Time to 'fix our broken immigration system': Obama

US President Barack Obama says Democrats and Republicans in the House want to overhaul immigration laws. He calls on them to pass legislation this year. In his State of the Union address, Obama says it is time to heed the calls to change immigration laws from business and labor leaders,

religious leaders and law enforcement officials.

The Senate passed broad legislation last year that enhances border security and provides a path to citizenship for about 11 immigrants in the United States illegally. Among the proposals under consideration by House Republican leaders is one that would give legal status to immigrants in the US illegally but not citizenship. The White House has said Obama wants the legislation to lead to citizenship. But Obama did not make that demand Tuesday night.
AP

Time to 'fix our broken immigration system': Obama

US President Barack Obama says Democrats and Republicans in the House want to overhaul immigration laws. He calls on them to pass legislation this year. In his State of the Union address, Obama says it is time to heed the calls to change immigration laws from business and labor leaders,

religious leaders and law enforcement officials.

The Senate passed broad legislation last year that enhances border security and provides a path to citizenship for about 11 immigrants in the United States illegally. Among the proposals under consideration by House Republican leaders is one that would give legal status to immigrants in the US illegally but not citizenship. The White House has said Obama wants the legislation to lead to citizenship. But Obama did not make that demand Tuesday night.
AP

Kerala mulls rubber procurement

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala plans to procure rubber from the open market to meet the demand from its production units, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy informed the state assembly Tuesday. Responding to a calling attention motion, Chandy told the assembly that fall in rubber price is on account of the price of natural rubber dropping sharply in the international market.

'The centre had agreed to our request to levy a charge on rubber imports but with prices dropping like never before that also has not yielded results,' said Chandy. Price of natural rubber is experiencing a free fall in international markets. India stands fourth in the production of natural rubber and Kerala accounts for 90 percent of the country's rubber production.

Chandy pointed out that the union commerce ministry has a price stabilisation fund and the state has sought Rs.100 crore for rubber procurement. 'We are seriously considering how rubber procurement can be effected,' he said. Earlier, moving the calling attention motion, CPI-M legislator Raju Abraham blamed the state government's callous attitude on the serious issue.

'Rubber price in 2011 was Rs.248 per kg and it fell drastically... In 2012, it was Rs.200, in 2013, Rs.150 and now it stands at Rs.135. The lives of five million families have been affected as almost 40 percent of them are dependent on income from rubber. The state government did nothing and finally when the centre decided to levy an import duty, it was too late as international prices were dropping at a very fast pace,' said Abraham.

Abraham also claimed that the biggest beneficiaries have been the tyre companies in the country. 'In 2011, when the price of rubber was Rs.248 per kg, a truck tyre was priced at Rs.17,000 and today when the price is Rs.135, the same truck tyre is costing Rs.23,000... The loss suffered by our rubber farmers after this government came stands close to Rs.10,000 crore,' added Abraham.

In Kerala, 70 percent of the rubber farmers own less than a hectare of land and earnings from rubber production, after the diaspora remittances, are the biggest succour to the 3.30 crore state population. With prices dropping and the weather also turning unfavourable for rubber, 60 percent of the farmers have stopped rubber tapping. Another reason that has hit the farmers badly is the price hike in fertilizer and chemicals and also the tapping charges, which is around Rs.2 per tree.

SC dismisses homosexuality review plea

New Delhi: Surpreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea by the centre and NGO Naz Foundation seeking the review of its Dec 12, 2013 verdict holding homosexuality to be an offence. An apex court bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhyay dismissed the review petition in a chamber hearing Tuesday afternoon.

A Supreme Court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi (since retired) and Justice Mukhopadhyay had set aside a Delhi High Court order overturning Section 377 of the IPC, which held that even consensual sex between adults of same gender was a criminal offence.

SC dismisses homosexuality review plea

New Delhi: Surpreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea by the centre and NGO Naz Foundation seeking the review of its Dec 12, 2013 verdict holding homosexuality to be an offence. An apex court bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhyay dismissed the review petition in a chamber hearing Tuesday afternoon.

A Supreme Court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi (since retired) and Justice Mukhopadhyay had set aside a Delhi High Court order overturning Section 377 of the IPC, which held that even consensual sex between adults of same gender was a criminal offence.

Kerala mulls rubber procurement

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala plans to procure rubber from the open market to meet the demand from its production units, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy informed the state assembly Tuesday. Responding to a calling attention motion, Chandy told the assembly that fall in rubber price is on account of the price of natural rubber dropping sharply in the international market.

'The centre had agreed to our request to levy a charge on rubber imports but with prices dropping like never before that also has not yielded results,' said Chandy. Price of natural rubber is experiencing a free fall in international markets. India stands fourth in the production of natural rubber and Kerala accounts for 90 percent of the country's rubber production.

Chandy pointed out that the union commerce ministry has a price stabilisation fund and the state has sought Rs.100 crore for rubber procurement. 'We are seriously considering how rubber procurement can be effected,' he said. Earlier, moving the calling attention motion, CPI-M legislator Raju Abraham blamed the state government's callous attitude on the serious issue.

'Rubber price in 2011 was Rs.248 per kg and it fell drastically... In 2012, it was Rs.200, in 2013, Rs.150 and now it stands at Rs.135. The lives of five million families have been affected as almost 40 percent of them are dependent on income from rubber. The state government did nothing and finally when the centre decided to levy an import duty, it was too late as international prices were dropping at a very fast pace,' said Abraham.

Abraham also claimed that the biggest beneficiaries have been the tyre companies in the country. 'In 2011, when the price of rubber was Rs.248 per kg, a truck tyre was priced at Rs.17,000 and today when the price is Rs.135, the same truck tyre is costing Rs.23,000... The loss suffered by our rubber farmers after this government came stands close to Rs.10,000 crore,' added Abraham.

In Kerala, 70 percent of the rubber farmers own less than a hectare of land and earnings from rubber production, after the diaspora remittances, are the biggest succour to the 3.30 crore state population. With prices dropping and the weather also turning unfavourable for rubber, 60 percent of the farmers have stopped rubber tapping. Another reason that has hit the farmers badly is the price hike in fertilizer and chemicals and also the tapping charges, which is around Rs.2 per tree.

TP case: 11 convicts, including 3 CPI(M) activists, get life term

Kozhikode: Special Judge R Narayana Pisharadi awarded life imprisonment to 11 of the 12 accused, who were found guilty in the sensational T P Chandrasekharan murder case. M.K. Pradeepan aka Lambu was awarded 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment for hiding the weapons used for killing TP after committing the crime.

The 7 who were awarded life term belonged to the killer gang. They were also slapped a fine of Rs 52,000 by the court.

The rest 4 were given life term, including CPM leader P K Kunhanandan, for taking part in the conspiracy to murder TP Chandrashekaran.

M.C. Anoop (1st accused), Manoj Kumar aka Kirmani Manoj (2nd accused), N.K. Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni (3rd accused), T.K. Rajeesh (4th accused), K.K. Mohammed Shafi (5th accused), Annan Shijith (6th accused), K. Shinoj (7th accused), K.C. Ramachandran (8th accused), member of the Kunnummakkara local committee Manojan aka Trouser Manojan (11th accused), former branch secretary of Kadanganpoyil of the CPI(M) P.K. Kunhanandan (13th accused), member of the Panur area committee of the CPI(M) P.V. Rafeeque (18th accused) were awarded life term by the special court.

Kodi Sunni and Kirmani Manoj, who were part of the killer gang, were also awarded punishment for safeguarding the weapons that was used for the crime. Apart from life term, Kodi Sunni was awarded 10 years RI and Kirmani Manoj 5 years RI.

Special Judge R Narayana Pisharadi heard both the defence and prosecution and also the pleas of the convicts. Defence counsel pleaded for lesser punishment.

The court had acquitted 24 of the 36 accused including P Mohanan, CPI(M) district secretariat member and husband of party MLA K K Lathika.

While the seven who carried out the murder were hired killers, five others found guilty included three local functionaries of the CPI-M.

Chandrasekharan, once a CPI (M) functionary from the party bastion of Onchiyam near Vatakara in Kozhikode district, was hacked to death on May 4, 2012.

He left the party a few years ago over differences with the leadership and floated a parallel outfit called Revolutionary Marxist Party. He was 51 at the time of murder and suffered 51 hack injuries on the body.PTI

TP case: 11 convicts, including 3 CPI(M) activists, get life term

Kozhikode: Special Judge R Narayana Pisharadi awarded life imprisonment to 11 of the 12 accused, who were found guilty in the sensational T P Chandrasekharan murder case. M.K. Pradeepan aka Lambu was awarded 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment for hiding the weapons used for killing TP after committing the crime.

The 7 who were awarded life term belonged to the killer gang. They were also slapped a fine of Rs 52,000 by the court.

The rest 4 were given life term, including CPM leader P K Kunhanandan, for taking part in the conspiracy to murder TP Chandrashekaran.

M.C. Anoop (1st accused), Manoj Kumar aka Kirmani Manoj (2nd accused), N.K. Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni (3rd accused), T.K. Rajeesh (4th accused), K.K. Mohammed Shafi (5th accused), Annan Shijith (6th accused), K. Shinoj (7th accused), K.C. Ramachandran (8th accused), member of the Kunnummakkara local committee Manojan aka Trouser Manojan (11th accused), former branch secretary of Kadanganpoyil of the CPI(M) P.K. Kunhanandan (13th accused), member of the Panur area committee of the CPI(M) P.V. Rafeeque (18th accused) were awarded life term by the special court.

Kodi Sunni and Kirmani Manoj, who were part of the killer gang, were also awarded punishment for safeguarding the weapons that was used for the crime. Apart from life term, Kodi Sunni was awarded 10 years RI and Kirmani Manoj 5 years RI.

Special Judge R Narayana Pisharadi heard both the defence and prosecution and also the pleas of the convicts. Defence counsel pleaded for lesser punishment.

The court had acquitted 24 of the 36 accused including P Mohanan, CPI(M) district secretariat member and husband of party MLA K K Lathika.

While the seven who carried out the murder were hired killers, five others found guilty included three local functionaries of the CPI-M.

Chandrasekharan, once a CPI (M) functionary from the party bastion of Onchiyam near Vatakara in Kozhikode district, was hacked to death on May 4, 2012.

He left the party a few years ago over differences with the leadership and floated a parallel outfit called Revolutionary Marxist Party. He was 51 at the time of murder and suffered 51 hack injuries on the body.PTI

Police suspect suicide in Tata Motors MD Karl Slym's death

BANGKOK/MUMBAI: Karl Slym, managing director of India's Tata Motors Ltd, died after falling from a hotel room in Bangkok in what police said on Monday could be possible suicide.

Slym, 51, had attended a board meeting of Tata's Thailand unit in the Thai capital and was staying with his wife in a room on the 22nd floor of the Shangri-La hotel. Hotel staff found his body on Sunday on the fourth floor, which juts out above lower floors. 'We didn't find any sign of a struggle,' Police Lieutenant Somyot Boonyakaew, who is heading the investigation, told Reuters.

'We found a window open. The window was very small so it was not possible that he would have slipped. He would have had to climb through the window to fall out because he was a big man. From my initial investigation we believe he jumped. 
The police found a three-page note, written in English, which they were translating into Thai. An autopsy on Slym's body should begin on Monday.

A spokeswoman for Tata Motors, India's biggest automaker, declined to comment on the possible cause of Slym's death. A company statement on Sunday said Slym had provided leadership in a challenging market environment.

Turning the corner Slym, a British national, was hired in 2012 to revive Tata's flagging sales and market share in India. Tata Motors is part of the Tata conglomerate.

'His death comes at a time when the company seems to be close to turning the corner,' said Anil Sharma, an analyst with researchers IHS Automotive. 'It comes before his efforts bear fruit. We should be able to see the results in a year or two.'

Tata Motors recently introduced a new petrol engine for its passenger vehicles and was planning to launch a hatchback and compact sedan this year, the first all-new Tata-branded passenger vehicles since 2010.

Slym led the automaker's operations in India and international markets including South Korea, Thailand and South Africa, but he did not look after the Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) luxury unit that Tata Motors acquired in 2008.

The Thai police said they were called to the Shangri-La hotel around 7:45am on Sunday after staff found Slym's body. They woke up Slym's wife, who looked shocked when she was told what had happened to her husband.

Tata Motors had lost traction in the Indian passenger vehicle market as domestic and foreign rivals rolled out new models while it mostly tweaked existing models and offered heavy price discounts.

The firm has not had a hit car at home since 1998. Sales of the Nano, the world's cheapest car which it unveiled in 2008, have been lacklustre.

Before joining Tatar Motors, Slym was executive vice president of SGMW Motors, China, a General Motors joint venture. Before that he had headed General Motors in India.

Police suspect suicide in Tata Motors MD Karl Slym's death

BANGKOK/MUMBAI: Karl Slym, managing director of India's Tata Motors Ltd, died after falling from a hotel room in Bangkok in what police said on Monday could be possible suicide.

Slym, 51, had attended a board meeting of Tata's Thailand unit in the Thai capital and was staying with his wife in a room on the 22nd floor of the Shangri-La hotel. Hotel staff found his body on Sunday on the fourth floor, which juts out above lower floors. 'We didn't find any sign of a struggle,' Police Lieutenant Somyot Boonyakaew, who is heading the investigation, told Reuters.

'We found a window open. The window was very small so it was not possible that he would have slipped. He would have had to climb through the window to fall out because he was a big man. From my initial investigation we believe he jumped. 
The police found a three-page note, written in English, which they were translating into Thai. An autopsy on Slym's body should begin on Monday.

A spokeswoman for Tata Motors, India's biggest automaker, declined to comment on the possible cause of Slym's death. A company statement on Sunday said Slym had provided leadership in a challenging market environment.

Turning the corner Slym, a British national, was hired in 2012 to revive Tata's flagging sales and market share in India. Tata Motors is part of the Tata conglomerate.

'His death comes at a time when the company seems to be close to turning the corner,' said Anil Sharma, an analyst with researchers IHS Automotive. 'It comes before his efforts bear fruit. We should be able to see the results in a year or two.'

Tata Motors recently introduced a new petrol engine for its passenger vehicles and was planning to launch a hatchback and compact sedan this year, the first all-new Tata-branded passenger vehicles since 2010.

Slym led the automaker's operations in India and international markets including South Korea, Thailand and South Africa, but he did not look after the Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) luxury unit that Tata Motors acquired in 2008.

The Thai police said they were called to the Shangri-La hotel around 7:45am on Sunday after staff found Slym's body. They woke up Slym's wife, who looked shocked when she was told what had happened to her husband.

Tata Motors had lost traction in the Indian passenger vehicle market as domestic and foreign rivals rolled out new models while it mostly tweaked existing models and offered heavy price discounts.

The firm has not had a hit car at home since 1998. Sales of the Nano, the world's cheapest car which it unveiled in 2008, have been lacklustre.

Before joining Tatar Motors, Slym was executive vice president of SGMW Motors, China, a General Motors joint venture. Before that he had headed General Motors in India.