Mumbai, Oct 31 (ANI/Business Wire India): Hindalco Industries Ltd., the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended 30 September 2007.

Net sales and operating revenues have grown by 7 per cent to Rs.4,959.7 crores as compared to Rs. 4,634.2 crores in the corresponding period in FY07. Despite the strengthening of the rupee, which resulted in the lowering of aluminium prices, net profit for the quarter at Rs. 642.8 crores is up by 8 per cent, vis-…-vis Rs. 597.6 crores in the corresponding period of previous year.

Of the total revenue of Rs. 4,959.7 crores, aluminium business contributed Rs. 1,785 crores on the back of production growth of 8 percent. Margins were maintained due to increased Value added products, better sales mix and higher sales volume. The value added products in volume terms increased by 11 percent and 15 per cent in Rolled products and Extrusion products respectively.

The profit before interest and tax for aluminium business was lower at Rs. 662 crores from Rs. 671 crores in the corresponding quarter in the earlier year mainly on account of the sharp appreciation of the Rupee against USD and the impact of custom duty cut on imports. The rupee has appreciated 11percent from Rs. 46.21/USD in Q2 FY 07 to Rs. 41.15/USD in the current quarter. On the positive side, the aluminium business benefited from higher LME prices, greater efficiencies, enhanced volumes through better capacity utilization and reduced input costs due to better procurement management.

In the copper business, revenue stood at Rs.3178.3 crores from Rs. 2782.5 crores in Q2FY07driven by higher sales volumes and realization resulting from an enriched product mix. The profit before interest and tax grew marginally at Rs. 126.1 crores from Rs. 123.3 crores in the corresponding quarter last year despite the fall in TcRc due to better by-product realization and improvement in operational efficiency.

The improvement in the market mix resulting from increased duty paid sales was setoff by the reduction in the duty differential. The grid power usage was lower on account of improved captive power availability and a significant improvement in energy consumption.

Strategic Initiatives

The Company has acquired the shareholding of Alcan Inc consisting of 78,564,384 shares of Rs 10/- each in Utkal Alumina international Ltd. (Utkal). Consequently, Utkal is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Operational review

Aluminium

All the aluminium plants operated at consistently high capacity utilisation. The full advantage of Phase I of Hirakud expansion helped in increasing metal production by 8percent. The downstream assets purchased in the last two years were fully utilized, in addition to improved production from other plants. Production of value added products (VAP) grew by 7 per cent. Rolled products and Extrusions production extended by 18 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Alumina production is less than last year primarily due to the hooking of existing alumina refinery with expanded facility at Muri.

Copper

In copper cathodes and CC rods production increased by 11 percent and 32 percent respectively on YoY basis on the back of the ramp up of the copper-III smelter and consistent production from smelter-I. The operations at copper smelter -II continue to remain suspended as cost of production is not economically feasible.

Expansion projects

Muri

The expansion of the Muri Alumina refinery from 110,000 tpa to 450,000 tpa is slated for commissioning in the third quarter of the current fiscal.

Hirakud

Phase II of the expansion of the smelting capacity from 100,000 tpa to 143,000 tpa is well on track. The power generation capacity from 267.5MW to 367.5MW will go on stream by December 2007.

Belgaum

The allotment of the lease for bauxite mines for expanding the alumina refinery capacity at Belgaum, Karnataka from 350 ktpa to 650 ktpa is awaited.

Aditya Aluminium

Aditya Aluminium, the integrated aluminium project, encompassing 1-1.5 million tpa alumina refinery, 260,000-325,000 tpa aluminium smelter and 750 MW captive power plant is progressing as planned. The major portion of the total land required for the project has been acquired. Environmental clearances have been obtained for Smelter, the Captive Power Plant (CPP) and the refinery. Joint venture agreement with Mahanadi Coal Limited and Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. has been inked for coal requirements. The water drawal agreement is also finalized. The Smelter is expected to be commissioned by March, 2011 and the refinery by May, 2011.

Mahan

The Mahan Aluminum project with a smelter capacity of 325 ktpa and CPP of 750 MW is on schedule. The land acquisition for the project is underway. The Company has been allotted a coal block in a JV with Essar Power for the coal requirement of the CPP. Preliminary Environmental clearances have been obtained. The power connectivity for commencing construction has been approved. The Water resource department has provided the necessary facilities as well. Project is expected to roll on by October, 2011.

Latehar

For the Latehar project with a smelter capacity of 325 ktpa and CPP of 750 MW, Tubed Coal mine has been allocated jointly with Tata Power. Preliminary Environmental clearances have been obtained. Land acquisition is in progress. The expected date of commissioning is March 2012.

Utkal

Work on Utkal Alumna’s 1.5 MTPA Alumina Refinery is underway. The Company has acquired the land for the plant and facilities. The second phase of the rehabilitation and resettlement process is in progress. Mining activities will start by March 2009. The commissioning of the Plant is expected by March 2010.

Hindalco Almex Aerospace Limited

This project for manufacture of high strength aluminium alloys for applications in the aerospace, sporting goods and surface transport industries is on target. It is slated for commissioning in fourth quarter in the current fiscal.

Industry outlook

Aluminium

Global primary aluminium consumption has witnessed a strong demand growth of 8.8 percent.

US production levels remained flat, the construction market continues to disappoint and demand from the transportation markets remain weak. The demand from Western Europe has been relatively stronger, while that from Japan continued to be unexciting. China remains the strongest driver of the demand as the metal grew at 34percent, in this period, with transportation, construction and foil sectors remaining firm on the back of strong industrial activity.

Copper

The year-to-date has witnessed good demand for copper. The world refined copper consumption growth is forecast at 4.3percent for 2007, driven by China, the Gulf and Europe. The exchange stock continues to remain below normal levels and a weak US exchange rate will support current copper prices throughout 2007. The first half of 2008 may see an improvement in exchange stocks and market moving towards a balance.

The tightness in the concentrate market is the result of rapid expansion in the smelting capacity – mostly in China and India. Smelters have been buying on aggressive spot terms thereby placing miners in an advantageous position in their negotiations for fixing long-term benchmark TCRC for 2008 which is expected to be lower than 2007. Smelters with large spot exposure are not likely to meet their entire requirements and consequently production cutbacks cannot be ruled out. Increasingly smelters are scouting for participation in mine development to secure long-term concentrate contracts. New major mining projects under implementation are expected to come on-stream during 2010/11. This would change the market balance.

Company outlook

Higher Volumes from asset sweating of existing plants and from the Brownfield Expansion along with the continued focus on maximizing free cash flow will be the major driver for the growth of the company in the coming quarters. A stronger Rupee and soft alumina prices will put the profit margins under pressure. However, with the benefits of Brownfield expansions and various cost optimization initiatives in both Aluminium and in Copper Businesses are expected to sustain satisfactory performance, going forward. (ANI)

Bangalore, Oct 31 (ANI/Business Wire India): Kappa, Bossini and Springfield, brought to India by LMG Brands India (P) Ltd., are set to pleasantly surprise consumers this Diwali with a host of fun and exciting promotions.

Kappa – ‘Viva Italia’ Promotion

Kappa, the Italian fashion sportswear brand has launched the “Viva Italia” promo for Diwali. Consumers, who buy Kappa apparel worth Rs. 1000 or more can take the Kappa quiz and win TVS Apache RTR 160 bikes , a holiday across 7 cities in Italy, Nokia 7500 Prism phones or a month’s supply of free pizza. The offer is valid across all the 12 Lifestyle stores in the country, at all the 9 Kappa exclusive stores and at select Central stores till November 11, 2007.

Kappa exclusive stores are located at Bangalore, New Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and Pune.

Bossini – ‘Great Indian Holidays’ promotion

Bossini – an International casual wear brand has launched an exciting promotion called the “Bossini Great Indian Holiday”. Consumers can buy Bossini merchandise worth Rs.1000/- and more, take the Bossini quiz and win themselves a holiday to any of the top 22 holiday destinations in India for 2 nights / 3 days. Some of the destinations are Goa, Corbett, Darjeeling, Gangtok etc. The offer is valid across all the 12 Lifestyle stores in the country, at all the 21 Bossini exclusive stores and at select Central stores till 11th November.

Bossini stores are located at Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ludhiana, Lucknow and Pune.

Springfield – ‘Party with Springfield at Ibiza’ promotion

Springfield – the European fashion brand has launched an irresistible offer called “Party at Ibiza”. All one needs to do to party at Ibiza in Spain is to buy Springfield merchandise worth Rs. 1000/- or more; take the Springfield quiz and if lady luck smiles, they could be head banging with a friend at the undisputed party destination of the world – Ibiza – for 3 days and 4 nights!

The offer is available at the Springfield counters at the 4 Lifestyle stores in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Noida, at the Springfield Exclusive store at Atria Mall, Mumbai and at select Central stores till November 11th.

Speaking about the festive offers, Fazle Naqvi, Executive Director, LMG Brands India (P) Ltd. said, “Diwali shopping is a ritual in India and consumers are on the lookout for getting more out of their Diwali shopping. The range and style available at Kappa, Bossini and Springfield are unmatched and of International standard. The Diwali promotions for each of the 3 brands give the consumer an added incentive to splurge on these brands this Diwali.” (ANI)

Mumbai, Oct 31 (ANI/Business Wire India): Aditya Birla Nuvo has posted satisfactory performance for the 2nd quarter that ended September 30, 2007.

The company’s consolidated revenues at Rs. 3,000.5 Crores are up by 43percent from Rs. 2,092.1 Crores achieved during the corresponding quarter of FY 2007.

Revenues from its subsidiaries and joint ventures, where the company has made substantial investments in the past, saw a rise of 74percent to Rs. 2082.8 Crores from Rs. 1,195.6 Crores. The focus during the quarter was accelerating growth in the telecom business, regaining market share in the life insurance business, building capacities in the BPO business towards profitable growth and expanding manufacturing capacities in value businesses.

All the businesses are on a growth trajectory.

The Telecom business registered a 55percent rise in revenues at Rs. 1562.2 Crores vis-…-vis Rs. 1009.9 Crores with a subscriber base of 18.67 Mn as on September 30, 2007, growing at a higher clip than the industry.

The Life Insurance business has shown a spectacular growth of 110percent in revenues at Rs. 1078.2 Crores vis-…-vis Rs. 512.9 Crores driven by the excellent response to its new product “Birla Sunlife Gold plus”. As a result, it stepped up to 5th rank with 6.5percent market share amongst private players.

In the BPO business, revenues soared by 82percent to Rs. 393.7 Crores from Rs. 216 Crores. Three new centres were launched during the quarter.

The Stand-alone revenues rose to Rs. 917.7 Crores from Rs. 896.5 Crores despite the plant breakdown in fertilisers business for 27 days. Two of the value businesses viz., Rayon and Insulators achieved the highest ever quarterly revenues. In the Insulators business, revenues more than doubled after the merger of the manufacturing subsidiary with Nuvo w.e.f. April 1, 2007.

Investment phase of growth businesses had gestating impact on profitability

Consolidated net profit at Rs. 47.8 Crores is lower by 38percent against Rs. 76.7 Crores attained in the corresponding quarter of the preceding year largely on account of the gestating nature of its major businesses viz., Life Insurance and BPO. That said, in revenues, both Life Insurance and BPO businesses have registered impressive growth. The other businesses viz., Telecom, Carbon Black and Insulators have put in an impressive performance growing in revenues and earnings.

The Telecom business has reported net profit at Rs. 220.3 Crores vis-…-vis Rs. 106.9 Crores earned in the corresponding quarter of the last year. The growth in profitability is despite gestating phase of three new circles launched in later half of previous year.

The Life insurance business incurred higher losses of Rs. 83.9 Crores during the quarter due to increasing share of new business premium and higher spend on expanding its distribution reach to regain the market share.

In the BPO business, the bottom line has also been impacted by the interest cost on funding of the acquisition of Minacs, the weakening of US Dollar and one time cost of Rs. 11.5 Crores besides ramping up and training costs for new business.he standalone net profit during the quarter was higher at Rs. 54.9 Crores against Rs 53.7 Crores attained in corresponding quarter of last year. Insulators and Carbon Black businesses posted record operating profits during the quarter.

Birla Sun Life Insurance’s emphasis is on regaining its market share, expanding branch network, strengthening its agency force and launching contemporary products.

Birla Sunlife Asset Management Company has aggressive plans to open new branches and launch innovative products.

Telecom will strengthen and expand its network in existing circles and better its reach through roll out in Mumbai and Bihar circles. Plans for pan India presence are underway.

BPO business is scaling its global delivery capacity with focus on migration to high margin KPO segment and low cost locations.

Madura Garment will aggressively pursue apparel retailing with the launch of large format stores for Peter England and Mens Lifestyle stores for Fashion brands.

Carbon Black business is accelerating green-field expansion by 1,20,000 MT in Western India.

Insulators business is expanding its capacity by 8,000 MT besides foraying in polymer insulators

Textiles business will increase its capacity in linen fabrics and flax yarns.

Fertilisers business will focus on de-bottlenecking to increase capacity.

In most of our businesses, we are going ahead with our investment plans to leverage growth opportunities. Aditya Birla Nuvo is very optimistic about meeting the challenges of strategic growth initiatives and enhancing its revenues and earnings, but for some more time, given the investments in growth phase, the Life Insurance and BPO businesses will create a stretch on profitability. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): The World Toilet Summit today began in New Delhi, where over 40 countries are taking part to discuss the ways to provide proper sanitation facilities for poor people.

The four-day meeting will examine innovative and low-cost solutions and technologies for sanitation.

Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh expressed hope on the opening day that by 2012 India will be free of defecation in open and will also be able to meet the international commitments in this regard.

Addressing the Summit, Singh said that his ministry is leading one of the much-appreciated programmes like Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), for promoting rural sanitation in the country.

Accordingly, the central plan outlay for rural sanitation has also been increased from Rs.740 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.1060 crore in the current year marking an increase of 43 per cent over the previous year.

Today, the programme has crossed Rs. 12,000 crore mark in its total outlay making it one of the largest sanitation programmes in the world, he added.

According to estimates, 2.6bn people around the world lack access to a hygienic toilet.

The United Nations hopes to halve this figure by 2015 as part of its millennium development goals.

In India alone, more than 700 million people have no access to toilets, which have proper waste disposal systems, the BBC wrote. (ANI)

Islamabad, Oct 31 (ANI): Clashes between Pakistan army and Taliban militants in the north-western Swat region resumed on Wednesday after a brief ‘ceasefire’ with army helicopter launching air attack on militants’ hideouts.

The clashes resumed today after militants reportedly launched fires on two helicopter gunships near Matta.

The News reported that the extremists have captured the Manglore Civil Hospital, and fired two rockets at the Kabal police station.

“Several rockets were said to have landed on the security forces posts in the Frontier House and the bangs of over 40 explosions were heard,” the report added.

However, no loss of life has been reported so far after the resumption of the bombings.

Militants have asked resident in Matta to leave, raising prospects that clashes might mount in next few hours. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): In the wake of Tehelka expose of the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat, well known personalities have come together demanding immediate setting up of a special investigating team to find out the involvement of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other senior functionaries in his government and the police in the riots.

The public statement has been signed by close to 50 personalities, and include names like former naval chief Admiral R H Tahiliani, former Finance Secretary S P Shukla, former Union Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey, and social activists Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy, Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy, Magsaysay Award winners Arvind Kejriwal and Sandeep Pande, and eminent lawyers like Kamini Jaiswal and Prashant Bhushan, and a host of other personalities.

They have demanded that those persons shown on tape confessing to having committed crimes must be immediately arrested and those of them, who are serving officials, must be placed under suspension.

“The pending cases of Naroda Patia, Gulbarga society etc. which have been stayed by the Supreme Court, and the pending hearing of the applications for their transfer outside Gujarat for the last 4 years, must be immediately taken up by the court, ordered to be expeditiously reinvestigated by an independent agency and cases tried expeditiously,” the public statement demanded. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met the Indian Hockey Team players at his residence, and patted them for winning the Asia Cup recently.

Though the rendezvous remained for a brief 20 minutes period, the Prime Minister did not let it go in waste with usual bonhomie normally associated with such kind of functions, and asked the hockey players some serious questions.

“He (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) asked us about our preparations and what is lacking,” Indian Hockey coach V. Bhaskaran, said after meeting Singh.

As the Prime Minister asked the Indian Hockey coach about the things lacking, the latter promptly put forward the request for an urgent need of floodlight facilities at the training centre in Bangalore.

“As most the matches are played under flood lights and you need to have them at the training centre in order to perform well internationally,” Bhaskaran said.

Singh personally congratulated members of the team, and presented them with mementos for their splendid effort.

It was a moment to be cherished for captain Prabodh Tirkey and his teammates, who interacted with the Prime Minister and his wife Gursharan Kaur.Speaking about the forthcoming Olympic Qualifiers and training camp to be held in Bangalore, Prabodh Tirkey, said, “The camp is to be held in Bangalore and we will be practicing hard for the forthcoming Olympic Qualifiers. All the players at this camp will play to the best of their ability.”

The players also presented a hockey stick to the Prime Minister. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): The 2006 Indira Gandhi Award for national integration was given away to Dr J S Bandukwalla and Ram Puniyani for “furthering the cause of communal harmony by personal example.”

Presenting the awards, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi cautioned the dangers posed by ‘anti-social forces’ failing which could lead to dangerous consequences” for secular and democratic India.

Speaking at the same occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said both the awardees have dedicated their lives to promote solidarity and understanding among different faiths.

“They have done so by fighting communalism and communal forces. They have taken steps to improve the social and economic conditions of minorities. What they have done reflect the values and vision of Indira Gandhi,” Dr. Singh added.

Praising the contribution of Dr Bandukwalla for striving hard to create opportunities for Muslims by providing them with quality education, Dr. Singh said, “By addressing this mighty problem Dr. Bandukwalla has emerged as a champion of national integration. His practical steps to educate Muslims will ameliorate their conditions and make them active participants in processes of nation building.”

Speaking about Professor Ram Puniyani. Singh said, “Puniyani is a rare teacher whose teaching was never confined to the classroom. Society has been his classroom. He has taught us all to respect the human rights of all people. His contribution to communal harmony, through the work of Ekta and the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism has greatly contributed to peace in our times.” (ANI)

By Sawinder singh

Amritsar, Oct 31 (ANI): Clay idols makers of Amritsar are facing stiff competition, as Chinese-made idols of Gods and Goddesses are flooding markets ahead of Diwali.

Chinese-made firecrackers, lights and toys have already been ruling the Indian markets for the past few years but now the Chinese entrepreneurs are exploiting a vast untapped religious consumer market, giving a fatal blow to the livelihood of hundreds of people.

Dozens of artisans in Bagichi Khiloniya Wali a small colony of clay idol-makers, located near the Gate Khazana in Amritsar are busy in moulding clay, baking raw idols and painting them in vibrant colours because the demand for clay idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha, generally shoot up as the festival of Diwali approaches.

However, the efforts of these idol makers has not paid off this Diwali as customers these days are attracted to metallic coloured Chinese idols with a fine finish that are available at affordable prices.

“The industry is suffering immensely as Chinese idols are flooding the markets here. People prefer to buy these idols and hence, we are losing business,” said Kuldeep, an idolmaker.

“Earlier, at least 25 families in this colony were involved in making idols but now only 8 to 10 families make clay idols because these days profits are disproportionate to the labour involved,” said Rajesh Kumar, an idol maker.

“This work involves immense concentration and hard work. When four members of a family labour hard the whole day, they cannot earn more than rupees 200,” said Jiya Lal, another idol maker.

Chinese made Ganesh and Laxmi idols range from rupees 40 to as high as rupees 2,000 in comparison to a pair of clay made deities ranging from rupees 10 to 500.

Despite being priced higher than the traditional clay idols, the Chinese idols are finding plentiful customers, as they are trendier and suit the modern day interior decoration needs. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday hinted at a new paradigm of development in the ‘Look East Policy’ by blending foreign policy with economic development.

Mukherjee met the Chief Ministers of all the northeastern States here today, and discussed the country’s Look East policy with them.

The meeting focused on improving connectivity and strengthening political as well as economic ties with neighbouring countries to develop economic activities.

“Given that we have over 15 years of pursuing our Look East Policy, put in place certain diplomatic and political structures, there is need now to make these structures work for our North Eastern Region. Diplomatic initiatives urgently need to be converted into commercial opportunities,” Mukherjee said.

Participating Chief Ministers also discussed how to improve the infrastructure and telecommunication network within the states and linking them to the Southeast Asian countries.

Also, the future potential for export, tourism and the possibility of institutional cooperation in training and research was discussed.

“We have felt for some time the need to focus the benefits of this cooperation more sharply on our North Eastern Region, which is a natural bridge between India and South East Asia,” he added.

Look East Policy was initiated by former Prime Minister late Narasimha Rao in the early 1990s, almost fifteen years back, and has yielded many benefits including closer and strategic contacts between India and South East Asian countries. (ANI)

Sonauli (UP), Oct 31 (ANI): Police has stepped up security along the Indo-Nepal border after a huge haul of hashish was made on the Indian side of the border.

During a recent seizure, Indian police seized about two quintals of hashish being trafficked through vehicles in secret cabinets.

“After searching the car, we located secret compartments, where we found one quintal, 94 kilograms of hashish (extract of cannabis plant). It is one of the biggest seizures ever made. The value of the seizure in the international market is about 508,582 dollars,” said R P Chaturvedi, Superintendent of Police in the Siddhartha Nagar District of the state.

Police said they have deployed security along the 1,747 kilometer-long porous border that India shares with Nepal.

“We have taken measures to prevent drug trafficking along the border where we conduct surprise checks. There are some borders that are known to all but there are other transit points which can be misused by traffickers, we have police check points there also,” said Gian Singh, Inspector General Gorakhpur zone.

The Indo-Nepal border area has always been a playground for elements engaged in antinational activities. To counter these issues, SSB was deployed at the border area in 2002. (ANI)

Jadugoda(Jharkhand), Oct 31 (ANI): While the Indo-US nuclear deal runs the risk of going into a limbo, the Chairman of the state-run Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), Ramendra Gupta has said that to secure country’s future energy need, nuclear energy is the only option left.

He said that the existing coal reserves are limited for the next 40 to 50 years and with the mounting energy need and depleting reserves of fossil fuels, the nuclear energy is the only option left for getting clean energy.

“Now in the long run, if they are not going in for nuclear energy we have no other option because we are not having enough. Even fossil fuel is not there with us. So, we are left with no other alternative except to go for nuclear power,” he said.

However, he added that India should have a mix of all energy resources.

The government has set itself the target of producing 20,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power by 2020, so that its contribution reaches seven percent of the country’s energy requirements.

At present, nuclear power constitutes approximately 2.5 percent of India’s installed generation capacity of about 100,000 megawatts.

Most of the country’s power needs is met by thermal plants, which supply 72 per cent of electricity, and hydroelectricity provide 24 percent of country’s energy needs.

The UCIL, which was formed with an objective to mine and process uranium ore in the country, is currently operating four underground mines, one opencast mine and two ore processing plants in East Singhbhum district of eastern Jharkhand state.

Gupta, also said the corporation is looking to expand operation by launching projects in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya.

“We have invested almost about 700 crore (rupees) in Jharkhand to construct new projects. We are also planning new projects in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya. And…mining work is in process in Karnataka. So, you can see that we are going ahead with our programme to develop nuclear power through indigenous resources,” he said.

In August, the Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a uranium mine and a processing plant in south India at a cost of 11.06 billion rupees (269.9 million dollars).

The mine and processing plant will be set up in Cuddapah district in Andhra Pradesh.

While in tiny tribal state of Meghalaya, close to the border with Bangladesh, UCIL is awaiting statutory clearances.

Officials estimate there are up to 10,000 tonnes of uranium in and around Domiasat, the area considered to have the largest and richest deposits in the country. (ANI)

By Lokendra Singh

Jaipur, Oct.31 (ANI): The newspapers keep one posted with the latest developments around you and also the world over. The blind have to depend on someone to tell them the news. They need not do so any more, thanks to Jitendra Bhargva of Jaipur.

Jitendra, a blind himself, is publishing “Braille Newspaper”. The fortnightly paper is in high demand in different parts of the country.

Working as the newspaper’s publisher and editor, Jitendra says that he is making an attempt to facilitate newspaper reading for those cannot see.

“I decided to publish the newspaper thinking there should be a newspaper for the blind too. They should not be left behind in any field. Although it was not possible printing it daily, I managed to publish it fortnightly,” said Bhargava.

The newspaper, believed to be India’s first Braille newspaper, is published with a team of five. They collect useful news items from various sources including various websites and local newspaper to publish India’s only Braille newspaper for the blind.

Bhargava says that it was difficult to start the newspaper. But with the passage of time, the newspaper has been receiving support. . Presently, the paper receives support from its subscribers. The newspaper also receives feedback through phone calls and letters to the editor.

The content of the newspaper keeps changing as per their readers’ choice. It carries positive and informative stories instead of crime or political happenings.

“We keep the blind people informed with all major developments. If there is a meeting of blind people or when a blind person has made any personal achievement we publish the stories. We have even started friendship column through which blind people get attached to each other. We even print readers’ poems and articles.”

Like any normal newspaper, the Braille newspaper also has various columns and pages.

“While doing story-selection, we try to maintain certain degree of excitement in this newspaper, so that it should not sound boring. We publish articles related to some world records or some recipes, which readers find interesting. We do not give any political perspective ” said Jitendra Kumar, the Copy Editor for the Braille newspaper.

Bhargava says that there is tremendous scope for such newspapers in our country as India has very large number of blind persons who can benefit in different ways through such initiatives.

Presently, 600 copies of the Braille Newspaper are published. It has high demand among various institutions and individuals from across the country. Each copy is believed to be read by over 100 individuals. (ANI)

New York, Oct 31 (ANI): For the first time since 2001, several hundred Taliban fighters have moved in the strategic district of Arghandab, and have reached very close to Kandahar.

The Afghan and NATO forces are involved in clashes with the Taliban fighters in the region, as the latter threaten to control the city.

Whether the Taliban were looking to establish permanent control over the area or were simply carrying out raids was unclear on Tuesday night, the New York Times reported, adding that Afghan and NATO forces have begun a “large operation” to drive out the Taliban.

“We’re conducting operations in and around Arghandab in response to increased Taliban fighter numbers,” said Lt. Commander Pierre Babinsky, adding. “We dedicated a lot of resources to this.”

He rejected the claims made by Taliban that two foreign and three Afghan soldiers were killed in the clashes.

However, the provincial police chief said 20 Taliban had been killed in the operation so far.

Fears of major battles have led to hundreds of people fleeing from the district. Cars and trucks loaded with families from the area have streamed into Kandahar over the last two days, sparking fear among city residents. (ANI)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (ANI): People from different walks of life today remembered the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, and offered tributes on his 132nd birth anniversary.

Various organisations commemorated Patel for his important role in freedom struggle across the country today.

Born on October 31, 1875, Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India. Earlier, he was a political and social leader who played a major role in the country’s struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation.

In India and across the world, he was often addressed as Sardar, which means Chief in many languages of India.

Raised in the countryside of Gujarat and largely self-educated, Vallabhbhai Patel was employed in successful practice as a lawyer when he was first inspired by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

Patel subsequently organised the peasants of Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj; in this role, he became one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress and was at the forefront of rebellions and political events, organising the party for elections in 1934 and 1937, and promoting the Quit India movement.

As a minister, Patel organised relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore peace across the nation. He took charge of the task to forge a united India from the 565 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces. Using frank diplomacy backed with the option (and the use) of military action, Patel’s leadership enabled the accession of almost every princely state. (ANI)

By Karan Kapoor

Kapurthala, Oct.31 (ANI): The magnificent Jagatjit Singh Palace was recently illuminated, signifying the grandeur of Kapurthala. And, the occasion was the 6th Baba Jassa Singh Kapurthala heritage festival.

The three-day heritage festival was a feast for music lovers who congregated here.

The evenings were made extra special with soulful performances by greats like Veena exponent Mustafa Raza and Sufi and folk singer Hans Raj Hans on the last day.

Mustafa Raza, an exponent of Vichitra Veena, turned the occasion unforgettable for music lovers.

Amarjeet Thind, who heard the performance, said “It serves as an occasion when music lovers enjoy the music together. Vichitra Veena is being played and it is one of its kind in the country.”

Other greats, who were at the festival, included Shubha Mudgal, renowned classic vocal music singer, Shafqat Ali Khan of Pakistan from Sham Chaurasi Gharana, Manjari Chaturvedi, Rajasthani musician who sings Punjabi Sufiana Kalam and Bhai Manohar Singh.

Anuradha Shukla, a visitor, said: “Six years ago they started the festival and today people know about Patiala Gharana or a Sham Chaurasi Gharana than earlier times.

Raza credited the royal families of Patiala and Kapurthala for patronizing the Veena. Apart from Raza, the popular Punjabi Sufi and folk singer Hans Raj Hans was also present on the occasion.

The festival spread awareness about Indian classical music and made an attempt to enlighten the audience about Baba Jassa Singh’s life. The festival also aimed at captivating foreign tourists besides reviving the long-lost cultural heritage.

Anita Singh, a musicologist and advisor for Heritage festivals, Intach, said: “The folk dance of Punjab is very alive but classical music has gone into the background. So we thought that we should revive an interest in the classical music of Punjab with the help of government.” (ANI)

By Lokendra Singh

Dundlod (Rajasthan), Oct.31 (ANI): Donkeys in Rajasthan now have a hospital exclusively for themselves, thanks to “The Donkey Sanctuary”, a U.K-based organisation.

The hospital has an ambulance that reaches anywhere in the region to treat the wounded donkeys. The treatment offered is free of cost. The hospital also repairs the carts so that donkeys don’t get hurt while pulling them.

“A donkey costs around rupees 500 to 1,000. It doesn’t look viable to the owners to spend on them for treatment. You can see wounded donkeys straying on the roads here. We provide treatment to the donkeys and also repair the carts pulled by donkeys,” said Deepak Tanwar, a veterinarian

The owners of donkeys are more than happy to have such a hospital. They are poor people and find it difficult to spend money on the treatment of the animals.

“Earlier, we had to pay money for their treatment. Just an injection cost rupees fifteen and the entire visit to the hospital and medicines used to cost us around rupees 50-60. But now we can save that money because of this hospital. We just call the hospital and the ambulance picks up the animal and returns it after treatment,” said Subhash, a donkey owner.

The Donkey Sanctuary has already set up similar hospitals in Sholapur (Maharashtra), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Delhi and Ahmedabad (Gujarat).

It was decided to set up a hospital in Dundlod areas of Rajasthan after finding out that 75 per cent of the donkeys in India are found in this region.or the poverty-ridden people of Dundlod, donkeys are the only mode of commuting, transportation and income. (ANI)

New York, October 31 (ANI): Actress-singer Jennifer Lopez’s next film ‘Bordertown’ will be released directly in video format in January.

The film stars her in the role of a reporter investigating the murders of female factory workers in Mexico.

The flick, which also stars Antonio Banderas, was booed at the Berlin International Film Festival, reports the New York Post.

According to Moviefone, a representative for the movie has however said that plans for the film are still uncertain.

The reports on the direct-to-video release of ‘Bordertown’ come weeks after Lopez’s film ‘El Cantante’ flopped. (ANI)

New Delhi/Amritsar, Oct 31 (ANI): Sikhs on Wednesday took out protest rallies in different parts of the country, demanding justice in the 1984 anti Sikh riots.... Read more.

Karachi, Oct 31 (ANI): The United States has adopted a three-pronged strategy to “tame” Pakistani militants, Taliban and al-Qaeda in the region, and it is now gathering momentum, according to the Asia Times.

The first part of the strategy was represented by former premier Benazir Bhutto’s return from a self-imposed exile, and she was entrusted with presenting a hard line against militancy. Last week’s bomb attack on her reception rally in Karachi, in which more than 140 people were killed, has temporarily placed her in the background.

Secondly, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has become the key link in the talks with the Taliban insurgents.

Fazlur has already made a breakthrough by negotiating American-sponsored “small tribal jirgas” (councils) at which indigenous elements of the Afghan resistance, including the Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, will discuss peace issues.

The third part of the strategy is President General Pervez Musharraf, who by using American largesse will pump millions of dollars into the tribal regions in an effort to isolate the militancy there.

This is Washington’s three-pronged strategy to mobilise the masses in the region against militancy.

The US policy echoes that of 1999-2001, when Washington tried to orchestrate plans with Pakistan against al-Qaeda.

The result was the attacks of September 11, 2001, against the US. And this time too, al-Qaeda can be expected to fight back on all fronts.

The small jirgas are expected to begin early next month. Farooq Wardak, the Afghan Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Jirga Monitoring Commission, will lead a delegation to Islamabad at the invitation of Pakistan Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.

This is the first time that the Taliban have been given official representation in a dialogue process sponsored by Washington, and this could be the first step toward an American exit strategy for Afghanistan.

However, according to Asia Times investigations, the more the West hatches plans to isolate global jihadis in Iraq and Afghanistan, the more they look for options to retaliate against the West.

Fazlur has certainly emerged as the man of the moment. He has been “honoured” with a meeting with Boucher.

Fazlur is an astute politician and his importance has grown in the past few weeks, especially in the run up to the presidential elections that saw Musharraf win another term, pending approval by constitutional authorities, and the attack on Bhutto.

“I can safely predict Fazlur will be the most important person in any future set up,” said Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who was previously Pakistan’s Information Minister and is considered a part of Musharraf’s inner “kitchen” cabinet.

The report said that in recent days, Fazlur has spoken to top Taliban commanders, including Mullah Bredar in Quetta, and succeeded in obtaining tacit approval for a ceasefire, pending the Americans announcing a process for withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Fazlur guaranteed that once the Taliban agreed to be a part of the dialogue process through the small jirgas, the US would gradually unfold its withdrawal plans.

Both parties agreed to take steps for peace and reciprocate each other’s efforts. Fazlur assured the Taliban that their participation in the jirgas would be a milestone in which their resistance would be accepted as legitimate.

In the last week of September, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson visited Fazlur, after which he publicly announced that the US was ready to plan for an exit strategy from Afghanistan once a proper mechanism was in place.

But al-Qaeda ideologues have been watching developments closely, and are working on a counter strategy. The first part of this is to groom a Taliban leadership that will be inflexible on the issue of resistance.

For instance, Sirajuddin Haqqani has emerged as a caliph within the Taliban movement. He is the son of the veteran Afghan resistance figure Jalaluddin Haqqani, and the Western alliance considers him the most powerful commander in Afghanistan.

Importantly, Sirajuddin’s constituency is not the Afghan Taliban but Pakistani jihadis and Arab fighters who will not compromise on their goal of complete victory for al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Sirajuddin is al-Qaeda’s answer to Fazlur’s peace process. Since the killing of Mullah Dadullah this year, there is no one in southwest Afghanistan to guarantee any deals.

Fazlur is also attempting reconciliation in Pakistan’s tribal areas of Waziristan, where the Taliban and al-Qaeda have a strong grip. He is courting figures such as Sadar Abdul Rahman and Maulana Mahmood, but it is not an easy task.

“Our people supported Fazlur Rehman for the cause of Islam, but he has sold our interests for the sake of politics,” Dr Essa Khan, chief spokesperson of the Pakistani Taliban told Asia Times Online.

“We want to fight American forces. We want them to come to Waziristan and attack us so that we can fight against them. We don’t want to fight against our own brothers (Pakistani soldiers) who are pitched against us as Washington’s ally,” he said.

Essa said that once American forces attacked us in Pakistani territory, we will have a single enemy against us to fight with and we will be fighting against them with all our conviction.

Fazlur has something to give, though. By June 2008, the US will make 180 million dollars available for development work in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Patterson has been meeting the Members of Parliament from these areas (the majority of them hail from Rehman’s Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam – JUI) and has assured them that the US will distribute the money with their collaboration.

Speaking to the Asia Times Online in Karachi, Bhutto dismissed any chance of reconciliation with militants until they surrendered.

“There are two theories to deal with the militants. There is the theory of a ceasefire with militants and peace treaties with them. I don’t believe in any negotiations with the militants until they surrender their weapons. I completely oppose speaking to irregular militias.”

Bhutto also believes that a powerful segment of the establishment is still on the side of the militants, what she calls a legacy of late dictator General Zia ul-Haq.

Bhutto’s tough line, Fazlur’s policy of reconciliation and Musharraf’s pumping of money into the tribal areas have the single theme of isolating the militants.

These constant pressures are once again forcing al-Qaeda to spin the game so that it can also influence the “war on terror”.

Western intelligence has named Abu Obaida al-Masri as the new chief of al-Qaeda’s external operations with the aim of targeting Europe.

It has also revealed a powerful camp in the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan. According to their information, the camp is run by Abu Haris al-Jazeri. Other prominent associates include Najib al-Fala, Omar Jalali, Bilal Abu Daghlol, Hussain al-Babi and Ahmed Taufiq. Fala and Jazeri are French citizens and the others are Tunisian.

According to the intelligence reports, this al-Qaeda camp is planning attacks in Europe, notably the United Kingdom, Germany and France. (ANI)