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Catholics for disclaimer, 'A' rating for Da Vinci

      New Delhi/Bangalore: India's top catholic body is demanding a disclaimer and an "Adults only" certificate for the Hollywood movie "The Da Vinci Code" if it is to released at all across the Asian nation. The Indian government has shown the controversial film to Catholic groups and withheld its India release till it deliberates on the recommendations of the community. A final decision is expected on May 19.

US offers help to curb north-east insurgency

     Agartala: The United States has said that it is ready to assist India in tackling militancy in the country's northeast. Addressing a press conference here, Henry V Jardine, the US Consul General in Kolkata, said Washington has offered cooperation in this regard, keeping in mind the existing strategic relationship between the two countries. Jardine, who was on a two-day visit to Tripura, said India has tackled the menace of terrorism quite well and lauded New Delhi's efforts at opening peace talks with the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Jardine, who also served as the US Consul General in Bangladesh, said both India and Bangladesh would do well to step up efforts to stop human trafficking in the region.

Mumbai's illegal shrines to be demolished (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) will demolish about a hundred illegal shrines in the metropolis within a week. A top civic official on Thursday said that a survey conducted by the civic body has revealed that about 100 shrines have been illegally built and they will be demolished within a week. The survey was carried out on a complaint made by Janhit Manch, a NGO, alleging that more than 600 illegal shrines had come up in violation of the rules in the metropolis. Keeping with the 2003 High Court directive, the MCGM had undertaken a massive drive to demolish illegal shrines in the city. These illegal shrines have resurfaced in three years in violation of rules and the MCGM has decided to demolish them keeping with the earlier High Court order, official said.

Musharraf blacklists Feroz Khan (Go To Top)

      Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf has blacklisted Bollywood actor Feroz Khan for using indecent language against Pakistan. According to Geo News, the Pakistani High Commission in India and foreign and interior ministries have been directed not to issue a Pakistani visa to Feroz Khan.

     The ban on Khan follows his heated verbal exchange with Pakistani compere Fakhar-e-Alam during his recent visit to Pakistan for the premiere of his brother, Akbar Khan's film Taj Mahal-An Eternal Love Story. Khan claimed that he was taking up for fellow actor Manisha Koirala who was so nervous that she found it difficult to answer a question posed to her leading the compere to quip humorously, "Madam you are trembling, so let me change the subject." That seemingly innocuous comment fired up Khan who started abusing Alam and even threatened to bash him up unless he apologised to Koirala. Khan who was in Lahore with his son Fardeen and daughter-in-law Natasha, was also quoted as saying during his speech, "I am a proud Indian. India is a secular country. Muslims there are making lot of progress. Our President is a Muslim and our Prime Minister a Sikh. Pakistan was made in the name of Islam, but look how the Muslims are killing Muslims." He went on to add that he had not come to Pakistan on his own, but had been invited. "Our films are so powerful that your government could not stop them for long." When brother Akbar and son Fardeen tried to defuse the situation, Khan apparently lost control and had to be finally taken to another room by actor Shatrughan Sinha who was also present on the occasion. Khan has since denied making such inflammatory remarks asserting that he has a lot of respect for the people of Pakistan who gave the delegation a warm welcome and greeted his brother's film enthusiastically.

Babulal Marandi resigns from party, LS (Go To Top)

     Ranchi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Babulal Marandi on Thursday rendered his resignation from the party and his Lok Sabha seat, a day after resigning from the parliamentary board of the party The former Jharkhand Chief Minister, who had gone on a 24-hour hunger strike yesterday after forwarding his resignation to the party president Rajnath Singh, said he had faxed his resignation letters to the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and BJP president Rajnath Singh. On being asked whether he had any plans to join any other party, Marandi replied in negative, saying he had no such plan presently. Rajnath Singh said that he would look into the matter of Marandi's resignation. "I have received the resignation of Babulal Marandi and problems are their in every political party. We will soon be able to slove it and this is fact that Bhartiya Janta Party is the most popular amoung all political party," he said.

     Marandi had yesterday come down heavily upon the 'rampant corruption and growing extremism' in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Jharkhand. The move by Marandi has come as a setback to the BJP as he enjoys tremendous support of the tribesmen in the State. In an effort to persuade the leader, BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi had met him on Tuesday night. Marandi, however, remained stern on his decision. Through his resignation, Marandi tried to seek notice of the Central and State governments of growing extremism in the state which acted as a roadblock in its development. In the latest development, on Sunday Marandi had accused Arjun Munda government for its failure to control ever growing corruption. He said he would fight back corruption and extremism under the banner of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. Meanwhile, the UPA convenor in Jharkhand Stephen Marandi also announced his resignation from the post today. Asserting that the UPA was unable to fight as a whole against the Arjun Munda government in the State, Stephen Marandi said that he had "no moral right to continue as UPA convenor". "I am not getting support in my effort to expose the BJP-led NDA government's non-performance in Jharkhand," he said, adding that he was still a part of the UPA and would participate in its agitations.

Delhi passes Office of Profit Bill (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Amidst protests from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Office-of-Profit Bill exempting 14 offices from the purview of the office-of-profit was passed in a special one-day session of Delhi Assembly on Thursday. 'Members of Delhi Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) Amendment, 2006' Bill seeking to exempt 14 offices including Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Trans-Yamuna Development Board and Parliamentary Secretary, from the definition of 'office of profit', tabled by Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit was passed by a voice vote. However, the BJP MLAs voted against the Bill. Terming the Bill as "illegal", BJP members demanded that the Congress members who were served notices by the Election Commission for holding office-of-profit be banned from participating in the proceedings. The Bill was tabled in a hurried manner and the Government did not follow the norm of giving a copy of the proposed legislation in advance, claimed the BJP MLAs. Rejecting the demands of the Opposition, Speaker Prem Singh paved the way for the Bill to be tabled in the House. On a petition filed by BJP MLA Vijay Jolly, the Election Commission has issued notices to 19 MLAs and an MP of the Congress Party in Delhi in the office-of-profit issue. Delhi Cabinet on May 9 had decided to convene a special session of the State Assembly to pass a bill to prevent their disqualification.

Sensex plunges 826 points (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Bears went on rampage and hammered the stock market mercilessly on Thursday as the country's benchmark indices witnessed biggest ever intra-day falls. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30-share sensitive index opened 53.83 points low at 12,163.98. The Sensex had a free fall in the opening trade as it fell over 500 points to a low at 11,675.79 within first few minutes of its opening. Global sell-off, confusion over government move to tax FIIs, metal prices cracking - the market, it seems, just added one reason to another that led to the biggest-ever, point-wise fall - 888pts - in the Sensex today. The benchmark index closed 6.8 per cent or 826.38 points down at 11,391.43 after it plunged to a low by 887.36 points at 11,330.45. In the broader markets, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty opened 1.35 points up at 3,636.45. The Nifty also fell 166.05 points at 3470.40 within minutes in Thursday's opening trade. The Nifty closed 6.77 per cent or 246.20 points down at 3,388.90 after it fell to a low by 269.20 points at 3365.90. All the sectoral indices ended in the red. The BSE metal index was the biggest loser that slipped 11.4 per cent or 1181 points to 9,200. The Consumer Durables index plunged over eight per cent to 3,268. The Auto, Bankex and Oil and Gas indices tumbled seven per cent each to 5,283, 5,243 and 5,558, respectively. The Mid-cap and Small-cap indices dropped 6.4 per cent each to 5,515 and 7,127, respectively. The market breadth was extremely negative - out of 2,557 stocks traded, 2,241 declined, 288 advanced and 28 were unchanged. Among the major markets draggers, metal, cement and auto shares and a number of blue-chips scrips declined sharply.