NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies have warned of plans by Pakistan-based terrorists to target BJP president Rajnath Singh, after which the Centre has asked Uttar Pradesh Government to beef up his security.

According to intelligence inputs, two Pakistani and two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants had reportedly left Jammu on January five to carry out attacks on Singh and senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar.

The Union Home Ministry has written to Uttar Pradesh Government asking it to "review and appropriately strengthen" the security arrangements of both of them to avert any untoward incident from happening, sources said.

Singh, a former Union Minister and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has Z+ security with National Security Guard cover while Katiyar has Z+ security in the state.

The intelligence inputs suggested that terrorists may carry out attacks on Singh and Katiyar in Uttar Pradesh or in Delhi at an "opportune time", a letter sent by Union Home Ministry to Uttar Pradesh government said.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi are already in the terror hitlist and have been provided with tight security and NSG cover in view of the threat perception.

Source: TOI

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A new Bollywood epic will recreate the Mughal-era romance of a Muslim emperor and a Hindu princess, a marriage of power that fed popular folklores about how enduring love blossomed.

The marriage of Mughal emperor Akbar with princess Hira Kunwari has fascinated India for 450 years, and the makers of "Jodhaa-Akbar" say they want to show how the couple broke cultural and religious barriers.

The film features two of India's biggest stars, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.

Hira Kunwari, known in popular folklore as Empress Jodhaa, was the fiery daughter of a Hindu king who is said to have wielded a strong influence on the emperor.

"How the two resolved cultural differences and shared a perfect arranged marriage is fascinating," says director Ashutosh Gowariker.

"The way they handled their relationship is relevant for couples today."

Its release postponed twice, "Jodhaa-Akbar" is eagerly awaited by an audience already teased with trailers and posters of the Mughal era, complete with massive battlefield settings with elephants and horsemen, regalia and exotic costumes.

Considered the greatest among all Mughal emperors, Akbar ascended the throne at 13, but he quickly secured political success by a shrewd blend of military aggression and diplomacy.

He won the allegiance of the Rajputs, a warrior caste, after he entered into a matrimonial alliance with Jodhaa. But the beautiful empress resented being a mere political pawn at the hands of an emperor who has to win her confidence and her love.

Jodhaa, about whom little is recorded in history, is said to have influenced royal policy, upsetting a section of the royalty and making enemies.

"The marriage had nationwide reverberations in a society far more conservative," says Gowariker, adding that how the marriage affected those times was a question relevant even today.

The life of Akbar, an illiterate ruler but with a refined taste, has inspired many Indian plays, television series and films.

"Care has been taken for the sets, the clothes, to dialogues and protocol, and even incidental sights and sounds of those times," says Gowariker, whose 2001 period film "Lagaan" (Land Tax) was short-listed for an Academy Award for the best foreign film.

Jodhaa-Akbar is set to open on Feb 15.

Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES - Singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani, whose 2004 album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." proved to be a breakout solo hit, is pregnant with her second child with husband Gavin Rossdale, according to several news reports on Tuesday.

Celebrity Web site People.com quoted Douglas Rossdale, Gavin's father, as saying, "the whole family are delighted."

"We are very much looking forward to another grandchild," he said.

A Los Angeles-based spokesman for Stefani was not immediately available to comment.

Stefani, 38, and Rossdale, 40, who gained fame in British rock band Bush, have one other child, a son named Kingston who was born in 2006. Stefani and Rossdale were married in 2002.

California native Stefani rose to record stardom singing for the band No Doubt in the 1980s and 1990s. "Love. Angel. Music. Baby" was her first solo album. In 2006, she released another solo effort, "Sweet Escape."

Source: Reuters

It is certainly not at all easy to count the biographies written on Gandhiji. Hundreds of writers, journalists and close associates have authored the book on the great man. But, it was Christian missionary Joseph Doke who had the unique distinction of writing the first biography of Bapu.

The best part of this biography was that when it was written, Gandhji had still not acquired the status of Mahatma. In fact, he was barely 39 years old. It was in December 1907 that the two became bosom pals when Gandhi was in Johannesburg, South Africa. Doke visited the house of Gandhi and met a man contrary to his expectations. The strain of work could be easily seen on the sprinkling of silver on his head. He spoke perfect English. On their very first meeting, both had a long extended chat on different subjects ranging from the plight of blacks to religion, setting the tone and tenor of a relationship that was to last for a lifetime.

They were such close friends that despite being burdened with work, they made it a point to spend some time together. Doke was so overawed by his friend that he decided to write his biography. This biography was entitled MK Gandhi - An Indian patriot in South Africa. The first Indian edition was published in April 1919 by a Madras-based publisher GA Natesan. Doke collected material for the book from his meetings with Gandhiji and others who were close to him.

Doke wrote at a great length about Bapu's antecedents, his family background and his childhood. A chapter was devoted to the time Bapu spent in London and thereafter his tumultuous and very eventful South African days and the Passive Resistance Movement.

Doke writes that Bapu had confided that he had been deeply moved by Christ's Sermon on the Mount from the Bible and it had made an impression on him during the launch of the movement. He launched the Passive Resistance Movement against the Asiatic Law Amendment ordinance was passed by the Provisional Government of Transvaal. The new law required every Asian to carry an identity card with him at all times. Bapu regarded this as an insult to the entire Asian community in South Africa and thus launched the movement. According to Doke, two works would always be associated with Gandhi's name and works in South Africa: The launching of the weekly journal Indian Opinion and the other is the establishment of the Phoenix Settlement.

The last chapter of the biography gives an insight into the Mahatma's view on religion. Despite the fact that the two friends had sharp differences on the issue, Doke praises his friend's views on religion. Both became very close after Doke and his wife had the opportunity to take care of Gandhi in December in 1909 after he was assaulted and wounded by some anti-social elements. Doke and his wife took Bapu to their house and under their caring eye and nursing, he recovered fast.

During this period, a very large number of people used to visit Doke's residence to enquire about the health of Gandhiji. On February 1908, a public meeting was held in Johannesburg, organised by the Europeans, Indians and Chinese to publicly thank Doke and Mrs Doke for taking care of Gandhiji. Interestingly, the Chinese citizens of the city organised a separate meeting on March 23, 1908 to express their gratitude to the Doke couple for looking after Bapu.

Joseph Doke was born in England on November 5, 1861, his father was a Baptist priest and Joseph followed the footsteps of Doke senior. He worked as a missionary in different countries like South Africa, New Zealand and Egypt. The bonds of friendship between the two friends were carried forward by their children also.

The Doke children - Clement, Comber and Olive – were regular visitors to the Phoenix farm. Ramdas Gandhi learnt music from Clement.

Even though Doke was a missionary, he was also very good a painter, cartoonist and photographer. He was an able writer too and edited the Indian Opinion for some time when Gandhi was arrested by the authorities.

While on missionary work in North-Western Rhodesia Doke met a sudden death on August 15, 1913. His most untimely death stunned Gandhiji who was unable to attend the last rites of his friend because of the distance. He, however, made it a point to attend the memorial service held on August 23,1913. Emotionally charged, Gandhiji said about Doke, "he feared no man because he feared God. He believed in his own religion with burning passion, but he respected all the other faiths. I will never forget him. His memory will never fade away from my mind."

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=a9f60340-a909-4201-85bf-85a0d651fe76&MatchID1=4638&TeamID1=7&TeamID2=9&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1169&PrimaryID=4638&Headline=Doke%2c+the+first+biographer+of+Bapu

JAIPUR: Ashutosh Gowariker's historical epic Jodhaa Akbar is facing trouble, with the Rajput community of Rajasthan threatening to stall the release of the movie in the state.

The community says Gowariker has distorted facts in his magnum opus which is to be released on Feb 15.

Narendra Singh Rajawat, head of the Rajput Sabha, said Gowariker is presenting Jodhabai as Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar's wife, which is factually incorrect. He also said that Jodhabai was not the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber near Jaipur as shown in the film.

Jodhabai was the daughter of Motaraja Udai Singh of Marwar and was married to Akbar's son Salim alias Jehangir. And Mughal king Shahjahan was her son, he added.

Rajawat said such distortion of historical facts had hurt the feelings of the Rajput community. He urged the courts to restrain Gowariker from showing Jodhabai as the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber.

He said the name of Raja Bharmal's daughter was Harkabai alias Heera Kunwar.

"You cannot make your own history and Ashutosh Gowariker is making his own history. He is projecting Jodhabai, who is Akbar's daughter-in-law, as his beloved and making a love story out of that. He is totally distorting historical facts," Rajawat said.

He said that the community would boycott the film.

"We are also approaching the high court against this," informed Rajawat.

The president of the Rajput Karni Sena, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, is also up in arms against the director. He said the Sena had apprehended the distortion of Rajasthan's historical facts in Jodhaa Akbar , which is based on the Jodhpur royal family.

"The Karni Sena would watch the movie when released and, if required, it would not allow the screening in the state," said Kalvi.

Mahaveer Singh Sarwadi, a leader of the Shatriya Yuvak Singh, said: "We would oppose the release of the film if it shows the community in bad taste."

A number of scenes for the film, which features Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles, were shot in and around Jaipur. Gowariker has consulted several eminent Mughal historians for his movie.

Source:TOI

Rudy Giuliani, who bet his presidential hopes on Florida only to come in third, prepared to quit the race Tuesday and endorse his friendliest rival, John McCain.

The former New York mayor stopped short of announcing he was stepping down, but delivered a valedictory speech that was more farewell than fight-on.

Giuliani finished a distant third to winner John McCain and close second-place finisher Mitt Romney. Republican officials said Giuliani would endorse McCain on Wednesday in California. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public announcement.

"I'm proud that we chose to stay positive and to run a campaign of ideas in an era of personal attacks, negative ads and cynical spin," he said as supporters with tight smiles crowded behind him.

"You don't always win, but you can always try to do it right, and you did."

Asked directly if he was dropping out of the race, Giuliani said only: "I'm going to California."

Republican presidential candidates are scheduled to debate in Simi Valley Wednesday night.

Tuesday's result was a remarkable collapse for Giuliani. Last year, he occupied the top of national polls and seemed destined to turn conventional wisdom on end by running as a moderate Republican who supported abortion rights, gay rights and gun control.

"Elections are about fighting for a cause larger than ourselves," he said at one point, echoing one of McCain's most popular refrains.

The results seriously decimated Giuliani's unconventional strategy, which relied heavily on Florida to launch him into the coast-to-coast Feb. 5 nominating contests.

He largely bypassed the early voting states, figuring that the early states would produce multiple winners and no front-runner.

But Florida proved to be less than hospitable. The state's top two Republicans — Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. Charlie Crist — endorsed McCain. And Giuliani, who once led in state polls, saw his support swiftly erode.

Surveys of voters leaving polling places Tuesday showed that Giuliani was getting backing from some Hispanics, abortion rights supporters and people worried about terrorism, but was not dominating in any area.

McCain, addressing his own supporters moments later in Miami, gave Giuliani a warm rhetorical embrace, a possible prologue to accepting Giuliani's expected support.

"I want to thank my dear friend, my dear friend Rudy Giuliani, who invested his heart and soul in this primary and who conducted himself with all the qualities of the exceptional American leaders he truly is," McCain said. "Thank you Rudy for all you have added to this race and being and for being an inspiration to me and millions of Americans."

Giuliani hung his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on his leadership. His stalwart performance as New York mayor in the tense days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks earned him national magazine covers, international accolades and widespread praise.

Yet, Giuliani was always a Republican anomaly — a moderate-to-liberal New Yorker who backed abortion rights, gay rights and gun control in a party dominated by Southern conservatives.

In the end, as he saluted his backers Tuesday night, Giuliani hardly sounded wistful. But his remarks had the air of finality, of a campaign that had run its course.

"The responsibility of leadership doesn't end with a single campaign, it goes on and you continue to fight for it," Giuliani said. "We ran a campaign that was uplifting."

Giuliani, 63, first gained prominence as a crime-busting federal prosecutor in Manhattan. During a nearly seven-year stretch ending in 1989, Giuliani steered dozens of high-profile cases to completion, garnering more than 4,000 convictions. He tangled with mob bosses, Wall Street executives and corrupt politicians — and was never afraid to invite the bright lights of TV cameras to accompany his quests.

Giuliani's record as a crime-fighter helped propel his next career as a politician, but it wasn't an immediate success. He lost the first time he ran for mayor in 1989 before winning in 1993.

As mayor, he fostered a take-charge image by rushing to fires and crime scenes to brief the press, but some critics felt he was more concerned about taking credit from others for what became a historic decline in the city's crime rate during his tenure.

And, while the cleanup of New York in the 1990s helped the city take advantage of the nation's economic boom, critics — especially in minority communities — complained that Giuliani's tactics were too aggressive and trampled on civil rights.

A bout with prostate cancer and the very public breakup of his marriage with second wife Donna Hanover — she first learned he was filing for divorce when he made the announcement at a televised news conference — forced Giuliani to withdraw from a race for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2000.

By the summer of 2001, public esteem for Giuliani was at a low ebb. On the morning of Sept. 11, Giuliani did what he always did: rushed to the scene.

In the minutes, hours, and days that followed, he presented a calm, determined presence — urging people not to panic, but reminding them of the grim toll of the terrorist attacks. The image of a dusty, sweaty Giuliani walking near Ground Zero, surrounded by firefighters and police, was seared into the national memory.

In December 2001, Time magazine named him "person of the year" and its cover showed Giuliani standing atop a skyscraper in front of the New York City skyline with the label "Rudy Giuliani — tower of strength."

In the years after the attacks, that reputation helped launch a hugely successful consulting business, and got him a major piece of a Washington, D.C.-based law firm with a long list of big corporate clients.

Yet, while Giuliani has long been known as efficient and tough-minded, he also can be brusque, rude and occasionally harsh.

His past associations in business and politics have come under scrutiny. President Bush, at Giuliani's urging, nominated Bernard Kerik, the former New York police commissioner and one-time close associate of Giuliani to head the Homeland Security Department. Kerik withdrew his nomination, and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of accepting a gift from a company suspected of ties to organized crime.

In the final days of his Florida campaign, the former mayor trailed badly in polls but insisted he would win an upset victory. As the actual votes were counted, only about one in six GOP voters chose Giuliani.

With no working strategy, no primary victories, and dwindling resources, the mayor's third-place finish spelled the end of his campaign, even if his crestfallen supporters couldn't believe it.

"They'll be sorry!" a woman with a New York accent called out to the mayor as he spoke. "You sound like my mother," Giuliani joked.

Source:http

New Delhi: The verdict is out and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for 2007 is E Sreedharan.

Metro Man Sreedharan, who was also the winner in the Public Service category, was chosen for achieving the near-impossible, for breaking through bureaucratic red tape and defying the naysayers of modern infrastructure-building to build the Delhi Metro.

The 76-year-old Sreedharan is the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, its builder and executor. The Delhi Metro has proved to be a Godsend for the city as every morning, over six lakh Delhiites today use the network to commute to work.

Sreedharan faced numerous challenges. Bureaucratic red tape tried to delay his work. Contractors would not meet commitments. Corruption threatened to slow him down.

But the unassuming railway engineer never lost hope and never stopped believing in his project, which changed the face of urban transport in India.

With 56 kilometres of the network on track and only two more phases left to be completed, the $2 billion project is running ahead of time and strictly within budget.

In just two more years, the high-speed train will be accessible to every resident of Delhi.

Meet the man behind the Metro

Sreedharan reports for work on the dot at 8.45 every morning, 15 minutes before his staff. Disclaiming that he is workaholic, Sreedharan says he simply likes to get the job done, for the job at hand is not just his duty but also his dharma.

Although Sreedharan is hardly ever seen in public, rarely gives interviews or attends public functions, his honesty and integrity are legends.

The Konkan Railway project came to him after he had retired from the Railways. It was a daunting task – 760 km of rail tracks from Mumbai to Kochi through the rugged mountains of the Western Ghats.

Environmentalists had protested and politicians said it could never be done. The project ran short of money.

But in an unprecedented initiative, Sreedharan raised public bonds to finance it and today, the Konkan Railway chugs merrily down the coastline.

Sreedharan was also one of Time magazine's Asian heroes, but to CNN-IBN, and perhaps the rest of India, he is much more – one of modern India's greatest sons, one who is not just a dreamer but a builder and one who has dedicated his achievements to every Indian.

Source:http://www.ibnlive.com/news/sreedharan-is-cnnibn-indian-of-the-year-2007/57663-3.html

Mittal, Ambanis among world's wealthiest CEOs: Forbes

NEW YORK: Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal along with Ambani brothers -- Mukesh and Anil, are among the 10 wealthiest CEOs in the world, according to American magazine Forbes.

Out of the world's 10 wealthiest CEOs, four positions have been grabbed by Indians -- Lakshmi Mittal is ranked at the second place followed by Mukesh Ambani (6th place), Anil Ambani (7th) and Wipro chief Azim Premji (9th).

The list has been topped by Warren Buffet, the Chief Executive of Berkshire Hathaway with a fortune of 52 billion dollars.

Arcelor Mittal chief Lakshmi Mittal has a net worth of 32 billion dollars, while Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani have fortunes worth 20.1 billion dollars and 18.2 billion dollars, respectively.

Chief of IT bellweather Wipro Azim Premji has a net worth of 17.1 billion dollars.

However, these net worth figures are not current and have been taken from a list prepared almost a year back for Indian businessmen and from a September list for those from the US.

Forbes said that the list of wealthiest CEOs was prepared after perusing the ranks of the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans from September and its annual billionaires' list from last March.

"We found the 10 richest CEOs around, some of whom founded their own companies, others who benefited from large inheritances and still others who built their fortunes through other means," the magazine said.

About Mukesh Ambani the Chairman and Managing Director of country's most valued firm Reliance Industries, the magazine said: "Ambani fulfils the duties of CEO at his company, even though he doesn't carry the title."

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mittal_Ambanis_among_worlds_wealthiest_CEOs_Forbes/articleshow/2740362.cms

MUMBAI: As if welcoming the RBI's decision to keep key rates steady, the Indian currency on Tuesday remained stable and ended the day at Rs 39.3750/3850 against greenback amid fairly good demand for the US currency.

The local currency resumed stronger at 39.34/35 a dollar following a sharp surge in Asian stocks and amid expectations of a repo rate cut by the central bank.

The Indian unit dropped to 39.42 level, after a sharp fall in local stocks and the Reserve Bank's announcement of quarterly review of monetary policy.

The rupee movements were influenced by activity on the bourses as well as the apex bank's quarterly review of monetary policy released during the day.

Forex dealers said there were lot of factors in favour of the Indian unit but emergence of month-end dollar demand from oil refiners and sustained capital outflow continued to weigh on the rupee sentiment,

Oil companies make dollar purchases to meet their import proceeds at the month-end.

The central bank kept key rates on hold amid indications that it would absorb or contain capital inflows to prevent any sudden surge in the currency.

The Asia's fast growing economy was flooded with heavy capital inflows due a widening of interest rate differentials between the US and India.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/Rupee_ends_steady_against_dollar/articleshow/2740952.cms

As India celebrates its 59th Republic Day, some small screen celebrities share their feelings and vision for the country.

While Sakshi Tanwar of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii says she is proud to be an Indian, actor Ronit Roy hates being out of the country for more than three days.

Ronit Roy (Kasautii Zindagii Kay): I have been all over the world but have never been more comfortable there for more than three days. I love my motherland India. India is currently on the brink of becoming the largest economy of the world and I am very proud to be an Indian. Somehow, not many feel genuinely for the country and this deters them from doing anything for the nation. We are a large population, but sadly, only a small percentage of people are working towards development. On this Republic Day, let's start feeling for the country.

Jay Bhanushali (Kayamath): Republic Day is a very important day for every Indian. We must respect our nation and our flag. On this day, all members of my colony come together and hoist the flag. This year, we have planned to celebrate it differently. We will be organising a special cleanliness drive to encourage everyone to keep the city clean. Various school students and college students will be joining us and I will be joining them in this noble endeavour.

Gautami Kapoor (Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi): This day makes me feel very patriotic. I feel very proud to be an Indian. My daughter is very young and her school asked the children to be dressed in Indian attire Thursday to celebrate the special day. It makes me happy to see schools make an attempt to educate children about the relevance of this day and instil in them a sense of belonging for their country.

Sakshi Tanwar (Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii): I am proud to be an Indian. India has made a strong mark on the international map slowly and steadily. I would like to wish all the citizens of India, a very Happy Republic Day.

Ketki Dave (Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi): Even though our country got freedom many years ago, for me, the country will be a free country only when actual freedom prevails. That will only be when the villagers and rural population of our country will be free from the clutches of poverty, illiteracy and other issues. The day this happens, I would truly celebrate Republic Day.

Rajashree Thakur (Saat Phere): My vision for India on this Republic day is that it should become a corruption free country. I wish every person to be treated equally. India is still a developing country and the way it is progressing, I hope our free nation becomes a developed nation very soon.

Rakshanda Khan (Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi): Over the past few years, India has only witnessed progress and the entire credit goes to the people of the country. I feel the people are headed towards the right direction. The graph of progress is on an all time high and I hope it continues to reach the top!

Karan Patel (Kasturi): I think India is a wonderful country and its independence was our greatest achievement ever. The greatness of this country is in the unity of its people and I hope it continues to grow forever.

Panchhi Bora (Kayamath): Being an army kid, I have always seen Republic Day celebrations very closely and they are very special to me. This day gives me a feel good factor and reaffirms my sense of being free. I wish all Indians a very Happy Republic Day.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=f5563584-8742-4d62-8fc4-16f86f193629&&Headline=TV+celebs+get+patriotic+on+R-Day

Jesse Jackson poses in the backdrop of a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi along with Gandhi's grand daughter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee at the Gandhi memorial in New Delhi, on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. Jackson arrived to deliver the Gandhi memorial lecture on the eve of Mahatma's sixtieth death anniversary.

New Delhi: India's most famous cartoonist and humorist RK Laxman was conferred the CNN-IBN Lifetime Achievement Award at the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2007 function in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2007 award recognises the Indian(s) whose contribution to the country in a calendar year has strengthened the foundation of our society and has helped build Brand India in the process.

RK Laxman was conferred the prestigious honour for bringing a smile to the faces of thousands of Indians every morning and for creating the 'Common Man' who represents the mute millions.

Laxman, whose creation 'The Common Man' is arguably the most well recognised Indian fictional character, started his career as a cartoonist in the 1940s.

He was behind the distinctive illustrations in the Malgudi stories written by his brother RK Narayan, and the daily cartoons in various newspapers right from the time of Independence.

Laxman's cartoons lay bare political hypocrisy and doublespeak with wit, insight and irony. His 'Common Man', who never speaks in the cartoons, manages to this day to raise important issues affecting the country, all with a generous dose of humour.

ADELAIDE: Struggling to digest the exoneration of Harbhajan Singh on racial abuse charges, the Australian media reacted with dented pride and hurt ego.

While Cricket Australia worked with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to broker a resolution to the impasse over Harbhajan's racism charge, newspapers claimed the Australian body participated in the joint effort under duress.

As recently as Monday a BCCI official said India would abandon the limited-overs section of its Australian tour, starting on Feb. 3, if Harbhajan's appeal against a three-test ban for racial abuse did not succeed.

Australian newspapers reported on Wednesday that India had gone as far as chartering a plane to fly its team home if the appeal hearing did not produce the result the visitors wanted.

It was also reported that Cricket Australia faced being sued for up to 60 million Australian dollars (US$53.2 million) by broadcasters who held the rights to televise tour matches in India.

Harbhajan pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of abusive language at the appeal in Adelaide and was fined about USD 2,665 or 50 per cent of his match fee from the Sydney Test in which he was alleged to have called Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who is of West Indian descent, a "monkey."

The guilty plea followed an agreement between the Australian and Indian bodies on the evidence they would jointly submit to the hearing, chaired by New Zealand High Court judge John Hansen.

The Australian national newspaper, in an article headlined "Cricket's Day of Shame," quoted an unnamed Australian player as saying: "The thing that (annoys us) is that it shows how much power India has. The Aussie guys aren't going to make it up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks."

India has become the financial powerhouse of world cricket, generating massive broadcasting and sponsorship revenues which support the international game.

The International Cricket Council has been seen to have bowed to Indian pressure in several recent decisions, including the removal of umpire Steve Bucknor from the recent test series when his rulings angered the Indian team.

Cricket commentator Peter Roebuck, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald , said India's threat to fly its players home if the appeal failed was "amongst the most nakedly aggressive actions taken in the history of a notoriously fractious game."

"If this is the way the Indian board intends to conduct its affairs hereafter, then God help cricket," Roebuck wrote.

"All around, it has been a bad business. Over the years, India have often been represented by gentlemen with high principles and a strong sense of sportsmanship. Australia have not been so fortunate. But it seems that power has corrupted."

A poll conducted by the Sky News television network showed 57 per cent of respondents disagreed with the appeal decision while 43 per cent supported it. The number of participants was not available.

In The Australian newspaper, Peter Lalor wrote that Indian had "pulled out every stop" to ensure the ICC and Cricket Australia "caved in" to its demands. "India, the team that bleated about the spirit of cricket after being beaten in Sydney, has again held a gun to the game's head and had its demands met," he said.

Australian governor general Michael Jeffery, the British queen's representative in Australia, appealed in a radio interview for a return to courtesy on the cricket field.

"While we should be playing the game tough and hard and all of that sort of thing, I think there's also a need to really take care of the fundamental courtesies and good manners," Jeffery said.

What did Harbhajan tell Symonds?

ADELAIDE: What did Harbhajan Singh tell Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds to provoke the charge of racial abuse against the Indian and create a furor in world cricket?

The recordings from the stump microphone, which were produced before the Appeals Commissioner Justice John Hansen who cleared Harbhajan of the racial abuse but found him guilty of using offensive language, reveal the following exchanges:

Symonds to Harbhajan at the end of an over: "Go and yell at your team-mates...You called me monkey again."

Australian opener Matthew Hayden interjects: "You have got a witness now champ", obviously addressing Symonds.

Apparently turning to Harbhajan, Hayden is heard saying, "That is the last time".

Harbhajan: "No, listen, he started it." Hayden: "Doesn't matter mate, it is racial vilification mate. It is a shit word and you know it".

These exchanges took place on January 4, the third day of the Sydney Test and the Australians filed a complaint against Harbhajan.

Reports said that Harbhajan admitted at the hearing that he had abused Symonds with a hindi word which sounded like 'monkey'.

When the Counsel for the Australian players asked Harbhajan what he had said, Harbhajan said "I admit I abused Symonds and said m- - - - (an abusive word in Hindi).

The Indian officials at the hearing burst out laughing when Harbhajan disclosed the word.

Judge Hansen confirmed the meaning of the word from Tendulkar and the dropped the charge of racial abuse against the Indian spinner.

The reports also said that the Australian players were not too happy with the withdrawal of the racial abuse charge against Harbhajan but were told by Cricket Australia officials to follow the guidelines.

New Delhi: India's tour of Australia is under threat. Sources tell CNN-IBN Indian players have said they will withdraw from the series unless the racial abuse charge against off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is dropped.

The Indian team is adamant that they will not settle for anything less than an acquittal, sources tell CNN-IBN.

John Hansen, the Appeals Commissioner appointed by the International Cricket Council, said on Monday morning that there is fresh evidence in the case in form of transcripts of the stump microphone.

The Indian team management has questioned why this evidence was not presented in the first hearing and suspect it could be doctored. The Australian team is not willing to back down on the charges against Singh, sources said.

Singh is accused of using a racist slur against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds in the Sydney test.

Source:http://www.ibnlive.com/news/team-india-says-absolve-bhajii-or-oz-tour-off/57523-5.html

MUMBAI: Tracking extremely weak global cues, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by 640 points at 10:30 am on Monday after a record rise on Friday.

Asian indices were down by about 2.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent during morning trade.

The BSE barometer, which was 796 points down in early trade gradually moved to 17,721.48 at 10.30 am, a fall of 640.18 points or 3.49 per cent from Friday's close.

On Friday, the market was 1,140 points up at 18,361.66. The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also fell substantially by 216.95 points or 4.03 per cent to 5,166.40 at 10.30 am from previous close of 5,383.35.

Market participants said the rollover was very low and investors preferred to lighten commitments ahead of the expiry of January series on Thursday.

Investors were extremely cautious with world markets expecting continued volatility ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting and Friday's monthly jobs report, they added.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sensex_tumbles_on_weak_global_cues/articleshow/2736788.cms

Adelaide: The first session of the final day of the much talked about series between India and Australia, was action packed to the hilt. Early into the fifth day morning, India suffered a major blow when Rahul Dravid was retired hurt without adding a run to his name at the Adelaide Oval. But, Virender Sehwag stood tall in the middle for the Indians with a dazzling century to his name as India reached 142-2 at lunch. The mighty Aussies struck back soon sending back Sachin Tendulkar to draw even in the pre-lunch session. India managed a lead of 105 runs. The flamboyant Sehwag, back to halcyon days, was batting on 103 while Sourav Ganguly was unbeaten on nine at lunch. Sehwag, mixing caution with aggression, blazed to his hundred at run a ball on the fifth day, cracking nine boundaries and two sixes in his belligerent knock. But soon after Sehwag reached his century, a bad call brought an abrupt end to Tendulkar's tenure in the middle. An attempt to take a cheeky single and a brilliant direct hit from the bowler, Mitchell Johnson made Tendulkar's last stint in Australia a short lived one. The 'Little Master' could manage only 13 runs. A snorter from Brett Lee struck Dravid on the gloves following which he was unable to grip the bat and had to walk off the field. The ball hit Dravid on the middle finger of his right hand. After Australia turned the tide on Sunday, the visitors are fighting to save the Test. With a win out of the window for Anil Kumble's men after Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke struck resolute centuries on the fourth day, the task ahead for the visitors is simple: bat through the day or at least for a major portion of it.

Today is the Republic Day of India. This day, 58 years ago, Constitution of the Country came into force thereby defining it as a Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary form of Government, through the Preamble. The Indian Constitution, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly after considerable discussions represented the framework of the Government of the Country.

This day is a national holiday in India and celebrated with pride. One of the many events around this day is the Republic Day Parade. As a child, I used to enjoy a live telecast of this parade on television followed by in-person enjoying the prowess of Indian Armed Forces as the parade used to end near our house on Red Fort of Delhi.

Check a webcast of 2007 parade here, deja vu.

Wishing all fellow readers a happy republic day.

India hit 526 as Gilchrist sets record

Anil Kumble was last man out for 87, his fifth Test fifty, adding crucial stands for the eighth and tenth wickets, to help India to 526 in Adelaide
Kumble nears hundred as India bat on

Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble piled on the agony for Australia after lunch, and even the intervention of the part-time bowlers couldn't prevent India exten