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Low-floor AC buses launched

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Turning a new leaf in the urban transport system of the state, the Chief Minister, V. S. Achuthanandan on Tuesday flagged off eight low-floor air-conditioned buses purchased with financial assistance from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

After the flagging-off ceremony organised at the Central Stadium here, the Chief Minister, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Sashi Tharoor, Ministers, legislators and top officials of the KSRTC boarded the orange-red Volvo bus for a ride. As the bus was overcrowded, the Chief Minster and others alighted at the gate.

Hundreds had gathered in the stadium to see the modern buses and experience the unique features. Officials of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) that is operating the buses were gracious to take the public for a free ride through the capital.

Each of the low-floor air-conditioned sleek and ergonomically buses procured at a cost of Rs. 80 lakhs has several unique features and has changed the prevailing concept of buses among the public.

LCD destination boards in Malayalam and English with the route number, route and destination will come in handy for the locals and tourists. Low platform for hassle-free boarding and alighting, rear engine, automatic gear, electronically adjustable floor depending on condition of the road, comfortable seating, facility for lowering on the left side (kneeling), ramp for the physically challenged to enter the bus and facility for fixing wheel chair are some of the features.

Facilities for charging the mobile phone and laptop, computer-aided onboard diagnostic system for driver to know the fault of the engine, electronically adjustable rear view mirror, public address system for the driver to communicate with commuters, GPS enabled facility to announce and display the destination are included.

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FLORIDA: The space shuttle Atlantis thundered into the sky over Kennedy Space Centre on Monday carrying six crew members on a mission to the International Space Station.

The mission is part of the US space agency's efforts to stock up the ISS reserves as the shuttle programme enters its expected final year in 2010. After this week's mission there are just five more flights scheduled.

The all-American crew wearing orange jumpsuits were earlier strapped into their seats by ground crew after leaving their quarters to cheers and applause from the gathered crowd. They will spend 11 days in space.

Thousands of visitors watched the launch along with a group of NASA-selected users of the micro-blogging website Twitter, who were giving their impressions of the launch online in real time.

David Rosen, 31 from New York, who said he has long loved space, was among the Tweeters and hoped to provide a first hand account to his 190 followers.

He said he hoped to convey the awe of experiencing a launch firsthand. "They'll feel it a lot more because they know me," he said of those reading his Tweets.

Atlantis is to dock Wednesday with the space station, which orbits 350 km above earth.

The shuttle will deliver two platforms with 12,360 kg of spare parts, which will be installed on the outside of the station.

As the first of several flights devoted largely to delivering spare parts, this mission is carrying the highest-priority items.

The so-called Express Logistics Carriers contain a variety of crucial parts, such as: gyroscopes that help keep the ISS at the proper altitude in space; an extra hand for the station's robotic arm; a gas tank for providing oxygen to the airlock during spacewalks; and parts for the station's cooling system.

Astronauts will also bring along assorted colourful personal items for the ride, including a scarf worn by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The scarf has a personal connection for astronaut Randolph Bresnick, whose father served as a photographer to Earhart before her plane was lost over the Pacific during an intended round-the-world flight in 1937.

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AHMEDABAD: Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar hit opportune centuries as India came up with a spirited batting display to salvage a draw in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.

Opener Gautam Gambhir conjured up yet another marathon innings of 114 runs, result of his six-and-half hour vigil, before Sachin Tendulkar (100 not out) took the centrestage to chase down yet another milestone of 30,000 international runs en route to his 43rd Test ton.

With VVS Laxman (51 not out) also chipping in with his 40th Test half-century, India batted their way out of trouble to maintain their impressive home record against the Lankans.

Going into the final day's play needing just eight wickets to snap their 14-match winless streak on Indian soil, the exasperated Sri Lankans could only watch haplessly as the hosts showed the kind of application and determination that had been missing in their shoddy first innings display.

Resuming with 144 runs in the arrear, the Indians finished the day at 412 for four with Gambhir, Tendulkar and Laxman scoring bulk of the runs on a shirtfront of a wicket that simply had nothing for the bowlers.

Both the teams now move to Kanpur for the second Test starting on November 24.

Milestone man Tendulkar reached yet another landmark in his glittering career when he turned swing bowler Chanaka Welegedara backward of square for a single to take his tally of runs in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals to 30,000.

Overall, it was a poor advertisement for Test cricket as nearly 1600 runs were scored while just 21 wickets fell over the five days' play leading to this stalemate.

The match also saw the highest number of centuries -- seven --- being scored on the sub-continental soil.

Tendulkar's unbeaten 211 ball knock included 11 hits to the fence.

Trailing the visitors by a massive 334 runs in the first innings, India wiped off the deficit in the last over before tea.

The two Indian batsmen out yesterday were Amit Mishra (24), who did an excellent job in the unaccustomed nightwatchman's role, while Gambhir virtually threw his wicket after notching up his seventh Test century.

Earlier, Mishra stuck to his task for over 45 minutes after India started the day 144 runs behind the Lankans at 190 for two.

The leg-spinner was eventually dismissed by Angelo Mathews, caught brilliantly at leg gully by Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Tendulkar straightaway started stroking the ball sweetly as he cover-drove the accurate and miserly Mathews for a four and then hit danger man Muttiah Muralitharan for successive fours in one over.

Gambhir, batting solidly from the other end, also opened out and raced to his hundred by hitting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for two fours before he glanced Mathews to the rope. It was his first hundred against Sri Lanka.

India lost Gambhir in the sixth over of the second session. He was lured by a well-tossed up ball from left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and, in trying to hit it into the vacant leg side area, got the leading edge to be caught at mid-off by Dammika Prasad.

It was the Delhi left-hander's third hundred this year and in as many Tests since making his marathon match-saving 137 against New Zealand at Napier in March. The ICC Test Player of the Year faced 230 balls and struck 13 fours in his six and a half-hour stay.

Tendulkar was joined by Laxman and the duo ensured that no further wickets were given away to either pace or spin by forging an unbeaten 137-run fifth wicket partnership.

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MUMBAI: Shiv Sena activists Friday vandalised the offices of the IBN-Lokmat television channel in north-east Mumbai and in Pune and assaulted journalists, to protest the alleged misquoting of party chief Bal Thackeray's remarks on cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The attack has drawn condemnation from all quarters.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan assured strong action against attackers.

Armed with sticks and bats, a mob of 25 attacked the IBN-Lokmat office in Vikhroli here, damaging the furniture and fittings, glass partitions, OB vans and electronic equipment.

According to a channel staffer, the Sena activists barged into the channel office around 4 p.m., shouting slogans in favour of the Shiv Sena and Bal Thackeray.

Besides editor Nikhil Wagle, who was slapped, pushed around and had a chair flung at him, three other staffers sustained injuries in the Shiv Sena activists' attack.

A shaken Wagle said that some of the activists launched a brutal attack on the journalists and other staffers in the office, they caused extensive damage to the office, furniture and fittings there.

'The attack was preplanned, they had come armed with sticks and iron rods for creating the mayhem in our offices. They hurled a chair at me,' Wagle told media persons.

The Shiv Sena owned up responsibility for the attack later Friday evening, while the vandalism drew condemnation from other political parties.

'The government shall not go soft on the Shiv Sena and the media should boycott the Shiv Sena,' a grim Ashok Chavan told media persons Friday evening. The city police nabbed seven and Pune police arrested eight Shiv Sainiks for the attacks.

Home Minister R.R. Patil also condemned the attacks and assured newsmen that stern action would be taken against those involved.

Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut accused the channel of misquoting Thackeray's observations on cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar in a signed article in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' last week.

'This is not an attack on the entire media. The (IBN-Lokmat) channel has been constantly misreporting about Bal Thackeray and targeting the Shiv Sena. We shall not tolerate any criticism of our party chief,' Raut, a Sena Rajya Sabha MP, said.

'They also manhandled a few staffers, including women, and editor Nikhil Wagle and others,' said Vijay Darda, chairman of the Lokmat group of newspapers that part-owns the channel.

Terming it as 'an attack on the freedom of speech and media', Darda said he did not expect this from Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray.

'I have always considered him as a refined, cultured and family person and what has happened has pained us,' Darda told IANS.

He said the channel had been running several reports on the debacle of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance in last month's elections to the Mahastrata state assembly.

'They have vented their frustration at the defeat on the journalists and the TV channel, which is highly condemnable,' said Darda, a Congress member in the Rajya Sabha.

Darda, whose younger brother Rajendra is a Congress cabinet minister in Maharasthra, said it is 'disturbing that the Sainiks have become so bold as to launch attacks on the media without any fear'.

South Mumbai Lok Sabha member Milind Deora, condemning the attacks, said the police must probe the top Sena leaders who had planned or instigated the attacks on the media house in Mumbai and Pune.

D.K. Raikar, group editor of Lokmat Group of Newspapers, said the immediate provocation behind the attacks was not clear.

He said that some of the activists who went on rampage were nabbed by some of the channel staffers and handed over to the police.

'They have broken the furniture and fittings, broken glass panels and partitions, several television sets, computers, communication lines, OB vans, uprooted carpets, etc.,' Raikar told IANS after surveying the damages wreaked by the Sena men Friday evening.

A similar attack was carried out simultaneously at the Pune office of the channel, and there too staffers were attacked. The Pune police have arrested at least eight people in this connection.

CNN-IBN chief Rajdeep Sardesai termed the attacks as 'a shame' and condemned the Sena for the attacks.

In Lucknow, the Samajwadi Party also condemned the attack, terming the attackers as anti-social elements.

'Be it the Shiv Sena or the Maharashtra Navnirmaan Sena (MNS), all are anti-social elements. They are spreading a feeling of regional difference amongst the states of the country. We appeal to the Election Commission to cancel the registration of such parties which do not follow the Indian constitution,' Rajendra Chaudhary, spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, told

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PUNE: President Pratibha Patil, who made history Wednesday by becoming the first woman president to fly in a fighter jet, alighted from an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 MKI in a G-suit after successfully completing her 30-minute sortie.

The flight commanded by Wing Commander S. Sajan went off smoothly in the slightly chilly but sunny winter morning from the Lohegaon Air Force base in Pune.

During the approximately 30-minute sortie, the aircraft flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet at a speed of around 800 kmph or 0.9 Mach (speed of sound), but did not go up to the supersonic levels of around 1,100 kmph, an IAF spokesman said.

The Su-30 MKI carrying Patil, 74, took off at around 10.55 a.m. after the president was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour by a smartly-turned out contingent of air-warriors donning the IAF colours of sky-blue shirts and black trousers.

Prior to the flight Patil had breakfast and underwent a mandatory pre-flight medical test and was found fit to undertake the flight.

After the medical test, she donned a G-Suit (anti-gravity suit) which helps the flier withstand high gravitational pressure by preventing excessive blood from flowing to the brain.

Besides the aircraft in which Patil travelled in the rear seat, two other Sukhois flew alongside to enable her to experience what fighter jets look like in flight at that altitude and at such high speeds.

Just before the flight, the president asked for a glass of water, but later declined to drink, indicating her state of nervous excitement.

She stepped inside the aircraft at 10.35 a.m., assisted by some airmen, even as the national and international media was present in large numbers to cover the historic event.

Present to witness the epoch-making occasion were Maharashtra Governor S.C. Jamir and Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State is getting ready for yet another season of the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF). The 45-day event will open on December 1 (today) and wil end on 15 January 2010. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who is also in charge of Tourism, said that there was greater enthusiasm in organising the festival this year because of the success of the first two seasons. He described the shopping festival as a good step forward in reclaiming the position that Kerala had held once in the global trade map.




Kerala, an international super brand in tourism, generated revenue to the tune of Rs. 12,000 crore from this sector in 2008-09. Around six lakh international tourists and 76 lakh domestic tourists visited the State last year alone.

The aim of the shopping festival was not limited to encouraging tourists to buy products but to make them combine tourism with trade. If a large number of such tourists visited the State, it would help generate interest in the State’s traditional products like cashew and coir in the foreign market. He wanted foreign traders to be brought to the production centres in the State so that they could view the manufacturing process for themselves and sign commercial agreements.

The traders in the State should be able to innovate for the foreign buyers.

For all that to happen, the infrastructure of production centres should become more developed, the surroundings of the marketing centres should be made more attractive and thoroughly clean. The workers should rise above standards to understand the new designs and ideas quickly enough and be able to communicate at least on a basic level with foreigners.

He realised that the rekindling of the traditional manufacturing sectors in Kerala could not be achieved overnight. He felt that the GKSF would need a minimum of five years to accomplish the target.

He pointed out that the State’s shopping festival was entirely different from the shopping festivals being held in other places like Dubai and Singapore.

Instead of being limited to a centralised exhibition or stall, the GKSF was spread across the State.

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ISLAMABAD: Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, a vocal critic of Islamist militancy in Pakistan and a confidant of President Asif Ali Zardari, was shot dead in a posh area here by one of his guards who said he killed him for opposing blasphemy laws.

Guard Mumtaz Quadri, who belonged to an elite security agency, gave himself up to the authorities after gunning down the politician he was supposed to protect as the victim walked towards his car from a cafe in F6 sector frequented by foreigners and wealthy Pakistanis.

Taseer, who married and divorced Indian journalist Tavleen Singh after fathering a son, collapsed as nine bullets tore into him, including some which pierced his chest and neck.

The shooting sparked counter firing by other guards, reportedly wounding five people, the Dawn newspaper said.

The profusely bleeding governor was rushed to the nearby Poly Clinic but succumbed to his injuries, his spokesman Ishtiaq Amin said.

Dawn quoted witnesses as saying that a man from the security squad fired at him from close range. He was later identified as Quadri, who had been recruited into the elite force in 2002.

The unrepentant killer told police that he shot the governor because he had called Pakistan's blasphemy laws as "black law".

Taseer, who was close to the Bhutto family, was already married when he met Tavleen Singh in 1980 in New Delhi.

On Tuesday, the journalist told IANS: "You should not be calling me on a day like this."

Interior Minister Rehman Malik confirmed that the killer guard had been arrested and the man had confessed that he carried out the assassination over Taseer's support to Aasia Bibi, a woman charged with blasphemy.

Aasia Bibi had been sentenced to death for allegedly passing derogatory remarks about a Muslim prophet. The governor had urged President Zardari to pardon her.

A leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Taseer was a strong supporter of Zardari.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced three days of state mourning. The PPP cancelled all party functions and said it would mourn the death for 15 days.

Taseer's outspoken defence of Aasia Bibi had earned him death threats. Pakistani officials said they were trying to find out if the guard acted on his own or was backed by others.

Taseer's body is to be flown to Lahore, capital of the Punjab province, after post-mortem.

Police sources said that security had been heightened at sensitive locations in Islamabad and that profiles of those protecting VIPs were being scanned again.

Taseer was appointed the governor of Punjab province in what was widely viewed as a move to destabilize Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

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PATHANAMTHITTA: About 100 pilgrims were feared dead in a stampede at Uppupara, between Pullumedu and Pandithavalam, in Idukki district on Friday night. Official reports put the death toll at 86, majority of them from neighbouring states. The mishap occurred around 8.15 pm. More than 70 were injured.

The toll is likely to go up as full-fledged rescue operation is yet to start in the hilly region. Darkness, traffic jams and lack of communication facilities also hamper rescue operations. The place is beyond the reach of mobile services.

The dead include Korukkutty (60), from Vengara in Malappuram district. It has been learnt that there were about 3 lakh pilgrims at Pullumedu. Those dead belong to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The pilgrims were returning home after viewing Makara Jyoti at famous Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple. Many of the injured has been taken to hospital at Vandipperiyar. The dead bodies have been brought to Vandiperiyar hospital and Kottayam Medial College Hospital.

The tragedy occurred when a jeep carrying some pilgrims waded into a crowd of devotees, who were returning from the Makara Samkrama Pooja, through a narrow trekking path in a forest, district administration sources said.

When the jeep turned turtle, it triggered the stampede as the pilgrims ran helter-skelter, the police said. Many injured persons have been admitted to nearby hospitals.

Most of the pilgrims involved in the tragedy were from Tamil Nadu who were returning to their homes to celebrate Pongal after having a darshan of the deity at the hill shrine.

The accident spot was identified at about 50 km away from Sabarimala. As per initial estimates, nearly 1.5 lakh pilgrims had left by this route for home.

Thousands of devotees had turned up for worship at the hill shrine during the Makara Samkrama Pooja on Friday evening, marking the finale of two-month pilgrimage to the famous Lord Ayyappa temple.

They were returning after witnessing Makara Jyoti, held as a divine light by the devotees, which flickered across the eastern horizon above the Ponnambalamedu after the pooja. State Dewasom minister, Kadannappalli Ramachandran said poor light and the huge mass of people at the site were hampering rescue efforts.

State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said he had asked the DGP to rush to the scene. "Home secretary is already in Pampa and I have asked the SPs and District Collectors of Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts to help with rescue efforts," Balakrishnan said.

Defence Minister A.K Antony said army would be sent for rescue operations. The incident has been declared as a National Tragedy.

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MOSCOW: An explosion ripped through the arrivals hall at Moscow's busiest airport on Monday, killing 31 people and wounding about 130, health ministry officials said.

The state RIA Novosti said the explosion may have been caused by a suicide bomber.

The Russkaya Sluzhba Novostei radio station cited a traveler, identified as Viktor, as saying he heard the bang outside the airport, where he was waiting for a car.

"There was an explosion, a bang. Then I saw a policeman covered in fragments of flesh and all bloody. He was shouting 'I've survived! I've survived!'"

Domodedovo is generally regarded as Moscow's most up-to-date airport, but its security procedures have been called into question.

In 2004, two suicide bombers were able to board planes at Domodedovo by buying tickets illegally from airport personnel. The bombers blew themselves up in mid-air, killing all 90 people aboard the two flights.

In more recent suicide bombings in Moscow, twin blasts in the subway last March killed 39 people and wounded more than 60 people.

In December 2009, Chechen rebels claimed responsibility for blowing up a high-speed train between Moscow and St. Petersburg, an attack that killed 26 people and injured scores.

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Kerala Assembly elections on April 13

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for Assembly Elections to be held in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will all have one-day polls on April 13. Kerala have altogether 20,758 polling stations.

While elections in the crucial West Bengal state will be held in six phases, Assam will see balloting on April 4 and 11. Polling in West Bengal will be spread over six phases -- April 18, 23 and 27 and May 3, 7 and 10.

The last date of filing nomination papers in Kerala will be on March 26. The nomination papers will be examined on March 28. The last date of withdrawing the papers will be on March 30. This time, the Election Commission will itself distribute the voting slips on which the photographs of the candidates will be affixed. Hitherto, voting slips have been distributed by the political parties.

Counting of votes for all the states will be held on May 13. The schedule was announced by Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi at a press conference at the Election Commission office here. The model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect.

Kerala

(All 140 constituencies in single phase)

Date of Notification – March 19
Date of Election - April 13

West Bengal

Phase 1 (54 constituencies):

Date of Notification – March 24
Date of Election - April 18

Phase 2 (50 constituencies):

Date of Notification – March 30
Date of Election - April 23

Phase 3 (75 constituencies):

Date of Notification – April 2
Date of Election - April 27

Phase 4 (63 constituencies):

Date of Notification – April 7
Date of Election – May 3

Phase 5 (38 constituencies):

Date of Notification – April 11
Date of Election – May 7

Phase 6 (14 constituencies):

Date of Notification – April 14
Date of Election – May 10

Tamil Nadu

(All 234 constituencies in single phase)

Date of Notification – March 19
Date of Election - April 13

Assam

Phase 1 (62 constituencies):

Date of Notification – March 10
Date of Election - April 4

Phase 2 (64 constituencies):

Date of Notification – March 18
Date of Election - April 11

Puducherry

(All 30 constituencies in single phase)

Date of Notification – March 19
Date of Election - April 13

The number of voters in each state is as follows: Tamil Nadu (4.59 crores), Kerala (2.29 crores), Assam (1.81 crores), West Bengal (5.60 crores) and Puducherry (80 lakh).

The number of polling stations is as follows: Tamil Nadu (54,016), Kerala (20,758), Assam (23,113), West Bengal (51,919) and Puducherry (851).

The term of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly expires on May 16. And that of Kerala on May 23, Assam and Puducherry on May 28, and West Bengal Assembly’s term ends on June 11

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