her as a married Hindu...

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1 (PTI) Canadian High Commission has informed the Kerala government that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) had fulfilled all its commitments to the Malabar Cancer Centre (MCC) at Thalassery.
November 1, 2005... In response to a letter by Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed, the High commission said the CIDA had contributed 1.8 million dollars through SNC-Lavalin company for site preparation, architectural plans, construction materials and installation of...

Mumbai, Nov one (PTI) The oilseeds market today ushered in Samvat 2062 on a cautiously optimistic note with imported palmolein and industrial oil firming up on good demand while groundnut oil showed marginal losses.
November 1, 2005... In the futures market, castorseeds prices firmed up further on sustained export enquiries. In the edible section, imported RBD palmolein moved up by Rs 3.25 to Rs 374.25 from the overnight closing level of Rs 371 on good demand from...

Islamabad, Nov 1 (PTI) In the backdrop of allegation of involvement of Pakistan-based militant groups in the blasts in New Delhi, Islamabad today ratified a SAARC convention on suppression of terrorism saying that it demonstrated the country's "reso lve" to root out the menace of extremism.
November 1, 2005... "By ratifying this Convention, the Government of Pakistan has once again demonstrated its resolve to fight terrorism and root out this menace from Pakistan and the region," Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement here. The 'Additional...

Seema Hakhu Kachru.
November 1, 2005... Houston, Nov 1 (PTI) After decades of poor connections and long stopovers, air service between the USA and India will get a boost with Continental Airlines starting its non-stop Newark to New Delhi service from today, a positive step heralding...

Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Enthused by the overnight smart rally, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) today heralded the Samvat 2062 on a buoyant mood, with the S&P CNX Nifty posting yet another 15.80 points rise at 2386.75 due to sustained buying from opera tors and retail investors.
November 1, 2005... Although, profit-taking pared sharp early gains, the outlook remains positive on the back of strong economic fundamentals amid encouraging corporate earnings, a dealer said, adding "I hope to see an extended rally tomorrow." The CNX Midcap...

Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) President George W Bush today came out with a USD 7.1 billion strategy to protect all American citizens against a possible outbreak of deadly bird flu.
November 2, 2005... The strategy involves tracking outbreaks worldwide, stockpiling vaccines and anti-viral drugs, Bush said in an address at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. "At this moment there is no pandemic influenza in the United...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) Chinese archaeologists have claimed to have discovered the world's smallest ancient temple with Mahayana scriptures in the southern rim of the Taklimakan Desert in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
November 2, 2005... The temple, dating back more than 1,500 years, was located about seven kilometres from the Damagou Township of Cele County. The Tuopulukedun Temple is 2.25 meters long and two meters wide, with walls about 1.3 meters high. The wood-and-mud...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) China and India, the "twin engines" of Asian economic growth, have decided to step up their cooperation in the stock exchange sector for the first time with both sides inking an agreement to this effect.
November 2, 2005... China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SSE) intends to further develop cooperation with the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), SSE board director Chen Dongzheng said yesterday in Shenzhen. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chen described...

Washington, Nov 2 (PTI) Observing that leaders of both India and Pakistan have been working in consultation and cooperation to carry forward their dialogue, the United States has emphasised that they still need to address a lot more, including crack ing down on terrorism.
November 2, 2005... "In terms of the border issues and relations with neighbouring countries, we encourage dialogue between India and Pakistan. We encourage them to have an ongoing dialogue and to work in consultation and cooperation, and I think that's what both...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) China has warned officials and ruling Communist Party members to withdraw their investments in coal mines or face punishment as the government launched a clean-up operation in the nation's coal mining sector, the world's largest .
November 2, 2005... A total of 4,578 officials nationwide have admitted they have stakes in coal mines, with total capital of 653 million yuan. Some 473 million yuan have been withdrawn by October 20, Vice Minister of Supervision and Management of State-owned...

New Delhi: Nov 2 (PTI) There are more mobile phones in India than cable and satellite homes, and television channels across all the genres and mobile operators are approaching this medium not only to communicate and interact with the audience but a lso as a major revenue stream.
November 2, 2005... It all started in a big with "Indian Idol" viewers voting via SMS to choose their favourites - 60 million SMSes in all! And now Kaun Banega Crorepati-2 and "Indian Idol 2" have taken it to a new level. "SMS is a medium which is very...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) World's top retailer Wal-Mart has decided to expand further in China by launching 13 new stores next year.
November 2, 2005... These 13 stores, mostly at shopping plazas, will be scattered in the current operating regions of Wal-Mart in China, said President and CEO of Wal-Mart, Lee Scott. With the opening of 13 new outlets, the total number of Wal-Mart stores in...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) At least 17 miners were suffocated to death in a gas leak at an illegal coal mine in China's top coal producing province, Shanxi, local government said today.
November 2, 2005... The accident occurred Monday evening at Fenhemao Coal Mine in Lianggou town of Yuanping in the city of Xinzhou, killing all the 13 miners who were working underground. Management of the mine immediately sent a team of six rescuers down the...

Beijing, Nov 2 (PTI) Relatives of a Chinese engineer, who was killed in the major earthquake in Pakistan early last month has received about 73,983 US dollars in compensation from a domestic insurance company, a report said here today.
November 2, 2005... Huang Bingkun, 39, was killed in a landslide trigged by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Pakistan on October eight, which killed over 55,000 people. Huang was posted in the engineering section of a hydropower station project...

Mumbai, Nov 2 (PTI) The rupee today opened sharply lower against the US currency following appreciating dollar in the international markets coupled with some fresh demand amid foreign fund outflows from Indian bourses.
November 2, 2005... On the Interbank foreign exchange market here, the Indian unit opened weak at Rs 45.2050/2150 a dollar against Monday's close of Rs 45.1450/1550 but later recovered marginally to Rs 45.1850/1950 during late morning deals. Dealers said...

New York, Nov 2 (PTI) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed renowned Kenyan constitutional lawyer Yash Pal Ghai as his Special Representative on human rights in Cambodia.
November 2, 2005... He succeeds Peter Leuprecht, a human rights specialist with the Council of Europe and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who was appointed in August 2000 and has now resigned. Ghai is the...

Toronto, Nov 2 (PTI) India has urged Canada to ease visa regulations to help Indian students and boost trade and employment opportunities.
November 2, 2005... "The process of issuing visas to Indian students, businessmen, and professionals should be more flexible and less time consuming," Shyamala B Cowsik, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada said at a function organised by Canada-India Business...