2012, ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 31, വെള്ളിയാഴ്‌ച


Rs.70 crore liquor sold on Onam days
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala saw Rs.70 crore worth of liquor sales during the two Onam days Tuesday and Wednesday this year.

An official from the excise department told IANS that sales on the first day of Onam the previous year totalled Rs.34 crore and Rs.24 crore the next day.

'The figures are still coming in. It could be certainly close to Rs.70 crore during the two days this year,' said the official.

While the entire state has a holiday on these two Onam days, the only establishments open are the sales outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corp, the sole wholesalers of liquor in the state.

Liquor in Kerala is sold through 708 bar hotels and 383 state-owned retail outlets.

Rum remains the most preferred drink, accounting for more than 55 percent followed by brandy (close to 40 percent) and Vodka (four percent). Gin, whisky and wine account for the rest.

Sales of liquor in the last fiscal crossed a record Rs.7,000 crore and the revenue to the state government by way of taxes crossed Rs.6,000 crore.

This fiscal the sales are expected to cross Rs.8,000 crore and the state exchequer will get more than Rs.7,000 crore.

Rs.70 crore liquor sold on Onam days
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala saw Rs.70 crore worth of liquor sales during the two Onam days Tuesday and Wednesday this year.

An official from the excise department told IANS that sales on the first day of Onam the previous year totalled Rs.34 crore and Rs.24 crore the next day.

'The figures are still coming in. It could be certainly close to Rs.70 crore during the two days this year,' said the official.

While the entire state has a holiday on these two Onam days, the only establishments open are the sales outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corp, the sole wholesalers of liquor in the state.

Liquor in Kerala is sold through 708 bar hotels and 383 state-owned retail outlets.

Rum remains the most preferred drink, accounting for more than 55 percent followed by brandy (close to 40 percent) and Vodka (four percent). Gin, whisky and wine account for the rest.

Sales of liquor in the last fiscal crossed a record Rs.7,000 crore and the revenue to the state government by way of taxes crossed Rs.6,000 crore.

This fiscal the sales are expected to cross Rs.8,000 crore and the state exchequer will get more than Rs.7,000 crore.

No sovereign immunity for Italian Marines, centre tells SC

New Delhi: The government Thursday told the Supreme Court that two Italian Marines facing trial for killing two fishermen off Kerala coast enjoyed no sovereign immunity and were liable to face prosecution under the Indian laws.

Additional Solicitor General Gourab Banerji told the apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar that armed forces personnel of foreign countries did not enjoy any sovereign immunity and such privileges were provided only to their diplomats.

Banerji contested the maintainability of the Italian government's writ petition by invoking Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, saying that there could not be any violation of the rights of the sovereign Italian state.

Article 32 of the constitution provides for the remedies for the enforcement of the fundamental rights conferred by the constitution.

The ASG said this during the hearing of the petition of the Italian government and its two Marines seeking the quashing of charges against them and the suspension of their trial in the killing of two fishermen Feb 15.

Chief Master Sergeant Massimilano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore had shot dead the fishermen, allegedly suspecting them to be pirates.

The Marines have challenged the Kerala High Court order dismissing their petition claiming sovereign immunity.

The high court while rejecting the plea of sovereign immunity by Italian Marines had imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh on each of them.

No sovereign immunity for Italian Marines, centre tells SC

New Delhi: The government Thursday told the Supreme Court that two Italian Marines facing trial for killing two fishermen off Kerala coast enjoyed no sovereign immunity and were liable to face prosecution under the Indian laws.

Additional Solicitor General Gourab Banerji told the apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar that armed forces personnel of foreign countries did not enjoy any sovereign immunity and such privileges were provided only to their diplomats.

Banerji contested the maintainability of the Italian government's writ petition by invoking Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, saying that there could not be any violation of the rights of the sovereign Italian state.

Article 32 of the constitution provides for the remedies for the enforcement of the fundamental rights conferred by the constitution.

The ASG said this during the hearing of the petition of the Italian government and its two Marines seeking the quashing of charges against them and the suspension of their trial in the killing of two fishermen Feb 15.

Chief Master Sergeant Massimilano Latorre and Sergeant Salvatore had shot dead the fishermen, allegedly suspecting them to be pirates.

The Marines have challenged the Kerala High Court order dismissing their petition claiming sovereign immunity.

The high court while rejecting the plea of sovereign immunity by Italian Marines had imposed a fine of Rs.1 lakh on each of them.

Bangalore Police arrest 11 with suspected links to LeT, HUJI

In a major operation, city police have arrested eleven persons with suspected links to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and HuJI and claimed to have foiled their plot to target MPs, MLAs and mediapersons in Karnataka.

A foreign made 7.65 mm pistol, seven rounds of ammunition and other gadgets were seized from the arrested, City Police commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji told reporters along with DGP L R Pachau. The arrested included a journalist of an English daily, police sources said.

Mirji said all the arrests were made by CCB police yesterday in Hubli in north Karnataka and Bangalore after gathering intelligence inputs for several days. He denied reports about involvement of Uttar Pradesh police in the operation.

'It was a meticulously planned operation by CCB. The arrested had links with banned outfits like LeT and HuJI', Mirji said but refused to share further details remarking 'in the interest of the security, case and investigations no more details can be shared at this stage'.

The arrested, all aged below 30, planned to target MPs, MLAs and prominent journalists, he said. He said cases under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 307 (attempt to murder), 379 (theft) and under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act have been registered against the arrested.

Initial reports had said the four suspected Indian Mujahideen activists involved in the 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blast case were picked up by police.

Of the 11, six were nabbed in Bangalore and five in Hubli. Mirji gave the names of the arrested as Shoheeb Ahmed Mirza (25) Abdullah (25), Ajaz Mohammad Mirza (25), Mohammad Yusuf Nalaband (28), Riyaz Ahmad Byahatti (28) Muti-ur-Rehman Siddique (26) (all from Bangalore) and Obedullah Imran Bahadur (24), Mohammad Sadiq Lashkar (28), Wahid Hussein (26), Baba (26) and Dr Jafar Iqbal Sholapur (27).

The accused were masterminded by these two banned terror outfits based in Saudi Arabia, Mirji said. The CCB had kept a close watch on the activities of the accused for the past two to three months and also uncovered their hideouts, Mirji said.

'Preliminary investigation points out an international terror network and possibility of such modules existing not only in Karnataka but also in other states', he said.

Police are also investigating whether they had any role behind the recent exodus of north-eastern people from the city in the wake bulks SMS' warning of an atttack against them.

Responding to a query, Mirji said 'the investigation conducted so far has not revealed about their earlier involvement in such activities. However, the probe is still on which might lead to more information about their activities and also about a larger network as incriminating material has also been seized'.

DGP Pachau, lauding the 'exemplary' work done by the CCB team, said busting of this conspiracy has 'averted a major catastrophe.'

Bangalore Police arrest 11 with suspected links to LeT, HUJI

In a major operation, city police have arrested eleven persons with suspected links to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and HuJI and claimed to have foiled their plot to target MPs, MLAs and mediapersons in Karnataka.

A foreign made 7.65 mm pistol, seven rounds of ammunition and other gadgets were seized from the arrested, City Police commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji told reporters along with DGP L R Pachau. The arrested included a journalist of an English daily, police sources said.

Mirji said all the arrests were made by CCB police yesterday in Hubli in north Karnataka and Bangalore after gathering intelligence inputs for several days. He denied reports about involvement of Uttar Pradesh police in the operation.

'It was a meticulously planned operation by CCB. The arrested had links with banned outfits like LeT and HuJI', Mirji said but refused to share further details remarking 'in the interest of the security, case and investigations no more details can be shared at this stage'.

The arrested, all aged below 30, planned to target MPs, MLAs and prominent journalists, he said. He said cases under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 307 (attempt to murder), 379 (theft) and under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act have been registered against the arrested.

Initial reports had said the four suspected Indian Mujahideen activists involved in the 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blast case were picked up by police.

Of the 11, six were nabbed in Bangalore and five in Hubli. Mirji gave the names of the arrested as Shoheeb Ahmed Mirza (25) Abdullah (25), Ajaz Mohammad Mirza (25), Mohammad Yusuf Nalaband (28), Riyaz Ahmad Byahatti (28) Muti-ur-Rehman Siddique (26) (all from Bangalore) and Obedullah Imran Bahadur (24), Mohammad Sadiq Lashkar (28), Wahid Hussein (26), Baba (26) and Dr Jafar Iqbal Sholapur (27).

The accused were masterminded by these two banned terror outfits based in Saudi Arabia, Mirji said. The CCB had kept a close watch on the activities of the accused for the past two to three months and also uncovered their hideouts, Mirji said.

'Preliminary investigation points out an international terror network and possibility of such modules existing not only in Karnataka but also in other states', he said.

Police are also investigating whether they had any role behind the recent exodus of north-eastern people from the city in the wake bulks SMS' warning of an atttack against them.

Responding to a query, Mirji said 'the investigation conducted so far has not revealed about their earlier involvement in such activities. However, the probe is still on which might lead to more information about their activities and also about a larger network as incriminating material has also been seized'.

DGP Pachau, lauding the 'exemplary' work done by the CCB team, said busting of this conspiracy has 'averted a major catastrophe.'

Former Union Minister Kashiram Rana passes away

Ahmedabad : Former Union Minister and dissident BJP leader Kashiram Rana, who recently joined Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party, passed away early this morning, party sources said.

He was 76.

Rana complained of chest pain early morning when he was in the circuit house of the city.

He was rushed to Jiveraj Mehta hospital where he died.

Rana was a textile minister in the A B Vajpayee government.

However, the MP from Surat was sidelined after Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Rana had recently joined Gujarat Parivartan Party, floated by Keshubahi Patel, and was busy in election campaign.

Keshubhai Patel and GPP leader Gordhan Zadafia rushed to the hospital after hearing the news.

The body of the departed leader will be taken to Surat where his last rites are likely to be performed later in the
day. PTI

Former Union Minister Kashiram Rana passes away

Ahmedabad : Former Union Minister and dissident BJP leader Kashiram Rana, who recently joined Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party, passed away early this morning, party sources said.

He was 76.

Rana complained of chest pain early morning when he was in the circuit house of the city.

He was rushed to Jiveraj Mehta hospital where he died.

Rana was a textile minister in the A B Vajpayee government.

However, the MP from Surat was sidelined after Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Rana had recently joined Gujarat Parivartan Party, floated by Keshubahi Patel, and was busy in election campaign.

Keshubhai Patel and GPP leader Gordhan Zadafia rushed to the hospital after hearing the news.

The body of the departed leader will be taken to Surat where his last rites are likely to be performed later in the
day. PTI

Maya Kodnani gets 28 years for 2002 Gujarat massacre


Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail on Friday for murder and conspiracy during one of the country's worst religious riots, when up to 2,500 people, most of them Muslim, were hunted down and hacked, beaten or burnt to death in 2002. Hundreds of friends and relatives of the 32 people found guilty gathered outside a court in Ahmedabad to hear the sentences, the final step in a years-long case that cast a spotlight on still simmering communal tension in the world's biggest democracy.

Most relatives of the victims of the riots in Gujarat stayed away from the court, a sign that 10 years on, memories of the bloodletting by Hindu mobs still cast a pall of fear over the state's Muslim community. There were unconfirmed reports that some Muslim shopkeepers had shut their establishments and families had fled the city, fearing retaliatory attacks over the sentences.

Maya Kodnani, an MLA from the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Gujarat minister for women and child development between 2007-2009, was the highest-profile conviction to date in connection with the riots. The state prosecutor had called for all 32 convicted to face the death penalty, even though India rarely carries out the sentence. All 32 were sentenced to jail, for terms ranging from 14 years to life.

Kodnani's conviction is an embarrassment for both the BJP and Gujarat's high-flying chief minister, Narendra Modi, who is lauded by foreign companies for his business-friendly polices and is often touted as the country's next prime minister.

Maya Kodnani gets 28 years for 2002 Gujarat massacre


Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail on Friday for murder and conspiracy during one of the country's worst religious riots, when up to 2,500 people, most of them Muslim, were hunted down and hacked, beaten or burnt to death in 2002. Hundreds of friends and relatives of the 32 people found guilty gathered outside a court in Ahmedabad to hear the sentences, the final step in a years-long case that cast a spotlight on still simmering communal tension in the world's biggest democracy.

Most relatives of the victims of the riots in Gujarat stayed away from the court, a sign that 10 years on, memories of the bloodletting by Hindu mobs still cast a pall of fear over the state's Muslim community. There were unconfirmed reports that some Muslim shopkeepers had shut their establishments and families had fled the city, fearing retaliatory attacks over the sentences.

Maya Kodnani, an MLA from the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Gujarat minister for women and child development between 2007-2009, was the highest-profile conviction to date in connection with the riots. The state prosecutor had called for all 32 convicted to face the death penalty, even though India rarely carries out the sentence. All 32 were sentenced to jail, for terms ranging from 14 years to life.

Kodnani's conviction is an embarrassment for both the BJP and Gujarat's high-flying chief minister, Narendra Modi, who is lauded by foreign companies for his business-friendly polices and is often touted as the country's next prime minister.

2012, ഓഗസ്റ്റ് 30, വ്യാഴാഴ്‌ച


PM meets Zardari, pushes for quick conclusion of 26/11 trial

Tehran: Pushing Pakistan to act against India-directed terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told President Asif Ali Zardari that expeditious conclusion of the Mumbai terror attack trial in that country will be a 'major' Confidence Building Measure in bilateral relations. 

During a meeting between the two leaders which lasted more than half-an-hour, Singh underlined India's
terrorism-related concerns.

The Prime Minister 'underlined our terrorism-related concerns. He pressed for an expeditious conclusion in 26/11
trial and said action take in this sphere (terrorism) would be a major CBM,' Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said briefing
reporters on the Singh-Zardari meeting on the sidelines of the 16th NAM summit here.

Singh was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and other senior officials while Zardari had his son
Bilawal Bhutto, Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Interior Minister Rehman Malik in his team.

Singh told Zardari that action in Mumbai attack trial in Pakistan will be a major CBM, help in bridging the trust
deficit and build public support for the kind of relationship India would like to see between the two nations. Zardari reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister to visit Pakistan and Singh responded thanking him for the gracious invitation.

'The Prime Minister said he attached great importance to normalising relations with Pakistan and that he would like to
visit that country at a suitable time that is to say, he would like a well prepared visit,' Mathai said.

Reiterating India's desire for peaceful cooperative relations with Pakistan, Prime Minister Singh said there is a
need to proceed in a 'step-by-step, graduated' approach given the complexity of bilateral relationship it has with that
country.

Mathai said Zardari reiterated his country's commitment to bring to justice those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The President agreed that terrorism posed a continuing threat to peace and security and referred in this regard to
some of the difficulties faced in his own country, he said.

The meeting came a day after the Indian Supreme Court upheld LeT terrorist Ajmal Kasab's death sentence in the
Mumbai terror attack case, strengthening India's case for action against others involved in the 26/11 strike in which
166 people were killed. 

Singh said the action taken in 26/11 will be a 'major CBM that will help in bridging the trust deficit and will help in
building public support for the kind of relationship that we would like to see between the two nations', Mathai said.

Pakistan on its part said the Mumbai terror attack case trial was underway and that it would need to send another
judicial commission to India to cross-examine three witnesses in the case.

Mathai said that Indian government is taking a 'positive view' on the Pakistani request and said a judicial
clarification was needed on whether there can be a repeat visit of Pakistan Judicial Commission to India and cross-
examine the witnesses. The witnesses included a doctor and a Metropolitan Magistrate who recorded the statement of Kasab,
the lone surviving Pakistani gunman.

Singh said a stable and prosperous Pakistan acting as 'bulwark' against terrorism is in its own interest and that of
the region.

Singh and Zardari while reviewing the state of bilateral relations expressed satisfaction at the Foreign Secretary-
level talks so far and hoped that Krishna's forthcoming visit to Pakistan next week would provide an opportunity to take
stock of progress in the resumed dialogue and chart the course for the next round.

Noting that some achievements had been made, the two leaders hoped India and Pakistan would be able to prepare a
kind of roadmap for the way forward at the upacoming meeting.The two leaders also noted the progress made in several
areas, including bilateral trade and economic ties.

Zardari advocated regional economic cooperation, maintaining that Pakistan could be a catalyst in promoting
this effort.PTI

PM meets Zardari, pushes for quick conclusion of 26/11 trial

Tehran: Pushing Pakistan to act against India-directed terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told President Asif Ali Zardari that expeditious conclusion of the Mumbai terror attack trial in that country will be a 'major' Confidence Building Measure in bilateral relations. 

During a meeting between the two leaders which lasted more than half-an-hour, Singh underlined India's
terrorism-related concerns.

The Prime Minister 'underlined our terrorism-related concerns. He pressed for an expeditious conclusion in 26/11
trial and said action take in this sphere (terrorism) would be a major CBM,' Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said briefing
reporters on the Singh-Zardari meeting on the sidelines of the 16th NAM summit here.

Singh was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and other senior officials while Zardari had his son
Bilawal Bhutto, Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Interior Minister Rehman Malik in his team.

Singh told Zardari that action in Mumbai attack trial in Pakistan will be a major CBM, help in bridging the trust
deficit and build public support for the kind of relationship India would like to see between the two nations. Zardari reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister to visit Pakistan and Singh responded thanking him for the gracious invitation.

'The Prime Minister said he attached great importance to normalising relations with Pakistan and that he would like to
visit that country at a suitable time that is to say, he would like a well prepared visit,' Mathai said.

Reiterating India's desire for peaceful cooperative relations with Pakistan, Prime Minister Singh said there is a
need to proceed in a 'step-by-step, graduated' approach given the complexity of bilateral relationship it has with that
country.

Mathai said Zardari reiterated his country's commitment to bring to justice those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The President agreed that terrorism posed a continuing threat to peace and security and referred in this regard to
some of the difficulties faced in his own country, he said.

The meeting came a day after the Indian Supreme Court upheld LeT terrorist Ajmal Kasab's death sentence in the
Mumbai terror attack case, strengthening India's case for action against others involved in the 26/11 strike in which
166 people were killed. 

Singh said the action taken in 26/11 will be a 'major CBM that will help in bridging the trust deficit and will help in
building public support for the kind of relationship that we would like to see between the two nations', Mathai said.

Pakistan on its part said the Mumbai terror attack case trial was underway and that it would need to send another
judicial commission to India to cross-examine three witnesses in the case.

Mathai said that Indian government is taking a 'positive view' on the Pakistani request and said a judicial
clarification was needed on whether there can be a repeat visit of Pakistan Judicial Commission to India and cross-
examine the witnesses. The witnesses included a doctor and a Metropolitan Magistrate who recorded the statement of Kasab,
the lone surviving Pakistani gunman.

Singh said a stable and prosperous Pakistan acting as 'bulwark' against terrorism is in its own interest and that of
the region.

Singh and Zardari while reviewing the state of bilateral relations expressed satisfaction at the Foreign Secretary-
level talks so far and hoped that Krishna's forthcoming visit to Pakistan next week would provide an opportunity to take
stock of progress in the resumed dialogue and chart the course for the next round.

Noting that some achievements had been made, the two leaders hoped India and Pakistan would be able to prepare a
kind of roadmap for the way forward at the upacoming meeting.The two leaders also noted the progress made in several
areas, including bilateral trade and economic ties.

Zardari advocated regional economic cooperation, maintaining that Pakistan could be a catalyst in promoting
this effort.PTI

YAVO Official Trailer - ColorBox Animations

YAVO Official Trailer - ColorBox Animations


I have opened doors for other women wrestlers: Geeta Phogat


New Delhi: Geeta Phogat, the first female wrestler from India to qualify for the Olympics, Wednesday felt that she had opened doors for women wrestlers of the country to excel in the sport.

Geeta participated in the London Olympics in the 55kg freestyle category but was unable to win a medal.

'When Sushil (Kumar) won a bronze in Beijing, people took notice and their interest grew in the sport. I feel my participation has opened doors for other women to ome into the sport,' said a delighted Geeta after receiving the Arjuna Award at Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

Geeta, who also became India's first ever gold medallist in women's wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said that receiving the award from President Pranab Mukherjee has inspired her to achieve greater things in life.

'I am in the presence of such great people. This has given me the motivation to do better things and I will strive to get a medal at the next Olympics,' she said.

The wrestler praised the sports ministry for the support.

'We were given a lot of support and I want to thank the sports ministry. They sent us abroad to train with the top level athletes and I feel this is the way forward.'

'Wrestling is a sport that is growing by the day. We have great infrastructure setup for budding wrestlers to thrive in. The facility in Patiala is world-class and these sort of things will go a long way into popularising the sport.'

I have opened doors for other women wrestlers: Geeta Phogat


New Delhi: Geeta Phogat, the first female wrestler from India to qualify for the Olympics, Wednesday felt that she had opened doors for women wrestlers of the country to excel in the sport.

Geeta participated in the London Olympics in the 55kg freestyle category but was unable to win a medal.

'When Sushil (Kumar) won a bronze in Beijing, people took notice and their interest grew in the sport. I feel my participation has opened doors for other women to ome into the sport,' said a delighted Geeta after receiving the Arjuna Award at Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

Geeta, who also became India's first ever gold medallist in women's wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said that receiving the award from President Pranab Mukherjee has inspired her to achieve greater things in life.

'I am in the presence of such great people. This has given me the motivation to do better things and I will strive to get a medal at the next Olympics,' she said.

The wrestler praised the sports ministry for the support.

'We were given a lot of support and I want to thank the sports ministry. They sent us abroad to train with the top level athletes and I feel this is the way forward.'

'Wrestling is a sport that is growing by the day. We have great infrastructure setup for budding wrestlers to thrive in. The facility in Patiala is world-class and these sort of things will go a long way into popularising the sport.'
Mitsubishi to produce Pajero Sport in Russia in 2013

Moscow: Japan's Mitsubishi Motors plans to start production of its Pajero Sport car in Russia starting next year.

Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko said the new vehicle will be made at the PSMA Rus plant in Kaluga in central Russia.

Mitsubishi plans to raise its annual sales to 80,000 vehicles in 2012 compared to 2011 sales volume of 74,166 cars.

The Japanese carmaker also expects to increase sales to 150,000 cars by 2015, Masuko added.

The PSMA Rus plant was opened in Kaluga in 2010 and has an annual production capacity of 125,000 cars. The plant currently assembles Peugeot 308, Citroen C4, Peugeot 4007, Citroen C-Crosser and Mitsubishi Outlander cars.
Mitsubishi to produce Pajero Sport in Russia in 2013

Moscow: Japan's Mitsubishi Motors plans to start production of its Pajero Sport car in Russia starting next year.

Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko said the new vehicle will be made at the PSMA Rus plant in Kaluga in central Russia.

Mitsubishi plans to raise its annual sales to 80,000 vehicles in 2012 compared to 2011 sales volume of 74,166 cars.

The Japanese carmaker also expects to increase sales to 150,000 cars by 2015, Masuko added.

The PSMA Rus plant was opened in Kaluga in 2010 and has an annual production capacity of 125,000 cars. The plant currently assembles Peugeot 308, Citroen C4, Peugeot 4007, Citroen C-Crosser and Mitsubishi Outlander cars.

Painful birth for Europe’s new one-stop patent
Ben Hirschler
MUNICH (Reuters) - That Europe needs a common patent is patently obvious to Michael Setton, who runs a tiny technology firm in France making wireless sensors that track environmental and biomedical data.

Yet he and thousands of other inventors are still waiting to hear when they will finally be able to protect their inventions across the region at one go, cutting costs dramatically.

For now, Setton has given up and skipped the European market by going directly to the United States because his company, Sensaris, which has a staff of just five, cannot afford the expense of getting patents in each individual European country.

Two months ago, it seemed the issue had been fixed.

Even as Europe’s single currency system teetered, European Union leaders hailed an agreement, after more than 30 years of wrangling, to launch another pan-European project - a common patent and a single court in which to defend property rights.

But the June deal has been delayed by the European Parliament, whose members are angry at the exclusion of the European Court of Justice from the patent litigation process.

Benoit Battistelli, president of the Munich-based European Patent Office (EPO), which will administer the new unitary patent, is confident there will eventually be an accord.

"I don’t think so many years of discussion could fall down on such an issue, and I’m convinced there is room to find a solution that is good for everybody," he said in an interview.

"We have never been closer to a final decision, but the last few metres can be the most difficult."

A spokesman for the European Commission said the EU’s executive was "working hard to reach a solution by the autumn".

Even if there is a deal by the end of 2012, it will still be more than two years before inventors actually get the one-stop patent, which the EPO estimates will be 70 percent cheaper than the 30,000-35,000 euros it costs to protect an idea across the EU today.

"Some time in 2015 should be a reasonable time frame," Battistelli said.

Europe’s splintered patent system has been blamed as one factor behind the region’s failure to match other regions in commercialising science. Currently, inventors can apply to the EPO for a patent but it has to be validated in each member state, and litigation is country by country.

At a time when competition in new inventions is increasing, not only from Silicon Valley but also from Asia, Battistelli is convinced a single patent is an important tool for innovation.

After all, intellectual property is at the heart of business, as shown by the global patent fight between Apple and Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> over smartphones.

"It puts Europe on the same level as our main partners and competitors," Battistelli said. " E uropean companies will be in the same situation as American or Chinese companies in their own market, with a single patent-granting authority and a single litigation system."

It also promises clarity over what qualifies for protection in controversial areas like genetic and stem-cell research.

BIG COST FOR SMALL FIRMS

The issue is acute for small firms. They lack the deep pockets of multinational technology or pharmaceutical corporations, and patents are vital for attracting investors.

"It is very important for small fish to be able to get patents because it gives value even before you have sales," said Sensaris boss Setton. "When it comes to raising capital, investors are looking for intellectual property protection."

Jonathan Zuck, president of the Association for Competitive Technology, representing 3,000 small and mid-sized technology firms on both sides of the Atlantic, said the current fragmented system made it around 10 times more expensive to get patent cover in Europe than in the United States.

And the upfront expense is only part of the story. With no centralised patent court, small firms also have to fight off litigants who can shop around to challenge patents in multiple jurisdictions, all potentially delivering different verdicts.

"The biggest issue for small businesses is getting the protection they need to stop their ideas being stolen, more often than not by large companies," Zuck said.

But while the planned common patent will be a major step forward, it will be far from perfect.

Notably, a political compromise means the new patent court will be split into three, with its headquarters in Paris but London handling life science disputes and Munich engineering. That has raised fears of procedural delays and uncertainty.

What is more, Spain and Italy have so far refused to back a deal because the new regime stipulates the official languages for patents as English, French and German, so it will apply to 25 rather than 27 EU states initially. Italy may join later but it is not clear if Spain will.

Zuck said Madrid’s bid to preserve the language in the arcane world of patents was frustrating and baffling. "The message we get from our Spanish members is ’Put your effort behind the next Don Quixote, rather than having patents in Spanish’," he said.

(Additional reporting by Chris Wickham in London; Editing by Will Waterman)

Painful birth for Europe’s new one-stop patent
Ben Hirschler
MUNICH (Reuters) - That Europe needs a common patent is patently obvious to Michael Setton, who runs a tiny technology firm in France making wireless sensors that track environmental and biomedical data.

Yet he and thousands of other inventors are still waiting to hear when they will finally be able to protect their inventions across the region at one go, cutting costs dramatically.

For now, Setton has given up and skipped the European market by going directly to the United States because his company, Sensaris, which has a staff of just five, cannot afford the expense of getting patents in each individual European country.

Two months ago, it seemed the issue had been fixed.

Even as Europe’s single currency system teetered, European Union leaders hailed an agreement, after more than 30 years of wrangling, to launch another pan-European project - a common patent and a single court in which to defend property rights.

But the June deal has been delayed by the European Parliament, whose members are angry at the exclusion of the European Court of Justice from the patent litigation process.

Benoit Battistelli, president of the Munich-based European Patent Office (EPO), which will administer the new unitary patent, is confident there will eventually be an accord.

"I don’t think so many years of discussion could fall down on such an issue, and I’m convinced there is room to find a solution that is good for everybody," he said in an interview.

"We have never been closer to a final decision, but the last few metres can be the most difficult."

A spokesman for the European Commission said the EU’s executive was "working hard to reach a solution by the autumn".

Even if there is a deal by the end of 2012, it will still be more than two years before inventors actually get the one-stop patent, which the EPO estimates will be 70 percent cheaper than the 30,000-35,000 euros it costs to protect an idea across the EU today.

"Some time in 2015 should be a reasonable time frame," Battistelli said.

Europe’s splintered patent system has been blamed as one factor behind the region’s failure to match other regions in commercialising science. Currently, inventors can apply to the EPO for a patent but it has to be validated in each member state, and litigation is country by country.

At a time when competition in new inventions is increasing, not only from Silicon Valley but also from Asia, Battistelli is convinced a single patent is an important tool for innovation.

After all, intellectual property is at the heart of business, as shown by the global patent fight between Apple and Samsung Electronics <005930.KS> over smartphones.

"It puts Europe on the same level as our main partners and competitors," Battistelli said. " E uropean companies will be in the same situation as American or Chinese companies in their own market, with a single patent-granting authority and a single litigation system."

It also promises clarity over what qualifies for protection in controversial areas like genetic and stem-cell research.

BIG COST FOR SMALL FIRMS

The issue is acute for small firms. They lack the deep pockets of multinational technology or pharmaceutical corporations, and patents are vital for attracting investors.

"It is very important for small fish to be able to get patents because it gives value even before you have sales," said Sensaris boss Setton. "When it comes to raising capital, investors are looking for intellectual property protection."

Jonathan Zuck, president of the Association for Competitive Technology, representing 3,000 small and mid-sized technology firms on both sides of the Atlantic, said the current fragmented system made it around 10 times more expensive to get patent cover in Europe than in the United States.

And the upfront expense is only part of the story. With no centralised patent court, small firms also have to fight off litigants who can shop around to challenge patents in multiple jurisdictions, all potentially delivering different verdicts.

"The biggest issue for small businesses is getting the protection they need to stop their ideas being stolen, more often than not by large companies," Zuck said.

But while the planned common patent will be a major step forward, it will be far from perfect.

Notably, a political compromise means the new patent court will be split into three, with its headquarters in Paris but London handling life science disputes and Munich engineering. That has raised fears of procedural delays and uncertainty.

What is more, Spain and Italy have so far refused to back a deal because the new regime stipulates the official languages for patents as English, French and German, so it will apply to 25 rather than 27 EU states initially. Italy may join later but it is not clear if Spain will.

Zuck said Madrid’s bid to preserve the language in the arcane world of patents was frustrating and baffling. "The message we get from our Spanish members is ’Put your effort behind the next Don Quixote, rather than having patents in Spanish’," he said.

(Additional reporting by Chris Wickham in London; Editing by Will Waterman)
UN chief excoriates Iran for threats to Israel, Holocaust denial.DUBAI (Reuters) - Without naming Iran, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon denounced his hosts in Tehran on Thursday for threatening to destroy Israel and for denying the Holocaust.

"I strongly reject threats by any member state to destroy another or outrageous attempts to deny historical facts such as the Holocaust," Ban said in his speech to a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in the Iranian capital.

"Claiming that Israel does not have the right to exist or describing it in racist terms is not only wrong but undermines the very principle we all have pledged to uphold," he added.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and this month described Israel as a "cancerous tumour". In 2005 he caused uproar by being quoted as saying that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

Persian language scholars say a more correct translation of his comment would read: "Israel must vanish from the page of time."

Ban was attending the NAM summit despite calls from the United States and Israel that he should boycott the event.

(Reporting By Marcus George; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
UN chief excoriates Iran for threats to Israel, Holocaust denial.DUBAI (Reuters) - Without naming Iran, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon denounced his hosts in Tehran on Thursday for threatening to destroy Israel and for denying the Holocaust.

"I strongly reject threats by any member state to destroy another or outrageous attempts to deny historical facts such as the Holocaust," Ban said in his speech to a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in the Iranian capital.

"Claiming that Israel does not have the right to exist or describing it in racist terms is not only wrong but undermines the very principle we all have pledged to uphold," he added.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and this month described Israel as a "cancerous tumour". In 2005 he caused uproar by being quoted as saying that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

Persian language scholars say a more correct translation of his comment would read: "Israel must vanish from the page of time."

Ban was attending the NAM summit despite calls from the United States and Israel that he should boycott the event.

(Reporting By Marcus George; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
Hair loss: Causes of balding in women.

For most men, balding is a nightmare that they know they will eventually need to face. For women, this is beyond imaginable and yet, hair fall is a problem most women face. 

It results in reckless shopping for hair products, manic over-use of these products and an increase in stress levels. But what is at the root of this hair loss problem? For instance, does hair fall only when you are stressed out? We dive into this abyss of hair loss and retrieve unknown answers to what really causes balding in women.

Hereditary
If balding runs in the family, you might be in trouble. If generations of women in your family have a history of scant hair, you will most probably have thinning hair as well. In such a scenario, no over-the-counter drugs can come to your rescue. Failing medical treatment, a good stylist is what you need.

Hormonal imbalance
Change in the levels of hormones also causes hair fall. Hair starts to fall especially if the levels of androgen increases. This is a common phase during menopause. However, several younger women might also suffer from this condition prematurely. Consult a doctor and find out if your hair loss issues are hormone-related. If they are, then a simple course of hormone-balancing medication and lifestyle changes can work wonders.

Breakage
Chemicals, styling or hair shaft abnormalities result in breakage of hair. Breakage is different from hair fall; here the hair breaks mid way just like a rubber band or thread can break with excess pressure. Hair breakage is a sign of weak hair. Exercise and a balanced diet are excellent solutions to strengthening hair as physical exertion increases blood flow in the roots, in turn boosting hair health.

Skin problems
Dandruff is one of the causes of hair fall; the hair follicles are blocked and make it difficult for the hair to grow back, resulting in balding. Or it simply suffocates the hair and causing it to fall.

Deficiencies
Hair needs minerals and vitamins to grow. If the body lacks these components like iron and vitamin B, hair growth will be stunted. Hence bulk up on your minerals and vitamins.

Autoimmune diseases
You will know when your immunity levels drop. Typically, you will start sneezing, coughing and you have a higher chance of catching other diseases. Your body is a magnet for diseases minor or major. Such a condition is usually accompanied by weak and brittle hair as the body is depleted of essential nutrients and inherent strength.

Major illness
When you're hit with a major health problem, you tend to lose hair. Your body is weak, plus most of us tend to take sponge baths instead of a full body shower when we are down with a major illness. These factors only increase the chances of hair falling and thinning of hair. Don't worry, bounce back to health and try out a good hair spa therapy.

Medication and chemo
Medicines are made from chemicals which in turn can be strong for your body. Strong medicines can impact your body and one of the tell tale sign is balding. Chemotherapy can also result in balding but not for every patient.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com

Hair loss: Causes of balding in women.

For most men, balding is a nightmare that they know they will eventually need to face. For women, this is beyond imaginable and yet, hair fall is a problem most women face. 

It results in reckless shopping for hair products, manic over-use of these products and an increase in stress levels. But what is at the root of this hair loss problem? For instance, does hair fall only when you are stressed out? We dive into this abyss of hair loss and retrieve unknown answers to what really causes balding in women.

Hereditary
If balding runs in the family, you might be in trouble. If generations of women in your family have a history of scant hair, you will most probably have thinning hair as well. In such a scenario, no over-the-counter drugs can come to your rescue. Failing medical treatment, a good stylist is what you need.

Hormonal imbalance
Change in the levels of hormones also causes hair fall. Hair starts to fall especially if the levels of androgen increases. This is a common phase during menopause. However, several younger women might also suffer from this condition prematurely. Consult a doctor and find out if your hair loss issues are hormone-related. If they are, then a simple course of hormone-balancing medication and lifestyle changes can work wonders.

Breakage
Chemicals, styling or hair shaft abnormalities result in breakage of hair. Breakage is different from hair fall; here the hair breaks mid way just like a rubber band or thread can break with excess pressure. Hair breakage is a sign of weak hair. Exercise and a balanced diet are excellent solutions to strengthening hair as physical exertion increases blood flow in the roots, in turn boosting hair health.

Skin problems
Dandruff is one of the causes of hair fall; the hair follicles are blocked and make it difficult for the hair to grow back, resulting in balding. Or it simply suffocates the hair and causing it to fall.

Deficiencies
Hair needs minerals and vitamins to grow. If the body lacks these components like iron and vitamin B, hair growth will be stunted. Hence bulk up on your minerals and vitamins.

Autoimmune diseases
You will know when your immunity levels drop. Typically, you will start sneezing, coughing and you have a higher chance of catching other diseases. Your body is a magnet for diseases minor or major. Such a condition is usually accompanied by weak and brittle hair as the body is depleted of essential nutrients and inherent strength.

Major illness
When you're hit with a major health problem, you tend to lose hair. Your body is weak, plus most of us tend to take sponge baths instead of a full body shower when we are down with a major illness. These factors only increase the chances of hair falling and thinning of hair. Don't worry, bounce back to health and try out a good hair spa therapy.

Medication and chemo
Medicines are made from chemicals which in turn can be strong for your body. Strong medicines can impact your body and one of the tell tale sign is balding. Chemotherapy can also result in balding but not for every patient.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com

Familiar music soothes people with brain damage

Listening to a favourite song might boost the brain's ability to respond to other stimuli in people with consciousness disorders, a new study has revealed.

Music has been shown to have a beneficial influence on cognitive process in healthy people and those with brain damage.

For the study, Fabien Perrin at the University of Lyon, France, and colleagues recorded brain activity in four patients - two in a coma, one in a minimally conscious state, and one in a vegetative state, while they were read a list of people's names, including the subject's own name.

The list was preceded either by the subject's favourite music that was chosen by family andfriends or by "musical noise".

While one patient listened to The Eagles' 'Hotel California', another was played the Blues Brothers' 'Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

The researchers then repeated the experiment with ten healthy volunteers.

In all four patients, playing the music rather than musical noise enhanced the quality of the brain's subsequent response to their own name, bringing it closer to the brain response of the ten healthy volunteers to hearing their own name, whether or not it was preceded by music or musical noise.

Perrin has two theories about the effect of music on the brain.

"Listening to preferred music activates our autobiographical memory - so it could make it easier for the subsequent perception of another autobiographical stimulus such as your name," New Scientist quoted Perrin as saying.

"Another hypothesis is that music enhances arousal or awareness, so maybe it temporarily increases consciousness and the discrimination of your name becomes easier," Perrin added.

The findings of the study were presented at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness meeting in Brighton, UK, last month.

Familiar music soothes people with brain damage

Listening to a favourite song might boost the brain's ability to respond to other stimuli in people with consciousness disorders, a new study has revealed.

Music has been shown to have a beneficial influence on cognitive process in healthy people and those with brain damage.

For the study, Fabien Perrin at the University of Lyon, France, and colleagues recorded brain activity in four patients - two in a coma, one in a minimally conscious state, and one in a vegetative state, while they were read a list of people's names, including the subject's own name.

The list was preceded either by the subject's favourite music that was chosen by family andfriends or by "musical noise".

While one patient listened to The Eagles' 'Hotel California', another was played the Blues Brothers' 'Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

The researchers then repeated the experiment with ten healthy volunteers.

In all four patients, playing the music rather than musical noise enhanced the quality of the brain's subsequent response to their own name, bringing it closer to the brain response of the ten healthy volunteers to hearing their own name, whether or not it was preceded by music or musical noise.

Perrin has two theories about the effect of music on the brain.

"Listening to preferred music activates our autobiographical memory - so it could make it easier for the subsequent perception of another autobiographical stimulus such as your name," New Scientist quoted Perrin as saying.

"Another hypothesis is that music enhances arousal or awareness, so maybe it temporarily increases consciousness and the discrimination of your name becomes easier," Perrin added.

The findings of the study were presented at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness meeting in Brighton, UK, last month.

6 Things women must learn from men

Undoubtedly, man and women make two sides of the same coin as they are perfect complements to each other. Yet both sexes are uniquely different. However, there must be a thing or two that one can learn from the other. 

So, taking the battle of sexes forward, we allowed men to share things the ladies could learn from them to make life a little more worth living...And what more? Brought in some ladies too, for sharing their piece of mind...

1. Man teaches: Logic Lessons 
"Don't hate me for pointing this out, but life will be far easier if women understand that everything in life has logic behind it. Men follow their innate logic as they take decisions, while women are absolutely unaware about the mere existence of logic. And this makes it really hard for men to deal with women," says TV actor Mihir Mishra.

Gal talk: "Women possess an innate sense of judgment, which they learn while living life. We do get influenced many a time, but at the same time we have a very 'pace-y logic' that we learn on the way. This usually makes us 'street-smart,' but unfortunately men don't relate to this and end up calling us 'logic-illiterate," says tele star Manini De.

2. Man teaches: Emotions can take a backseat at times 
Usually blamed for lacking emotions, TV actor Varun Badola says, "Women must learn that every situation doesn't call for a huge emotional turmoil. Holding back one's sentiments when they are not required won't make the female sex hard-hearted and indifferent, but of course a little rational and practical."

Gal talk: Waving the emotional flag higher, TV actress Rajeshwari Sachdev maintains, "When women use emotions, they put their brains behind each one of their emotions to ensure that they don't hurt people while putting their thoughts forward. I think emotions add meaning to one's life."

3. Man teaches: Everything doesn't call for intensity 
Women call it showing that they care, while men tag it as being overtly intense. "Missing breakfast is not such a big deal as women make it to be by reminding us a hundred times that we missed it. Women usually get intense about the smallest of things and situations. If they learn to chill out from men, they'll be able to enjoy life like never before," says tele star Rohit Roy.

Gal talk: Nach Baliye star Tina Kuwajerwala says, "One of the partners has to be over -the-top to make the other one feel wanted in the relationship. It's the intensity in a woman that helps her enrich every relationship in her life with depth and compassion. Else, a woman's home would have been as cold as the road, where no one cares for the other."

4. Man teaches: Gossip, only when needed 
Despite being official that even men gossip, actor Rahul Dev wants women to learn the art of keeping a tab on gossip sessions from men. "I'm not asking women to stop gossiping. I don't mean that men don't gossip, but what I want women to learn from men is doing a controlled crime. Not every situation calls for a gossip and bitching session," says Dev.

Gal talk: In a mood for some male bashing, says Pratibha Gupta, a Delhi-based-marketing professional, "To gossip or not to gossip is an absolute individual choice. Still, since time immemorial women have been blamed for being gossip mongers. But off late the tables have turned and one can't miss those all-male, coffee counter hush-hush sessions. We are still better than men because we don't feel ashamed of an act that we love to indulge in!"

5. Man teaches: Sense of humour 
We thought only women craved for men who possess a great sense of humour! But Mahesh Srikanta, a Mumbai-based-sports producer says, "Women are in desperate need to learn the art of laughing at life from men. Compared to men, women lack a good sense of humour and as a result they fail to enjoy life."

Gal talk: "Have you ever heard a man laughing his guts out at his own self, but women do that with ease. Gatecrash an all women pajama party and you'll know. However if they blame us for being 'bad at humour' because we can't take jokes aimed at our spouses and kids, then I guess, men need to learn a lesson or two from women," points out Madhurima Goswami, a Delhi-based-teacher.

6. Man teaches: To taste reality 
Blaming women for living in their own dream world most of the times. Kunal Soni, a techie from Delhi, wants women to be more practical about life. "I feel that women tend to have a rather fantasised thinking about almost everything that happens in life, be it a relationship or a marriage. They should learn from men to think practically about life and accept that things can't be eternally hunky dory as per their dreams."

Joins in Krishanu Bhattacharjee, a Mumbai-based, corporate communication manager, "I seriously want women to accept situations realistically. We are tired of manipulating the truth only to make it sound sweeter for their ears. For instance, a question like 'Am I looking fat in this dress?' is a Herculean task for a man to answer as he wants to retain peace in a relationship. If women can learn to accept the truth the way men can, life will become more chilled out."

Gal talk: "I'll blame it on the genes that women possess. They love to get flattered, is it too hard for men to understand that? There's a way to put things across. The art of deception is a trait men ought to learn from women," argues Manini.