Mumbai shootout 26 Nov

The November 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of ten coordinated attacks which began across Mumbai (Bombay), the largest city in India and the country’s financial capital, on 26 November 2008 and ended on 29 November 2008 when Indian security forces finally regained control of all attack sites.

Location	Type of attack	Casualties	Rescued
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria) railway station	Shootings; grenade attacks.	55	none
Leopold Café, Colaba	Shootings, grenade explosion.	10	none
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel	Shootings; six explosions; fire on ground, first, and top floors; hostages;RDX found nearby.	50 approx	around 250
Oberoi Trident hotel	Shootings; explosions; hostages; fire.	24	143
Metro Cinema	Shooting from carjacked police jeep
Cama Hospital	Shootings; hostages	3 policemen	none
Nariman House (Mumbai Chabad House)	Siege; shootings hostages.	6	9
Vile Parle suburb, North Mumbai	Car bomb blast.	3	none
Mazagaon docks	Explosion; boat with armaments seized.	none	none
Girgaum Chowpatty	1 terrorist killed and 1 arrested by a team from the Gamdevi police station.	2	none

Terrorists involved

* Azam Amir Kasav & Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan, (attacked CST, police vehicle in cama hospital, Metro cinema, Vidhan Bhavan, Girgaum Chowpatty)
* 4 Terrorists in Taj Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Oberoi Hotel, 2 Terrorists in Nariman House ( Abu Ali, Fahad, Omar, Shoaib, Umer, Abu Akasha, Abdul Rahman (Bara), and Abdul Rahman).

Entry into India

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 21	evening	Ten terrorists leave Karachi, Pakistan in a boat & travel for thirty-eight hours, remaining undetected by the Indian Navy.
Nov 22		Each of the 10 men are given 6-7 magazines of 30 rounds each plus 400 rounds not loaded in magazines , 8 hand grenades, one AK-47 assault rifle, an automatic loading revolver, credit cards and a supply of dried fruit.
Nov 22		A separate group check in to the Taj Hotel with arms and ammunition.
Nov 23		The terrorists hijack an Indian trawler, Kuber, killing four fishermen and ordering the captain to sail to India.
Nov 24		The terrorists kill the captain and sail to Gujarat and raise a white flag. Two coast guard officers approach and question them. They kill one of the officers and force the other to sail them to Mumbai.
Nov 26		They reach within four nautical miles (7 km) of Mumbai and kill the other coast guard officer. They then proceed to board three inflatable speedboats and reach Colaba jetty at dusk.
Nov 26		The ten men get off at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, three blocks away from Nariman House.
Nov 26		Four of the men enter the Taj Mahal Hotel, two enter the Oberoi Trident, two enter Nariman House, and the other two men, Azam and Ismail, take a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

At the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel

Sources: NDTV, Evening Standard, and BBC

Date	Estimated Time (+0530 UTC)	Event
Nov 26	11:00 PM	Terrorists enter Taj hotel.
Nov 27	12:00 AM	Mumbai Police surrounds the hotel.
Nov 27	01:00 AM	Massive blast in the central dome, fire in the building.
Nov 27	02:30 AM	Army soldiers arrive in two trucks and enter the front lobby. Fire spreads across the top floor.
Nov 27	03:00 AM	Fire Engines arrive. Shootings heard inside lobby and heritage building.
Nov 27	4:00 AM	Firemen rescue people with ladders. More than 200 people evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 AM	Terrorists reported to move from central dome to new tower.
Nov 27	5:00 AM	Commandos and Bomb squad arrive. Police step up heat.
Nov 27	5:30 AM	Fire brought under control but terrorists holed up in new tower with 100–150 hostages.
Nov 27	6:30 AM	Security forces say they are ready for encounter.
Nov 27	8:00 AM	People are brought out of the lobby.
Nov 27	8:30 AM	Another 50 people brought out of Chambers club.
Nov 27	9:00 AM	More rounds of firing, many more people reported to be stuck inside.
Nov 27	10:30 AM	Gunbattle reported from inside
Nov 27	12 Noon	50 evacuated
Nov 27	4:30 PM	Militants set fire to a room on the 4th floor
Nov 27	7:20 PM	More NSG commandos arrive, enter hotel
Nov 27	11:00 PM	Operations continue
Nov 27	2:53 PM	Six bodies recovered
Nov 27–28	2:53 PM – 3:59	Ten grenade explosions
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Marine commandos recover explosives from Taj.
Nov 28	4.00 PM	12–15 dead bodies recovered from the Taj by Naval Commandos.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	Fresh explosions and gun shots at Taj Hotel.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	Reported that one terrorist left at the Taj.
Nov 29	3:40 AM – 4:10 AM	Reports of five explosions at the Taj.
Nov 29	5:05 AM	Revised estimate of one terrorist remaining.
Nov 29	07:30 AM	Fire raging on first floor. Black smoke from second floor. Gunshots heard frequently—apparent gun battle.
Nov 29	08:00 AM	Indian commandos state that the Taj Hotel is now under control. However they are still conducting room to room searches. People celebrate on the streets.

At the Oberoi Trident

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	6 AM	NSG arrives, storms hotel.
Nov 27	8:40 AM	Firing heard, Top army, navy officers arrive and take stock.
Nov 27	1:30 PM	Two small explosions. More reinforcements enter building.
Nov 27	3:25 PM	Some foreign hostages rescued
Nov 27	5:35 PM	Sikh regiment arrives, fierce gunbattle.
Nov 27	6 PM	27 hostages come out of Air India building, four foreigners taken to hospital.
Nov 27	6:45 PM	Explosion heard. Two NSG guards, 25 army personnel suspected injured. More people rescued, in all 31.
Nov 27	7:10 PM	1 terrorist arrested.
Nov 27	7:25 PM	Fire breaks out on 4th floor
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continue
Nov 28	10 AM	Many hostages evacuated from the Trident building.
Nov 28	3:00 PM	Commando operations at Oberoi over, 24 dead bodies recovered. 143 hostages rescued alive. Two militants shot dead.

At Nariman House

Date	Estimated Time	Event
Nov 27	7 AM	Police began evacuating adjacent buildings.
Nov 27	11 AM	Cross-firing between terrorists and police; one militant injured.
Nov 27	2:45 PM	Terrorists threw grenade into nearby lane; no casualties.
Nov 27	5:30 PM	NSG commandos arrive, naval helicopter took aerial survey.
Nov 27	11 PM	Operations continued.
Nov 27	12 PM	9 hostages rescued from first floor.
Nov 28	7:30 AM	NSG commandos airdropped onto the top of Nariman house.
Nov 28	7:30 PM	All 6 hostages including the Rabbi and his wife found killed by the terrorists.
Nov 28	8:30 PM	NSG commandos declared the operations over, 2 terrorists killed.

Casualties

At least 172 people had been killed in the attacks and 293 wounded. Among the dead were 124 Indian civilians, 17 policemen and 31 foreigners. The breakdown of the foreigners was as follows: four Americans, four Australians, three Canadians, three Germans, two Israeli-Americans, two Israelis, two French, two Italians, one British-Cypriot, one Dutch, one Japanese, one Jordanian, one Malaysian, one Mauritian, one Mexican, one Singaporean and one Thai.

In addition, nine terrorists were killed and one was captured.

27 other foreigners of different nationalities were injured in the terror strikes and were admitted to the Bombay Hospital. Hospital sources said the injured foreigners were from Australia, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Canada, Spain, Norway, Finland, Oman, China, Japan, the Philippines and Jordan.

Andreas Liveras, a British yachting tycoon (of dual Greek Cypriot and British citizenship), was among those confirmed killed. German TV producer Ralph Burkei, and French lingerie tycoon, Loumia Hiridjee and her husband, were also among the dead. Husband and wife, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, both of whom were hostages in Nariman House, also died during the attack.

According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, 14 policemen and three NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:

• Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who headed the team investigating the politically sensitive 2006 Malegaon blasts. Karkare had also been receiving death threats recently, including a threat to bomb his residence, but it is unclear if these were related to his death.
• Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
• Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
• Senior inspector Shashank Shinde, who had recently been involved in investigating many of India’s recent bombings.
• NSG Commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
• NSG Commando Hawaldar Chandar
• NSG Commando Gajendra Singh

Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus had also been killed in the terror strikes.

The Government of Maharashtra announced Rs. 5 lakh (about 10,000 USD) compensation to the kin of those killed in the terror attacks and Rs. 50,000 (about 1,000 USD) to the seriously injured.

Nationality	Deaths	Injured
Indian	141	256
American	4	2
Australian	4	2
Canadian	3	2
German	3	3
American-Israeli	2	–
Israeli	2	–
French	2	–
Italian	2	–
Cypriot-British	1	–
Dutch	1	–
Japanese	1	1
Jordanian	1	1
Malaysian	1
Mauritian	1	–
Mexican	1	–
Singaporean	1	–
Thai	1	–
Austrian	–	1
British	–	7
Chinese	–	1
Omani	–	2
Filipino	–	1
Spanish	–	2
Finnish	–	1
Norwegian	–	1

Muslim Council refuses to bury militants in India

The Muslim Council of India decided not to allow burial of the bodies of the nine terrorists killed during the Mumbai siege in the Marine Lines Bada Qabrastan (cemetery). The council said it was trying to send a message to all cemeteries in India that none of the bodies should be buried on Indian soil.

Strong Nationalism among general public

The attack has put challenges for the Congress-led Indian government ahead of general elections, and also to persuade Pakistan to act against militants. Many general public want some kind of clear response to the attack that killed 183 people, from identifying and punishing the masterminds to trade sanctions against Pakistan, or passing firm anti-terrorism laws within India

Terrorism in Mumbai

The city of Mumbai, India has suffered several terrorist attacks, mostly bombings, including:

* 12 March 1993 – Series of 13 bombs go off killing 257
* 06 December 2002 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 2
* 27 January 2003 – Bomb goes off on a bicycle in Vile Parle killing 1
* 14 March 2003 – Bomb goes off in a train in Mulund killing 10
* 28 July 2003 – Bomb goes off in a bus in Ghatkopar killing 4
* 25 August 2003 – Two Bombs go off in cars near the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar killing 50
* 11 July 2006 – Series of seven bombs go off in trains killing 209
* 19 October 2008 – North Indians killed in various part of Maharastra. (killed 20 people).
* 26 November 2008 to 29 November 2008 – Coordinated series of attacks killing at least 189

 

China wants India to block Dalai Lama’s Dharamshala meet

BEIJING: China on Thursday made a direct request to India for blocking the proposed six-day meeting organised by the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala from November 17 to discuss the future of Tibet.

“The Indian government has made solemn commitment about not allowing any anti-China activities on its soil. We hope that the commitment will be implemented,” Qin Gang, the foreign ministry spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday.

Anyone who participates in the meeting being organised by the Dalai Lama will not be liked by the Chinese people, he said. The Chinese government is against anyone trying to split the nation or raise such an issue in the international arena, he said.

The statement is aimed to put pressure on the Indian government, which may find it difficult to block the meeting in view of the vast support enjoyed by the Dalai Lama the world over.

India had earlier accepted China’s request to check pro-Tibet protestors demonstrating against the Olympic Games torch relay and trying to march to Tibet from Dharamshala in July and August. Chinese leaders had eagerly praised India’s efforts in this direction. They want New Delhi to act directly against the Dalai Lama this time, which is obviously going to put New Delhi in a spot.

Diplomats on the two sides are engaged in tough negotiations that may involve a trade-off if New Delhi agreed to take measures to stop the Dalai Lama from holding the meeting. But any sort of agreement has been made difficult because of the Arunachal Pradesh issue.

The Chinese foreign ministry recently challenged external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s claim that Arunachal is an integral part of India. Qin said on Tuesday that Mukherjee’s statement was contrary to historical facts as China does not accept the MacMohan Line and the border between the two nations has not yet been demarcated.

The Dalai Lama invoked article 59 of the Tibetan Charter that empowers him to call a ‘Special Meeting’ to discuss the future course of action as his envoys returned empty handed after secret meetings with Chinese government representatives. The past few weeks has seen the Tibetan leader complaining that he had “given up” on China and that his “faith in the Chinese government is thinning.”

The “special meeting” to be held in Dharamshala will be attended by past and present members of the cabinet in his government-in-exile, past and present members of the Tibetan parliament in exile, representatives of non-government organisations and intellectuals interested in the Tibetan issue.

 

Blast Rocks North East

GAUHATI, India: At least 13 blasts ripped through cities across India’s northeastern state of Assam on Thursday, killing at least 30 people and wounding dozens more, police and witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blasts, but the region is torn by dozens of militant separatist groups that have long fought the government and one another.

At least 15 people died in four blasts in Gauhati, the state capital, and 15 more were killed when eight bombs and one hand grenade went off just before noon in other cities and towns in the western part of the state, said officials at the police control room.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene of a blast in Gauhati said flames were leaping from charred cars, bodies were strewn across the road and a thick stream of black smoke was rising above the city.

Television footage showed firefighters spraying streams of water at charred, twisted cars and motorcycles that littered the blackened road.

Bystanders dragged the wounded and dead to cars that took them to hospitals, while police officers covered the burned remains of the dead with white sheets, leaving them in the street.

At least one explosion took place a few hundred yards (meters) from the secretariat, the building that houses the offices of the chief minister, the state’s top elected official.

N.I. Hussain, Gauhati’s deputy inspector general of police told the CNN-IBN news channel that police in the state were on high alert and searching for more unexploded bombs.

“Police have intensified the search for more bombs. There may be more blasts. You never know,” he said.

Worst hit outside of Gauhati was the Kokrajhar district, some 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of the capital, where at least 10 people were killed, police said.

Dozens of militant separatist groups are active in India’s northeast, an isolated region wedged between Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Myanmar with only a thin corridor connecting it to the rest of India.

The separatists accuse the central government in New Delhi, 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to the west, of exploiting the region’s natural resources while doing little for the indigenous people — most of whom are ethnically closer to Burma and China than to the rest of India.

More than 10,000 people have died in separatist violence over the past decade in the region.

India has also blamed several previous serial attacks in India on Islamic militants from nearby Bangladesh.

Note that: Bihari imigrants are killed in assam so lets enjoy of this ocation. I ma very happy they killed Biharis now they got punished by someone else. Well done, keep it up.. Cheep hurrah…..

 

Sachin Lier and bad Sport

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) finally announced the Credit Policy. All key rates including the CRR, repo rate and reverse repo rate were kept unchanged. The GDP growth forecast was lowered to 7.5%. The RBI admitted that moderating growth remains a concern. the Central Bank expects resumption of export growth during the next quarter. It also hopes that net capital flow will meet the external financial requirements. The RBI has decided to enhance liquidity if pressure on the market persists. Here are the key features of RBI’s Credit Policy: All key rates including CRR, repo rate and reverse repo rate unchanged SLR norms unchanged GDP Growth Forecast lowered to 7.5% Inflation target was unchanged at 7% Credit Growth target lowered to 20% from 29%

In a shocking development, former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, who can’t even be compared with the great Sachin Tendulkar, accused him of lying during the Sydney Test to save his team mate Harbhajan Singh. In his latest autobiography, “True Colors of My Life”, Adam Gilchrist has called Sachin Tendulkar “dishonest”, “liar” and “bad sport”. It could be a publicity stunt by Gilchrist to gain publicity for his book

The Indian Rupee continued to slide further, as it opened at an all-time-low of 50.15 against the US Dollar. Yesterday, it was closed at 49.81 against the USD. For the first time in history, the Rupee breached the psychological barrier of 50.00, causing panic in the market. As the trading progresses today, Rupee is feared to dip further.

Angry students protesting against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and its chief Raj Thackeray, set Motihari Railway Station on fire. Ironically, the mob fury was so high that GRP (Government Railway Police), RPF (Railway Protection Force) and police personnel fled from the spot, leaving the Railways Station at the mercy of rampaging students. Later, CRPF intervened and fired several rounds in the air to disperse the mob. The CRPF personnel had to resort to lathicharge and lobbed teargas shells to control the mob violence. Railway properties have been attacked elsewhere in Bihar for the third consecutive day. According to Railways, properties worth Rs. 5 – 7 crore have been destroyed by angry students. Several Bihar-bound trains including Rajdhani, Sampark Kranti and others have been cancelled, causing high inconvenience to the passengers. The passengers are not even able to get correct information regarding the cancellation, departure or reschedule of trains.

Even as the global economy has reached a bottom low, the Asia-Europe meeting will begin in Beijing to discuss important issues including the economic cooperation. India makes its debut at the ASEM with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh (an Economist himself) representing India. Dr. Manmohan Singh is expected to provide vital suggestion on how to handle the global economic crisis. The ASEM has 45 countries with China taking the centre stage. The ASEM group includes 27 EU countries, the European Commission, ASEAN (10 countries), India, Pakistan, Mongolia and ASEAN Secretariat.

A sport-loving country of over 1.3 billion people and great cricketers across the world are outraged over the latest remarks made by former Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist. Adam Gilchrist, who was considered as a “saint” in modern day cricket, called legendary Sachin Tendulkar as “dishonest” and “bad sport” in his latest autobiography, “True Colours My Life” which will be released next week. In his book, “True Colours of My Life”, Adam Gilchrist showed his true colours by raking up the racism row between Harbhajan and Symnonds during the Sydney Test. He accused Sachin Tendulkar of lying and being dishonest. According to Adam Gilchrist, Harbhajan Singh had made a racial remark against Andrew Symonds, but was let off with mild punishment only because of Sachin Tendulkar’s “false testimony”. Adam Gilchrist, who retired from test cricket recently, not only questioned Sachin Tendulkar’s honesty, but also criticised Harbhajan, Indian team, Indian Board (BCCI) and Australian Board (Cricket Australia) over this issue. Gilchrist’s latest tirade against Sachin Tendulkar has upset millions of cricket fans across the globe. Since Gilchrist is the skipper of Hyderabad Deccan Chargers in the IPL, it would be interesting to see, what price he will have to pay for his “irresponsible” and “condemnable” outburst against a legend, who has nothing to prove in cricket.

 

18 killed in Bharatpur

At least 18 people including 10 children were killed and over 20 injured when a firecracker explosion took place in an illegal firecracker factory in Deeg town in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district. According to sources, the blast caused a major fire in the area and a few nearby houses were gutted by it. The injured are being treated in a local hospital. The police are investigating the matter. Further details are awaited.

The market meltdown continues… While the Dow Jones (down 551 points) and Nasdaq (down 81 points) crashed by a huge margin tonight, the Indian market opened on a disastrous note this morning. The BSE Sensex crashed by over 450 points to go below 10,000 mark. The Sensex was trading at 9,721 points when reports last came in. The Nifty too witnessed a sharp decline in it stocks and went below 3,000 mark for the first time since July 2006. All Asian markets opened in deep red, while markets in Brazil, Chile, Russia and Europe too witnessed a slump. The crude oil prices fell further to reach $67 per barrel. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown acknowledged for the first time that the global economic downturn may push the UK towards recession.

After the pay shock from the Union Government, the Army Officers got another jolt, as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has recommended the abolition of batmen or orderlies for them, terming the system as a “shameful practice”. The committee urged the defence ministry to abolish the orderly or sahayak system with immediate effect. It was a practice, which existed since the colonial era. The committee said that jawans are recruited for serving the nation and not to serve the family members of officers in household work. The Parliamentary Committee termed this as demeaning and humiliating. The report of the Parliamentary Committee was tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday. The committee believed that orderlies or sahayaks were misused by many officers and were forced to do lowly work such as taking kids to schools, washing clothes and taking the dogs to walk.

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray was granted bail in Kalyan case by the Kalyan court. Raj had to pay a personal bond of Rs. 15,000 to get the bail. Raj Thackeray also granted an interim bail in Dombivali rioting case and other cases till October 24. After the Kalyan court granted bail to Raj Thackeray, MNS activists erupted into joy and celebrations across Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray will remain a free man till October 24.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has denounced the divisive politics played by MNS chief Raj Thackeray and announced that Congress will take on Raj Thackeray and politicians like him if needed. He also sent a veiled threat to Raj Thackeray and MNS workers in Mumbai, who have held the city to ransom over the last few days or months. Rahul Gandhi was addressing a press conference in Dehradun. He also stressed on the need for organizations reforms for Congress and advocated the active participation of youth in Congress politics. “I am not Congress’ Yuvraj. I don’t like such terms being used”, said Rahul replying to the questions of media persons.

The Maharashtra Cabinet approved an ordinance, which will ensure that hooligans destroying public property would be forced to compensate for the loss. The ordinance comes in the wake of ongoing violence by MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his supporters across Maharashtra. According to Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (who is also in charge of Home Ministry) RR Patil, the ordinance will have provisions under which destruction of public property will be subject a to a hefty fine up to Rs. 25,000 and jail up to five years. The ordinance has been approved by the State Cabinet and will be sent to the Governor for ratification.

Thousands of students in Bihar came to the streets to protest against MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his tirade against the North Indians. Train and road traffic have come to an halt in several places. Several trains including the Aurangabad-Mumbai Express were stopped by angry students. Violent protests have been reported from Barh, Sasaram and Patna. According to latest reports, a group of students set Durg Express on fire in Barh. At least three AC coaches of Durg Express were affected by the fire. The security personnel have been rushed to the spot. All passengers are reportedly safe. The police had to open fire in the air to disperse the violent students in Sasaram. At least four students were injured in the incident.

Maharashtra News! Mumbai News! At least three people were killed and scores of injured in the violent clashes in Dombivali area last night. The MNS workers went on a rampage in the late night and burnt shops around the Manpada police station in Dombivali, where Raj Thackeray was stationed. The MNS activists also indulged in stone pelting and damaged over 200 vehicles. They set many houses and a hotel on fire. Clashes occurred between the locals and MNS activists, resulting in the death of three people. Raj Thackery’s wife Sharmila Thackeray, who became active after his husband’s arrest, went on a dharna or sit-in after she was denied a meeting with Raj Thackeray. Meanwhile, the Mumbai police filed an application in Vikhroli court for the cancellation of Raj Thackeray’s bail, which was granted to him on February 12, 2008. The police have charged him for rioting in Dombivali. Separate cases have been registered against Raj Thackeray in Jalgaon, Bhusawal, Solapur, Thane and Chalisgaon. Raj Thackeray’s lawyers have also filed an application in Jamshedpur court to quash the case registered against him there. Raj Thackeray will be produced in the Kalyan court after 2 PM. The Mumbai Police has decided to impose curfew in Kalyan from 11 AM to prevent any untoward incidents.

October 22, 2008 – India made history in space science today by joining the elite club of countries that have sent space missions to moon. India’s dream moon mission, Chandrayaan I was lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota today at 6.22 AM (IST). This is the first time India has sent an unmanned mission to moon. Chandrayaan I was launched on schedule without any glitch. Scientists confirmed that launch of Chandrayaan I was completely successful and it is heading in a right direction. Not only over a billion people in the country, but also millions across the world witnessed India’s entry into the elite club today. Chandrayaan 1 will take 11 days to reach the moon and it will spend around two years there. People of India rejoiced at the live telecast of India’s first-ever moon mission ‘Chandrayaan I’. Everyone was looking for Chandrayaan live. Scientists at ISRO jumped off their seat after the successful launch of Chandrayaan I. Chandrayaan 1 was put into orbit within 18 minutes of its launch. Chandrayaan launch became a big milestone in Indian history. The 1,380 kg (1.38 tonne) spacecraft, Chandrayaan 1 was put into orbit by India’s home-grown rocket PSLV-C11. It was PSLV’s 13 success in a row, as it already had launched 12 spacecrafts before the Chandrayaan launch. The Chandrayaan I is shaped like a cuboid or rectangular prism. Chandrayaan I carries 11 payloads – five from India and others from foreign countries. India became the third Asian country after Japan and China and sixth nation in the world to send a unmanned lunar mission to moon. ISRO (Indian Speace Research Organization) has already planned the Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2011. Besides India, the USA, Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China have already sent missions to moon. According to ISRO sources, India is planning a manned space mission in 2014 and a manner moon mission in 2020. Interestingly, China has planned a manned moon mission for 2024. The Chandrayaan -1 mission was built at a budget of $86 million (Rs. 386 cr). President Dr. Pratibha Patil, PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and many other top leaders have congratulated the scientists at ISRO and countrymen on the successful launch of Chandrayaan I. There is no doubt that ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) made the country proud.

At least 14 people were feared dead and 30 injured in a powerful bomb blast in Imphal, capital of Manipur. The bomb went off around 7.20 PM in the Ragallong village on the outskirts of Imphal. The injured have been rushed to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. The police personnel have cordoned off the area and stepped up combing operation. The blast took place close to a Manipur Police commando complex.

 

Moon Mission

The 49-hour countdown for the launch of India’s maiden unmanned moon mission scheduled to blast off on Wednesday from Sriharikota is progressing smoothly and there is no chance of the launch being postponed unless a cyclonic threat emerged, officials said.

The work on filling of propellant for the first stage of the polar launch vehicle had been completed and the second stage filling would be done tonight, Satish Dhawan Space Centre Associate Director Dr M Y S Prasad told PTI in Sriharikota, 80 km north of Chennai.

“The countdown, which started at 5.22 am on Monday, is progressing smoothly and the propellant filling of PS-2 (first stage) has been completed,” he said adding a total of about 43 tonnes of propellant would be filled. Asked about weather conditions in this space port town, which is witnessing isolated rains, he said the rains would not affect the launch.

“The rain does not matter as the spacecraft is fully rain-proof. Even if it is drenched, the launch would take place as per schedule,” he said. However, the launch might have to be rescheduled if there was cyclonic weather conditions, he added.

Chandrayaan-1 would put India in the elite lunar club comprising Russia, US, Japan, China and European Space Agency, which had undertaken unmanned exploratory missions to the moon.

 

LTTE

Seven Union ministers belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, including T R Baalu and A Raja, will be meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at 8 pm in Chennai today to submit their resignation from the Lok Sabha. This is part of the DMK’s tactic to force the central government to act decisively vis a vis the Sri Lankan Tamils. This is a major political challenge to the prime minister and is bound to embroil the United Progressive Alliance government in a serious crisis. That the DMK has chosen Friday 8 pm in Chennai to flex its muscles means that its 16 Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha MPs will not be attending to either their ministerial office or Parliament from Monday. The DMK is determined to create further trouble for the UPA government by raising the heat over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. As part of this strategy, Monday onwards the seven ministers will not be a part of the treasury benches. This decision is bound to put Congress ministers like P Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar, also from Tamil Nadu, in an embarrassing position. Given the sentiments involved, can they ignore the highly emotive issue? The question uppermost on the minds of political observers is, given this major crisis facing his government, will the prime minister undertake his China visit scheduled for next week?

When Vajpayee Govt was nearing its end the DMK walk out of the ministry and the alliance, because they felt that BJP will lose power. Now, they are doing it again at the fag end of MMS govt term,because they are again sensing that congress and UPA wont be returned to power after the next general election. And this sudden love for Tamils is an insult to those Tamils.

While Mk speaks for Tamils in Sri Lanka, why he has not cared for Indians in India Why didnt your ministers resign for price rise? Why didnt your ministers resign for petrol rise? Why didnt your ministers resign for raise of terrorism in India? Many Indians died in terror act. When the rate per barrel of petrol has come down to $71 from $146, this UPA Govt has not decreased the price of petrol? Have you or your party highlighted on this? First, why dont you try to save Tamils in Tamil Nadu by giving 24 hours uninterrupted electricity? First think of Indians in India, Tamilians in Tamil Nadu. Then you can cry for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

We were deprived for 5000 years , now is not enough reason that srilanka should provide 69% reservation to tamilians ? We will bring down your govt in case indian govt does not attack srilanka and force them to change constitution and provide 69% reservation Just imagine if people working in LTTE gets a govt job will they like living in forests ,etc I also demand a “tamil ratna” award to be given to all LTTE supporter.

 

Jet Airways

Jet Airways has decided to take back all sacked employees with immediate effect. Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal held a press conference and announced this decision. “I apologise for all agony you went through. You are like my family. And, my conscience does not allow me to sack you”, said Naresh Goyal to his employees. “My management made the decision to sack employees because of financial woes. But I have reversed it. My management may not like my decision, but I made it. I feel mentally disturbed with the recent events. I do not look at economies, I go with my conscience” said Naresh Goyal. Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal firmly said that he did not act under pressure. He even denied of having meeting any political leaders. As the news of cancellation of retrenchment in Jet Airways flashed on the TV channels, the fired employees erupted into joy and celebrations. They termed it as a major victory and distributed sweets to each other. Naresh Goyal confirmed that there would not be any retrenchment or lay offs in Jet Airways. However, he stressed on the need of cutting costs by every possible means. He also urged the government to come forward to bail out the sick aviation industry and loss-making airlines. Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel termed Jet Airways’ decision to take back all sacked employees as a welcome step.

The Lankan government believes that the quarter-century old militant movement of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam is in its last phase. The Sri Lanka [Images]n army is merely 1.2 miles away from Kilinochchi, the LTTE’s headquarters in northern Sri Lanka. According to Colonel R Hariharan, a retired military intelligence specialist who served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from 1987-90, “Six divisions of the Sri Lankan army have gheraoed Kilinochchi.The rains and the dense tall vegetation make airstrikes very difficult. The situation is critical for both sides.” The Sri Lankan defence ministry claims that the army has killed 7,553 rebels since Sri Lanka pulled out of a Norwegian-backed truce in January, while 748 soldiers have died in the clashes. By all accounts the situation is a turning point in Sri Lanka’s blood-soaked ethnic history. President Mahinda Rajapakase has waged a decisive battle against the LTTE and seems to be winning it so far. His critics allege that he is looking for a military solution and not for a political dialogue. The Pesident’s supporters claim that he had offered an olive branch to Prabhakaran, when he came to power. Rajapkse had offered to have a structured dialogue but the LTTE did not respond, so he was left with no option but to go for an armed offensive. As the LTTE is pushed to the wall, allegations of the sufferings and misery of the Lankan Tamils have been reported, particularly due to heavy air strikes. Even some Europe-based experts on Sri Lanka have started saying that government’s “attitude and actions are that of an invading country in an enemy’s territory.” The use of air power against its own people is severely objected to by critics of Sri Lankan government. B Raman, rediff.com columnist and a Chennai-based expert on security matters said, ” The continuing use of indiscriminate air strikes by the Rajapakse government against the Tamil civilian population in order to intimidate it into stop supporting the LTTE has come in for strong criticism.” Sri Lanka is more confident than ever that it will get rid of the LTTE menace because it has been able to get all manner of help from China, Pakistan, Iran and the United States. In geo-strategic terms the Lankans are better consolidated than ever, with China building a port south of Colombo, India and Pakistan training the Sri Lankan army on a regular basis and the US and Iran supporting government in terms of resources and materials. The Sri Lankan economy is also stable and sturdy. Some weeks ago, a senior officer of Sri Lanka had said “We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel after 25 long years of struggle. We have had significant success in the operation against the LTTE. It is on run, they are running with full pockets.” While showing maps of 2006 and 2008, the officer said that 75 percent of thearea has been recaptured and the fighting capacity of the LTTE had been seriously eroded. The Sri Lankan government had been able to hold elections in the estern province too, he said. The Lankan government’s assessment is that LTTE chief Prabhakaran has been pushed into his hide-out with 3,000-4,000 cadres at most. As the battle become decisive in the Kilinochchi, pressure is building up within Tamil Nadu, where politicians are guessing that the LTTE is cornered. The question on everyones lips seems to be what effect the fall of LTTE chief Prabhakaran will have on the region. The Tamil politicians are completely divided and the nuance is lost, the divide complete. Those who are speaking for the plight of the Sri Lankans Tamils because they are also being killed with LTTE militants are being silenced by the critics of LTTE. While those who speak for the LTTE have a weak case due to India’s current sufferings due to terrorism and also because the politics over the Sri Lankan issue is more complex with Prabhakaran and his deputy Pottu Amman, being prime accused in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case. India wants them tried in Indian courts. It is not possible for India to unconditionally start or participate in any dialogue with these two Tamil-militant leaders. Hawkish Tamil leaders like Vaiko want to break diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka while Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has told PM Manmohan Singh to implore Rajapakse to find a political solution and not resort to brute force. Under Karunanidhi’s leadership a resolution has been passed to create pressure on government to get Sri Lanka to declare a ceasefire. J Jayalalitha has targeted Karunanidhi, “If India interferes with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka there is a possibility that our neighbouring countries could begin interfering with our internal affairs. It will create trouble for India’s sovereignty. The countries in the world will not accept India interfering with the affairs of another country.” Jayalalitha further says, “The important thing was to prevent the Indian Army from providing training to the Sri Lankan Army and to stop the military offensive against the Sri Lankan Tamils. But Karunanidhi is not making any efforts in this regard.” The editorial column written by Malini Parthasarathy in The Hindu titled The dangers of Tamil chauvinism strongly argued that, ” The latest campaign in Tamil Nadu masterminded by a desperate LTTE must not be allowed to undermine the sound policy decision upheld by successive Indian governments since 1991 to stay out of Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.” Hariharan points out that recently The New Indian Express carried a survey that reflected the complexities of the matter. Hariharan said, “51 percent of respondents have said that India should lift the ban on the LTTE. But, only 30 percent have said that they are freedom fighters. 31 percent have said that India should send troops if Prabhakaran is cornered. While 40 percent of people have said they would like to donate for the cause of a Tamil Eelam. Do not equate public sympathy for Tamil rights with support for the LTTE.” Many critics of LTTE think “the game plan of the LTTE and its supporters is to rally the Tamil chauvinist sentiment” so that the siege around Kilinochchi can be relaxed. Raman disagrees that Tamil politicians are trying to bail-out Prabhakaran. “The LTTE is not using Tamil politicians. The case of Vaiko is different but one can’t say same thing about parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kaghazham and the Congress. The people are genuinely concerned about the hawkish statements made by Sri Lankan army chief Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka and Gothbaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also causing tension. There will be repercussions if Parabhakaran is killed. Tamil politicians would like to prevent the tension spreading in the state,” Raman said. In his interview to the Canadian daily National Post, General Fonseka said “I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people�being the majority of the country we will never give in and we have the right to protect our country�We are also a strong nation . They(minorities) can live in this country with us, but they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.” An All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham leader speaking off the record told rediff.com, “We dislike the LTTE and do not support it but no way it should stop us from raising the voice against butchering of Tamils in Sri Lanka.” Raman points out that it’s not only issue of Sri Lankan Tamils rights alone that is hurting psyche of people. He says, “There has been a perceptible disenchantment in Tamil Nadu over what is seen as the lack of interest shown by Manmohan Singh in the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils. He is being compared unfavourably with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who took a keen interest in the problems of the Tamils and did not hesitate to take up the matter strongly with the governments in power in Colombo.” Raman says that this disenchantment has turned into shock following reports of two Indian radar technicians being injured when two planes of the LTTE’s air wing bombed a Sri Lankan military base in Vavuniya in September.” Hariharan says, “I don’t see what Indian government can do beyond a point. The two warring sides don’t want Indian help. They may be asking for Indian help but, at least they have not quantified it, so far.” Interestingly, no Tamil party has spelled out , in practical terms how much India can influence the Sri Lankan government who are fighting most important battle on their land. Hariharan puts forward a few conditions before India can increase its involvement in the issue. He says, “India can interfere only if there is a chance of peace. We cannot get into a ‘1987 type’ situation. We must take into account the trade between two countries at $4 billion. Any miscalculation can directly impact it. We are facing a strategic challenge in Sri Lanka because Iran, Pakistan and China are helping Rajpakasa. It’s the leverage he has. The Sri Lankan parliament has 42 Tamil-speaking MPs who should also put pressure on the government.” Interestingly, a vocal supporter of the LTTE in Chennai told rediff.com, “The siege of Kilinochchi will prove to be the siege of Leningrad. Hitler’s army besieged the city for 872 days but still could not oust the Russians, who put up a heroic struggle. The LTTE will also win the battle of Kilinochchi using the same tactics as the Russians. You can expect a surprise.” Even if the Sri Lankan government wins the battle, will their win bring peace to the island nation is the moot question. They will have to start a reconciliation process, says Rajapakse supporters. Raman says, “Very few in Tamil Nadu take seriously the assurances of Rajapaksa that after neutralising the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, his government will initiate political measures for meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people.”

While the economic recession has spelt doom for many, this could be a bit of good news. Oil prices, which were zooming to all-time highs have crashed. Oil prices have hit a 13-month low of $68.50 a barrel. Oil prices had crossed the $100-mark for the first time in 2008. The prices further zoomed to $147 in July. There were even predictions that oil would hit the $200 mark! The surge in oil prices was alarming…the fall in the dollar rates was one of reasons for the rise in oil prices. A weaker American currency tends to increase the demand for dollar-denominated oil as it becomes cheaper for buyers using stronger currencies. Oil prices also rose as investors saw it as a safe investment amid fears of rising inflation and a US recession. However, demand started slowing down drastically in the wake of the recession in developing countries. The downslide began…

In a major breakthrough the Orissa police on Thursday claimed that the mastermind behind Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxamananda Saraswati’s killing had been identified as a group had hired the Maoists to execute the crime. “Maoists were given money to train certain youth of a particular community to eliminate Saraswati,” inspector general of police, crime branch, Arun Ray told PTI asserting the mastermind of the killings had been identified. Stating the mastermind had fled Orissa, the IG said “we will trace them soon.” The plan to eliminate Saraswati was made immediately after the December, 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal, he added. Elaborating the probe by the crime branch, Ray said investigations also showed that a group had collected money from some villages in Kandhamal which was given to the Maoist group to train their youth for the purpose. At least 60 youth were given arms training by the Maoists, the IG said dwelling on the inputs from the three arrested persons. Ray said members of a particular community were unhappy with Saraswati and held him responsible for the riots which took place during Christmas in 2007. They requested a Maoist group to assist them in killing Saraswati, he said. Confirming that six Telugu-speaking persons fired at Saraswati and others, the crime branch investigation revealed that the trained group were guarding the ashram at Jalespeta in Kandhamal during the incident. Refusing to divulge identity and religion of the mastermind behind the killing which sparked communal violence in Kandhamal, The IG said the Maoists only executed the crime.

World number two Roger Federer has surpassed Pete Sampras to become the all-time leader in career prize money earnings in men’s tennis, the ATP said on Thursday. The five-times US Open champion took his career earnings to over US $ 43.3 million at the Madrid Masters this week. Federer toasts US Open high five American Sampras earned $ 43,280,489 in a glittering career that included 14 Grand Slam titles. Federer is one behind that record too with 13. “Obviously it’s nice to have records. I didn’t play tennis because of money, that was never my drive but I have been very successful,” Federer said after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the quarter-finals on Thursday. “I’ve had an incredible run in Slams lately that racks up the money and also the Masters Cup, there is a lot of money involved there. “I guess this is also the moment when you can thank the all-time greats from back in the day when it was still amateur to have brought the game to where it is today. They have created the platform for us players today.” Federer meets Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the last eight of the Madrid Masters on Friday.

After a 52-day nightmare , Kiran D’Souza who was on the ill-fated cargo ship hijacked by Somalian pirates is finally back home. The 28-year old seaman finally reached home on Thursday. Kiran who landed in Mangalore this morning was received by all his family members who were obviously emotional on seeing him after such a long time which was filled with anxiety and unlimited waiting. Kiran was one of the seamen working in the ship, Iran Deynat which was hijacked by Somalian pirates on August 21, 2008. After much deliberation and negotiation, Kiran is finally back at home. Sounding tired yet relieved, Kiran took a few moments off to share his nightmarish experience of 52 days in captivity with rediff.com.

 

North Korea nuclear seals removed

North Korea nuclear seals removed

A sticking point in talks has been how to verify North Korea’s disarmament

The UN’s atomic watchdog says it has removed seals and surveillance cameras from part of North Korea’s main nuclear complex at Pyongyang’s request. North Korea says the move is part of a plan to reactivate the Yongbyon plant, and that it plans to return nuclear material to the site next week. The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal. A similar step in 2002 sparked a crisis which eventually resulted in Pyongyang testing a nuclear weapon in 2006. The removal of seals and cameras “was completed today” at the site, a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant, she added. The US said North Korea’s decision to exclude UN monitors was “very disappointing” and urged Pyongyang to reconsider the move or face further isolation. “We strongly urge the North to reconsider these steps and come back immediately into compliance with its obligations as outlined in the six-party agreements,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. He said that Washington remained “open to further discussions” with the North on their obligations for denuclearisation. The North has been locked in discussions for years over its nuclear ambitions with five other nations – South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan. Symbolic gesture Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor, which can be used to make weapons-grade plutonium, last November. However, on Friday it announced that it was working to reactivate it. North Korea was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007. Satellite view of nuclear site

It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process. However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North’s disarmament would be verified were established. North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty. Fuel rods Experts say the Yongbyon plant could take up to a year to bring back into commission, so there will be no new plutonium production for a while. However, there is plenty already available in the form of the spent fuel rods, taken from the reactor core, but only removed to a water-cooled tank on the site, says the BBC’s John Sudworth in Seoul. It is this nuclear material that will now be introduced into the separate plutonium reprocessing plant, according to the information given to the IAEA. Some estimates suggest the fuel rods could yield about 6kg (13lbs) of plutonium within two to three months – enough for one atomic bomb to add to North Korea’s existing stockpile.

 

North Korea nuclear seals removed

North Korea nuclear seals removed

A sticking point in talks has been how to verify North Korea’s disarmament

The UN’s atomic watchdog says it has removed seals and surveillance cameras from part of North Korea’s main nuclear complex at Pyongyang’s request. North Korea says the move is part of a plan to reactivate the Yongbyon plant, and that it plans to return nuclear material to the site next week. The move comes amid a dispute over an international disarmament-for-aid deal. A similar step in 2002 sparked a crisis which eventually resulted in Pyongyang testing a nuclear weapon in 2006. The removal of seals and cameras “was completed today” at the site, a spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant, she added. The US said North Korea’s decision to exclude UN monitors was “very disappointing” and urged Pyongyang to reconsider the move or face further isolation. “We strongly urge the North to reconsider these steps and come back immediately into compliance with its obligations as outlined in the six-party agreements,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. He said that Washington remained “open to further discussions” with the North on their obligations for denuclearisation. The North has been locked in discussions for years over its nuclear ambitions with five other nations – South Korea, the US, China, Russia and Japan. Symbolic gesture Pyongyang began dismantling the reactor, which can be used to make weapons-grade plutonium, last November. However, on Friday it announced that it was working to reactivate it. North Korea was expecting to be removed from the US terror list after submitting a long-delayed account of its nuclear facilities to the international talks in June, in accordance with the disarmament deal it signed in 2007. Satellite view of nuclear site

It also blew up the main cooling tower at Yongbyon in a symbolic gesture of its commitment to the process. However, the US said it would not remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until procedures by which the North’s disarmament would be verified were established. North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty. Fuel rods Experts say the Yongbyon plant could take up to a year to bring back into commission, so there will be no new plutonium production for a while. However, there is plenty already available in the form of the spent fuel rods, taken from the reactor core, but only removed to a water-cooled tank on the site, says the BBC’s John Sudworth in Seoul. It is this nuclear material that will now be introduced into the separate plutonium reprocessing plant, according to the information given to the IAEA. Some estimates suggest the fuel rods could yield about 6kg (13lbs) of plutonium within two to three months – enough for one atomic bomb to add to North Korea’s existing stockpile.