A major fire broke out at Millennium market on Ring Road late on Thursday night

cmsSURAT: A major fire broke out at Millennium market on Ring Road late on Thursday night, gutting eight shops and goods worth several lakh. The incident has exposed how vulnerable majority of 55,000 textile shops in the vicinity are, in view of the inadequate fire-safety provisions.

This is the second incident of fire in last fortnight. On June 11, A similar fire had raged in Abhishek market, in which 18 shops were gutted down and goods worth several lakh were destroyed.
"It is high time that the textile markets come up with strict fire-safety provisions to prevent the loss of property and lives. Since the Ring Road areas, where majority of the markets are located, remain congested throughout the day and night, the damages due to such mishaps could be beyond anyone's imagination," said Devkishan Manghani, secretary of Federation of Surat Textile Traders' Association (FOSTTA).
Fire brigade sources said preliminary investigation in the Millennium market incident suggested the shops caught fire due to a short circuit. "The shops had a stock of synthetic and cotton sarees and dress materials. And, it took more than four hours to douse the fire," said Raju Gamit, divisional fire officer.
Sources told TOI that many shops share a partition of just about four to five inches wide whereas the same should be nine inches and more to prevent the fire from spreading further. Besides, many shops lack basic fire safety provisions, they said.
Also, had the incident on Thursday occurred during daytime, it would have been a Herculean task for fire tenders to reach the spot without a lot of delay, said G M Kothwala, chief fire officer in Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).
Rakesh Agarwal, a textile trader at J J Market said, "Most of the textile shops are fitted with low quality electricity cables, responsible for leakages. Good quality cables are required for shops to prevent short circuit."




For further details visit as : indiatimes.com/Surat/Even-a-spark-can-trigger-fire-in-textile-markets/articleshow/4735724.

Swine flu runs rampant in the Southern Hemisphere winter

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — As swine flu runs rampant in the Southern Hemisphere winter, world health experts are concerned that some hard-hit countries have been reluctant to take forceful measures to protect public health.

Only Friday did Argentina's new health minister, Juan Manzur, raise the country's official death toll to 44. He now estimates that as many as 320,000 people have been stricken with influenza, including about 100,000 with swine flu — a huge jump in what the government acknowledged previously, and an indication that Argentina's hospitals will remain overwhelmed for months.
Britain, for its part, had refused to do widespread testing for swine flu, slowing the World Health Organization's efforts to declare that the viral spread had become a pandemic. Britain's Health Minister Andy Burnham belatedly acknowledged Thursday that Britain needs to revamp its response and could see up to 100,000 new swine flu cases a day by the end of August.
The government was reluctant to implement unpopular measures leading up to last Sunday's midterm elections in Argentina. Now that they're over, it ramped up its response this week — doubling the winter vacation to a month for schools nationwide, sending pregnant women and other vulnerable workers home for 15 days and urging people to avoid crowds whenever possible.
But Argentina still refuses to declare a national public health emergency, despite ranking third in the world for swine flu deaths behind the United States and Mexico.
"An unfortunate situation in Argentina was this mix of elections and a pandemic, which we epidemiologists don't recommend," said Mirta Roses, director of the Pan American Health Organization, which has 25 experts working in Argentina this week.
Mexico, in contrast, deserves the whole world's thanks for its forceful, costly and very public response, which included a near-total shutdown of the nation's public life that cost the country $3.5 billion.



For further details visit as : www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i46oeYP9RtskmU4CNoPNU08B5R_wD997B4FO0

Sensex soaring by 255 points on partial recovery in global stocks

After a few days of dull trading, the stock market spiralled up today following the Railway Budget, with the benchmark Sensex soaring by 255 points on heavy buying by foreign funds and partial recovery in global stocks.

The market welcomed the initiatives in the Railway Budget including plans to improve infrastructure.
Leading foreign institutional investor and mutual fund HSBC reportedly bought aggressively in the last one hour of trading, leading to a sharp surge in the market.
Touching a low of 14,499.74, the Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer later bounced back with a vengeance and ended the day at 14,913.05, a net gain of 254.56 points or 1.74 per cent over its previous close.
Market sentiment was boosted by intra-trade recovery in Asian and European stocks. Disappointing US jobs data weighed on the global stocks at the outset.



Source : www.indianexpress.com/news/Sensex-gains-255-pts-on-soft-Rail-budget/484523/

Railway Budget News Presented by Railway minister

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented Railway Budget in Parliament on Friday without any hike in fares and freight charges. The other pro-people proposals include cheaper tatkal tickets, 12 non-stop trains between big cities under the name Duronto, air conditioned double-decker intercity trains and low cost air-conditioned Yuva trains for rural youth and low income groups.

Mamata also announced that rail tickets would also be sold through 5,000 post offices across the country, through automatic vending machines in 200 stations and also through 50 mobile ticketing vans.
The Minister also proposed the Izzat scheme with special passes for unorganised sector workers, new schemes for railway employees and relaxation in rules for student concessions.
CNN-IBN discussed Mamata's Railway Budget with senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Atul Anjan, former railway minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Naik and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O' Brien.
While some proposals are being applauded, others are being criticized as being unrealistic.
Mamata and former railway minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Lalu Prasad also had a spat during the Budget speech. Mamata also criticised, in a veiled manner, her predecessor's tenure as she said that Railways had incurred a loss in the last financial year.



For further details visit as : ibnlive.in.com/news/face-the-budget-time-for-mamata-to-walk-the-budget-talk/96319-7.html

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday admitted that the situation in Baramullah was “fragile”

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday admitted that the situation in Baramullah was “fragile” and favoured giving more responsibilities to the State police to maintain law and order. The Minister said Jammu and Kashmir was a place where “there are many people with different objectives” and the situation had to be handled with “great care.” He assured Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the Centre’s full support in bringing the situation under control by taking administrative and political measures. “Even a small incident can be blown up into a major incident. The incident like the one in Baramulla, based on reports I got, should be tackled through administrative and political measures. One thing led to another and stone throwing, firing and curfew followed. The situation is fragile. The Chief Minister telephoned me and he did well in taking steps to control the situation. We have to support this young Chief Minister in his efforts,” Mr. Chidambaram told reporters here. He pointed out that during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir on June 11-12, a decision was taken to redraw the lines of responsibility among the Army, paramilitary forces and police. “We encourage the police to take over more responsibilities concerning law and order.”

for further details visit as : www.hindu.com/2009/07/02/stories/2009070257801000.htm

The governor of California has declared a fiscal emergency in the US state

The governor of California has declared a fiscal emergency in the US state to address a budget deficit of some $24.3bn (£14.5bn).Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also ordered many state offices to close for three days each month until June 2010, with staff unpaid for those days. California has been one of the US states hardest hit by the recession. The moves comes after state legislators missed a 1 July deadline to approve a budget for the coming financial year. State Controller John Chiang has said the failure to meet the deadline means the state deficit will increase by up to $6.5bn by September. Mr Chiang told the BBC that many vulnerable people had been put in harm's way by the state's failure to agree the budget and to provide "essential dollars to help these people pay their rent, to put food on the table or to pay their utility bill". He had earlier warned that drastic measures would have to be taken to conserve cash, including delaying payments to companies working for the state and to those relying on benefits and grants. Under the emergency measures, some state offices will be closed on the first, second and third Friday of every month until June 2010, with staff not paid for those days.

for further details visit as : news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8129840.stm

Afghan desert just before daybreak, 300 US Marines

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan (AFP) — In the cool of an Afghan desert just before daybreak, 300 US Marines rustled in sleeping bags beside a helicopter pad as the wake-up orders were whispered from man to man.Dawn broke over Camp Dwyer in southern Afghanistan, and Fox and Echo company of the 2/8 Infantry Battalion were quickly up and ready for the biggest Marine operation since the second battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.Loaded up with backpacks, rifles and water, the men lined up to board grey CH-53 helicopters taking them behind enemy lines in Taliban-held territory of the Helmand River valley.A few hugged each other, but the atmosphere was business-like and restrained. Men fussed and patted a couple of Labradors that would be used to sniff out explosives.As the first of the helicopters took off, billowing dust into the low sun, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of Operation Khanjar -- which means a double-edged dagger in Dari and Pashtu -- arrived to wish his men well.Shaking hands and chewing gum, he looked focused but relaxed."I've been flying all night from place to place," he told AFP. "I've got staff back at the base that allow me to move around. Anyone in my position now just hopes they have made all the right decisions."1/5 (Infantry Battalion) went into Nawa cleanly and quietly this morning. So far, we have picked the right spots to go into."The eight helicopters involved in the lift from Camp Dwyer -- just one small part of the overall operation -- kept their rotor blades churning as they waited on the tarmac.With a simple hand wave, each line of men was given the "go" signal and walked briskly to the choppers and through the back doors. Within minutes, they had disappeared into the desert haze.

for further details visit as :www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iXT8JxrlENUN1nnJaoeh8As2E7tw

Late singer Michael Jackson named fellow music great Diana Ross as the backup guardian

Late singer Michael Jackson named fellow music great Diana Ross as the backup guardian of his three children in the event that his mother Katherine, 79, was unable to fulfil that role, according to his 2002 will, which was revealed Wednesday. According to the will, dated July 7, 2002, all of Jackson's assets have been left to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. The document was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court with a separate petition that estimates the value of his estate at more than $500 million, primarily comprised of his half of a music publishing catalogue that holds the rights to more than 250 Beatles' songs, as well as other music. The will specifically excluded Jackson's heirs and his former wife, Debbie Rowe, but they could be beneficiaries of his trust, legal experts said. Jackson's father, Joe, was not mentioned in the will. The revelation came amid feverish expectations outside Jackson's Neverland Ranch, some 200 km to the north, where television cameras already occupied prime positions along the country road leading to his home in advance of a reported public viewing thereFriday. However, a statement by the Jackson family said there would be no viewing at the pop star's fantasy refuge. "Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland," the statement read. "Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

For further details visit as : sify.com/movies/hollywood/fullstory.php?id=14897471

India's seven-match ODI series against Australia

The BCCI today announced Guwahati, Delhi, Mumbai, Mohali, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Jaipur as the venues for India's seven-match ODI series against Australia, scheduled for October-November this year. The tour programme and fixtures committee of the board which met in Mumbai will finalise the match schedule after the logistics are worked out. Guwahati and Delhi missed out on fixtures during India's previous home ODI series, with England opting to return home after the Mumbai terror attacks last November. The two cities were scheduled to host the last two games of the seven-match series but England flew back soon after the fifth match at Cuttack. However, they returned for the two-Test series that began on December 11. Mumbai was to host the second Test but lost out due to the changed security situation. The panel for the 2009-10 domestic season also decided that the Duleep Trophy would continue to be played on a knockout basis, along with the revival of the inter-state Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy. The inter-state two-day women's tournament will not feature this year, as only one-dayers and Twenty20 matches have been scheduled in women's cricket. In junior cricket, the CK Nayudu Trophy for Under-22 players and the Cooch Behar Trophy for the U-19s would be played in a two-tier format - elite group and plate group - on a home and away basis.

Source : uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02072009/28/bcci-announces-venues-australia-odis.html

Petrol and diesel prices were decontrolled taking advantage of low inflation and global crude prices

NEW DELHI: It is high time that petrol and diesel prices were decontrolled taking advantage of low inflation and global crude prices, the Economic Survey said, while criticising the government for its "imperfect" handling of oil price hike. The Survey made suggestions for sweeping reforms in the energy sector, including limiting subsidised cooking gas to domestic consumers to 6-8 cylinders per year. Coming a day after the government announced an ad-hoc increase in petrol price by Rs four a litre and diesel by Rs two per litre that effectively buried all hopes of freeing auto fuel prices, the pre-Budget Survey said the entire rise in raw material price should be passed on to consumers. The doubling of international crude oil prices to $70 a barrel since December had warranted Rs 5.82 a litre increase in petrol and Rs 3.62 per litre hike in diesel rates. The message was clear, "Decontrol petrol and diesel prices", with the Survey saying that "as long as the domestic prices remain below the cost of import, demand would continue to grow accentuating the negative impact... "At times higher inflation and on other occasions political imperatives have prevented a better alignment of fuel and fertiliser and food prices with the border/market prices." In practice, the issues of prices were addressed somewhat "imperfectly" through a sharing formula that represented a mix of government subsidy, taxation of rents and some pass through, the Survey decried.

for further details visit as : economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/Decontrol-petrol-diesel-prices-Economic-Survey/articleshow/4727898.cms

India gold futures traded lower on Thursday

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India gold futures traded lower on Thursday pressured by a strong rupee locally, that makes the dollar-quoted asset cheaper, analysts said.Traders are awaiting the U.S. job report to gauge the health of the U.S. economy, which will dictate moves in dollar and gold, which move against each other.The most-active August contract was 0.24 percent lower at 14,514 rupees per 10 grams at 11:15 a.m., after having gained 0.7 percent in the previous session, when a weak global dollar supported the metal."It is going to trade sideways and would await U.S. job report for direction," said Aurobinda Prasad, deputy manager-research with Karvy Comtrade.Gold may trade in the range of 14,450-14,620 (rupees), Abhishek Chauhan, technical analyst, Angel Commodities.Open interest for August gold on MCX was at 12,868 lots, down from 12,924 a day earlier. Volume on Wednesday was 35.42 kg.

For further details visit as : in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-40750820090702

Captain Javed Miandad has urged the International Cricket Council

KARACHI (Reuters) - Former Pakistan test captain Javed Miandad has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resist calls for a shake-up of the traditional test match format.The ICC is considering reducing tests to four days from the current five as part of a series of innovations aimed at keeping the oldest form of the sport exciting to spectators in the wake of Twenty20's growing popularity."Any move to change the format of test cricket or the way it is played would prove very harmful to cricket in the long run," Miandad told Reuters on Thursday."I don't think reducing tests to four-day events and playing them under lights or using coloured balls will help the sport, which needs its traditional form to survive."Despite the rising popularity of Twenty20 cricket, most players considered test cricket as the real format for the game, he added."Twenty20 is good entertainment and has commercial value but any move to tamper with the traditional format of test cricket will prove counter productive," Miandad added.The former batsman, who appeared in 124 tests and is now on the Pakistan board, said it was important to find away to let all forms flourish."A path must be found for all formats of the sport to survive together like test and one-day matches have done."Pakistan won the Twenty20 World Cup last month in England and the shortest format of the game is becoming increasingly popular in the country.

Source : in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-40753020090702

Comoros was reunited with her father back in France early on Thursday

MORONI (Reuters) - The sole survivor of a Yemeni jet that plunged into deep water while attempting to land on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros was reunited with her father back in France early on Thursday.Bahia Bakari, who can barely swim, clung on to floating debris for more than 12 hours before search teams spotted her struggling in rough seas.Rescuers have failed to find any of the remaining 152 passengers and crew since the Yemenia Airbus A310 crashed in rough weather in the early hours of Tuesday morning.American and French military aircraft continued to scour the crash site on Thursday as hopes of another miracle find faded fast and efforts turned toward locating the wreckage thought to be in waters up to 500 metres (1,640 ft) deep.Local doctors, who marveled at Bakari's escape with little more than cuts, bruises and a fractured collar bone, said she was discharged on her father's request."It was on the demand of her father in France. The girl was regaining her spirit and was in a satisfactory physical state," said Dr Jean Youssef, lead doctor at the disaster unit on Grand Comore.Television images showed her lying weakly in a poorly-equipped intensive care bed, unaware her mother had died in the crash.Youssef said Moroni's El Marouf hospital lacked the facilities needed to properly scan the teenager's body for any internal damage.Bakari returned to France on a French government jet with French Cooperation Secretary Alain Joyandet.

for further details visit as : www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55T0LQ20090702

combing operations in 22 villages of Lalgarh

Security forces worked to further consolidate their grip over Maoist-held areas in West Mindapore district and launched combing operations in 22 villages of Lalgarh.

With Kantapahari recaptured, all borders of Lalgarh had been sealed, a senior police officer said.
"Now we want to ensure that the extremists do not come back to the area. We are consolidating the position we have gained so far," said one police officer.
He said the Maoists might have left West Midnapore district and retreated into neighbouring Jharkhand after Kantapahari, the ultras' last stronghold in Lalgarh, fell to security forces on Monday.
As the operations against the Maoists entered the 13th day, central forces and police are now engaged in sanitising all 22 villages of Lalgah.
On Monday, the forces searched Baropelia, Chotopelia, Dalilpur chowk and other villages for suspected Maoists and possible arms and ammunition.



For further details visit as : www.indianexpress.com/news/Combing-operations-going-on-in-22-Lalgarh-villages/483135

Dr Damian Fullston of CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering

HIPS coatings contain an inorganic geopolymer resin, and a small component of polymer additives.

Project leader, Dr Damian Fullston of CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, says CSIRO is seeking coatings manufacturers interested in partnering with CSIRO to customise HIPS to meet product specifications for selected applications.
“Geopolymers are an emerging class of ceramic-like inorganic polymers produced at room temperatures that have the potential to transform the building products industry,” Dr Fullston says.
“They are not only fire-, blast- and acid-resistant, they are also strong, castable, sprayable, and extrudable, making their potential uses almost limitless.”
“The polymer additives in HIPS improve the flexibility and waterproofing properties, and provide stronger adhesion, which are important properties for a coating.”
HIPS has the potential to form thin fireproof coatings on timbers such as weatherboards, and on metals such as structural or galvanised steel. It can also protect brickwork, either as a thin coating or as a render. HIPS can be applied by spray equipment, roller or brush, and cures from ambient temperature to below 90°C.
As water-based products, HIPS coatings are free of volatile organic compounds, do not burn or produce heat, and do not release smoke or toxic chemicals at temperatures up to 1200°C.
Geopolymers are cost-competitive, since they are made from readily available raw materials. They can also be derived from industrial by-products such as flyash and blast furnace slag. They can be cheaper than organic resins and coloured with pigments or dyes.
The strength of HIPS materials is comparable with that of phenolic resins in heat-sensitive applications, but HIPS retains higher strength at higher temperatures. HIPS formulations are tailored to be interchangeable with phenolic resins, and have higher fatigue resistance than normal phenolics.


For further details visit as : www.azobuild.com/news.asp?newsID=6740

Bandra-Worli sea link, to be opened on Tuesday by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi

Mumbai (PTI): Two and three-wheelers would not be allowed to ply on the Bandra-Worli sea link, to be opened on Tuesday by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"We will not allow two and three-wheelers to ply on the bridge," Sanjay Barve, Jt Commissioner of Police (Traffic) told reporters here on Monday.
Without elaborating the reason for taking such an action, which might contract the toll revenue, Barve trying to clear the "misconceptions" said that the bridge would ease the traffic.
Half of the bridge will be opened today, while remaining work to complete the other half might take upto the year-end, HCC Chairman and Managing Director Ajit Gulabchand said.
HCC is constructing the bridge, implemented by the Maharshtra State Road Development Corporation.
The bridge would provide an additional moving outlet from the island city to the Western suburbs and thereby providing much-needed relief to the congested Mahim causeway, which records around 1.25 lakh public vehicles in a day.
The Bandra-Worli sea link project was conceived in the 1990s. But plagued by a series of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) from fishermen and environmentalists, the work on the project could not take off till October 2004.
Agitations, however, forced MSRDC to make drastic changes, to the tune of 80 per cent, in the design of the bridge which, in turn, escalated the cost of the project by around Rs 350 crore from the initial planned outlay of Rs 1,306 crore to Rs 1,650 crore.
The new look of the bridge, however, is a beauty - a treat to the eyes. It will certainly become a thriving tourist spot in the island city. Another destination in the "Mumbai Darshan" package.



For further details visit as : www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200906300920.htm

After returning from Malaysia, Saina, currently the world number seven

HYDERABAD: Saina Nehwal is not in a hurry for the number one ranking but the Indian wants to see herself among world's top five shuttlers by the end of this year.

After returning from Malaysia, Saina, currently the world number seven, said she would take it step-by-step and would be reasonably happy to break into the top five by the end of the year.
Also Read: I'm more popular in Indonesia & Malaysia: Saina
"My immediate target is the World Championship (in Hyderabad) in August and I hope to do well in that. After that, I have events in Chinese Taipei and Macau. By the end of the year, I hope to get into top five," said the soft-spoken shuttler.
The Indonesian Open Super Series triumph has instilled enough self-confidence in Saina to start dreaming big and she reckons attaining the number one ranking is difficult but not impossible altogether.
"Becoming number one will not be easy," she said. "It will be really tough. You have to win consistently. It is not impossible but I guess it will take some time," she said.
Looking back at her Super Series triumph in Indonesia, Saina said it came a little early than she had anticipated and the feeling took time to sink in.


For further details visit as : sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Saina-ready-to-wait-for-No-1-spot/articleshow/4716323.cms

The issue got subscribed only 20 per cent on the first day of its issue with most of the bids coming in from institutional investors

The issue received bids for 1.87 million shares, representing 0.20 times of the shares on offeR.
The first day of Mahindra Holidays initial public offer (IPO), which opened on June 23, Tuesday, was devoid of any fireworks. The issue got subscribed only 20 per cent on the first day of its issue with most of the bids coming in from institutional investors.
The issue received bids for 1.87 million shares, representing 0.20 times of the shares on offer, as per data available with the National Stock Exchange.
There is no cause for worry, though. Given the interest from qualified institutional buyers (QIB), by the time the issue closes on June 26 (Friday), it may be fully subscribed
Given that most of the bids are coming at the lower end of the price band (Rs 275-325), the hospitality firm could end up mopping close to Rs 250 crore, about Rs 50 crore less than what it could have raised had the bids come at the upper end of the band.
The largest IPO in 12 months has been subscribed 0.2 times or one fifth of the issue has found takers on day 1. The first day applications shows that QIBs were the most active investors with one third of the issue portion reserved for QIBs seeing bids.
Interest among other investors was much lower with non institutional investors bidding for just 1% of what was reserved for them and retail investors bidding for less than 3% of their portion.


For further details visit as : in.reuters.com/article/indiaDeals/idINIndia-40669220090629

The textile industry in Bangladesh employs more than two million people.

Thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh have clashed with police for a third consecutive day in a protest over pay and conditions.

Police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who have set fire to at least one factory and forced the closure of many more.
Two people were killed during fierce confrontations with police over the weekend around the capital, Dhaka.
The textile industry in Bangladesh employs more than two million people.
The BBC's Mark Dummett, in Dhaka, says strikes and protests frequently disrupt the industry, which produce clothes for some of the world's biggest brands.
Police said that hundreds of workers attacked factories and blocked roads in a garment zone on the outskirts of Dhaka over the weekend.
The workers have said they were also protesting against the deaths of two colleagues over the weekend.
Bangladesh has more than 4,000 factories and ready-made garments account for most of the country's export earnings.
The minimum wage in Bangladesh is less than $25 (£15) per month.




Source : news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8123659.stm