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- Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov 04: The highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Taiwan in six decades opened talks with his Taiwanese counterpart Tuesday on a sweeping trade pact that could help ease the threat of war between the rivals.

The historic meeting came a day after Chen Yunlin was greeted on arrival with a taste of the island’s raucous democracy: anti-China protesters waving signs, calling him a communist bandit and rallying outside the legislature.

Bureau Report Chen and chief Taiwanese negotiator Chiang Pin-kung are expected to sign the trade pact later in the day, but will likely avoid prickly political issues that stymied previous efforts to talk.

The deal would allow direct shipping links across the Taiwan Strait and would further expand the number of weekly passenger flights from 36 to 108. Cargo flights would be allowed for the first time, with 60 crossing the strait each month.

In an opening statement, Chen said the meeting meant that “both sides have grasped a rare historic opportunity” and that future talks should deal with finance.

“We face a global economic slowdown and uncertainties have increased in the environment. The financial turmoil is more severe than the 1997 Asian financial crisis,” he said. “The conditions pose severe challenges to both sides and highlight the importance of financial and economic cooperation.”

The meeting drew applause from three chambers of commerce representing America, Japan and Europe. In a joint statement, the business groups said restrictions on flights and shipping have kept Taiwan from fully participating in the global and Asian economies.

Chen was mostly insulated Monday from the noisy crowds of Taiwan independence supporters, who were blocked or dragged away by security forces. About 5,000 police were guarding the capital, Taipei, during Chen’s five-day trip.

Making sure that Chen’s visit went smoothly was extremely important to Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou. He was elected last March, promising voters he would ease tensions with China and forge closer trade ties with the huge neighbor, just 100 miles across the Taiwan Strait.

It has taken such a high-ranking Chinese official six decades to visit this island because deeply rooted hostilities and suspicions have prevented such exchanges.

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the Communists won a bloody civil war in 1949 and took over the mainland. Beijing has demanded that Taiwan eventually unify or face a punishing attack. The threat has made the Taiwan Strait one of Asia’s most dangerous potential flashpoints.

A conflict could quickly involve the U.S., which has long warned China it may defend the island.

Although political relations have been in a deep freeze for decades, business ties have been expanding rapidly in the past 20 years. Many companies and moderate middle-class Taiwanese have favored friendlier relations with China.

After arriving Monday, Chen said he hoped relations would continue to improve. Negotiating with their giant neighbor is a delicate task for the Taiwanese. They want the benefits of better trade ties with China’s booming economy. But they are still worried about being absorbed by the mainland, viewed by many as being repressive, backward and prone to bullying.

That was the popular sentiment among the hundreds of people who attended a rally outside the legislature Monday night. Most of the protesters wore yellow headbands or scarves that said, “Taiwan is my country.”

Lee Rui-pei, a 32-year-old homemaker, thought that Chen’s visit came too soon and that the Taiwanese president was moving too fast in improving ties with China.

“Ma should not sacrifice Taiwan’s interest for the sake of conducting exchanges with China,” she said.

Earlier in the day, protesters tried to confront Chen at the airport before he was whisked away in a black limousine. Many were blocked from getting near the landmark Grand Hotel, where he was staying. Police erected tall barbed-wire barricades with large nets to block eggs and other items thrown by protesters.

But a small group of protesters was able to rent a room on the hotel’s seventh floor, where they unfurled a banner out the window reading, “Bandit Chen Yunlin Get Out.” Police grabbed another man at the hotel who was shouting, “A communist bandit has arrived,” using a term popular in Taiwan during the Cold War.

A small group of Taipei city council members sat cross-legged on the ground near the hotel and chanted, “Pull out the missiles!” They were referring to the hundreds of Chinese missiles aimed at the island.

About 50 followers of Falun Gong — a spiritual group banned on the mainland — practiced their meditation exercises outside Taipei 101 before Chen had dinner in the skyscraper, once the world’s tallest building.

Armed with loudspeakers, a convoy of dozens of yellow taxis cruised around the streets blasting anti-China slogans. Some of the drivers had signs that said, “Taiwan is not part of China.”

Beijing still doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan’s government, and there has been much speculation about whether Chen will address the Taiwanese leader as “president” when they meet Thursday.

Chen ignored reporters Monday when they raised the issue. But when he was asked if he heard the sound of the protests, he would only say, “Yes.”

 

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.

 

Breaking News

According to TV reports, the Tatas have finally decided to roll out their dream Nano Car project from Gujarat. Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi will address a joint press conference today to announce this much-awaited decision. Tatas’ decision to roll out Nano from Gujarat has come as a huge victory for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi who completes seven years in office today. According to sources, Tata Motors has selected Sanand, 25 km from Ahmedabad for the relocation of Nano plant. Tatas have already pulled out of Singur, West Bengal. The Gujarat government reportedly agreed to transfer 1,000 acres of land to Tata Motors. the land is located within the 2,200-acre campus owned by the Anand Agriculture University. The University has already transferred that land to the government. According to TV channels, both Tatas and Gujarat government officials are trying to reach a deal that will favour both parties and remove all confusions. The Tatas are on a high, as they are getting invitations from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Orissa and many other states. It will be a prestige issue for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and he will never let this opportunity go.

Within days of exiting from West Bengal, Tatas have decided to relocate their Rs 1 lakh-Nano car project in Gujarat, after scouting many sites including that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tata Group Chief Ratan Tata and the Chief Minister Narendra Modi would jointly announce the project in the state later in the day, officials said. Tatas have identified the site at Sanand, near Ahmedabad, where the state government will give 1,000 acres land from the Anand Agricultural University for housing the project. The new project site was finalised last evening after yet another visit by the Tata Motors officials, who in the last few days had scouted for possible locations in many other states. Ever since the Tatas faced political resistance in West Bengal for their project at Singur various state governments, including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, were in the race to woo Tatas to set the manufacturing facility for the cheapest car in the world.

Stocks tumbled around the world following the credit crisis that has ravaged the world financial markets, and even the Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share index — the Sensex — yo-yoed through the trading day. In the morning, the Sensex bucked the trend following the CRR cut by the Reserve Bank of India and the lifting of curbs on P-Notes by Sebi and was up 290 points at one point. It then started to plummet and lost over a 100 points to plummet to 11,700. The Sensex then rose once more by 104 points at 11,906, only to fall yet again. The Sensex is now down by 159 points at 11,642. The NSE Nifty too is down 27 points at 3,576. Ranbaxy has soared nearly 5% to Rs 258. DLF and NTPC have surged over 3.5% each to Rs 313 and Rs 175, respectively. ONGC and Reliance Infrastructure have rallied 3% each to Rs 1,011 and Rs 657, respectively. Reliance and Bharti Airtel have gained 2.7% each at Rs 1,687 and Rs 749, respectively. BHEL has moved up 2.4% to Rs 1,484. HDFC, Tata Motors, Jaiprakash Associates and Grasim are up nearly 2% each, ITC and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have slumped 4.7% each to Rs 172 and Rs 1,033, respectively. Mahindra & Mahindra has tumbled 3.5% to Rs 485. Sterlite has plunged 3% to Rs 326. Satyam has shed 2.7% at Rs 286. TCS and HDFC Bank have slipped around 2% each to Rs 606 and Rs 1,179, respectively. Tata Power and Hindalco are down over 1% each at Rs 788 and Rs 95, respectively.

The bailout package failed to revive the mood in American market, as the Dow Jones shed 800 points to fall below 10,000-mark for the first time since 2004. While the European markets struggle to cope up with the credit crunch, the fall in US market, deepened the global financial crisis. The Dow Jones finally closed at 9,955 at the end of Monday’s trading. The recession fears are now looming large, as the markets across the world are going down. The US, European countries and Asian countries such as India and Japan are feeling the heat of credit crunch. The Federal Reserve (Fed) tried to revive the financial stability in the US market by increasing the amount of short-term lending money to $600 billion, but in vain.

 

Breaking News

According to TV reports, the Tatas have finally decided to roll out their dream Nano Car project from Gujarat. Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi will address a joint press conference today to announce this much-awaited decision. Tatas’ decision to roll out Nano from Gujarat has come as a huge victory for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi who completes seven years in office today. According to sources, Tata Motors has selected Sanand, 25 km from Ahmedabad for the relocation of Nano plant. Tatas have already pulled out of Singur, West Bengal. The Gujarat government reportedly agreed to transfer 1,000 acres of land to Tata Motors. the land is located within the 2,200-acre campus owned by the Anand Agriculture University. The University has already transferred that land to the government. According to TV channels, both Tatas and Gujarat government officials are trying to reach a deal that will favour both parties and remove all confusions. The Tatas are on a high, as they are getting invitations from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana, Orissa and many other states. It will be a prestige issue for Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and he will never let this opportunity go.

Within days of exiting from West Bengal, Tatas have decided to relocate their Rs 1 lakh-Nano car project in Gujarat, after scouting many sites including that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tata Group Chief Ratan Tata and the Chief Minister Narendra Modi would jointly announce the project in the state later in the day, officials said. Tatas have identified the site at Sanand, near Ahmedabad, where the state government will give 1,000 acres land from the Anand Agricultural University for housing the project. The new project site was finalised last evening after yet another visit by the Tata Motors officials, who in the last few days had scouted for possible locations in many other states. Ever since the Tatas faced political resistance in West Bengal for their project at Singur various state governments, including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, were in the race to woo Tatas to set the manufacturing facility for the cheapest car in the world.

Stocks tumbled around the world following the credit crisis that has ravaged the world financial markets, and even the Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share index — the Sensex — yo-yoed through the trading day. In the morning, the Sensex bucked the trend following the CRR cut by the Reserve Bank of India and the lifting of curbs on P-Notes by Sebi and was up 290 points at one point. It then started to plummet and lost over a 100 points to plummet to 11,700. The Sensex then rose once more by 104 points at 11,906, only to fall yet again. The Sensex is now down by 159 points at 11,642. The NSE Nifty too is down 27 points at 3,576. Ranbaxy has soared nearly 5% to Rs 258. DLF and NTPC have surged over 3.5% each to Rs 313 and Rs 175, respectively. ONGC and Reliance Infrastructure have rallied 3% each to Rs 1,011 and Rs 657, respectively. Reliance and Bharti Airtel have gained 2.7% each at Rs 1,687 and Rs 749, respectively. BHEL has moved up 2.4% to Rs 1,484. HDFC, Tata Motors, Jaiprakash Associates and Grasim are up nearly 2% each, ITC and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have slumped 4.7% each to Rs 172 and Rs 1,033, respectively. Mahindra & Mahindra has tumbled 3.5% to Rs 485. Sterlite has plunged 3% to Rs 326. Satyam has shed 2.7% at Rs 286. TCS and HDFC Bank have slipped around 2% each to Rs 606 and Rs 1,179, respectively. Tata Power and Hindalco are down over 1% each at Rs 788 and Rs 95, respectively.

The bailout package failed to revive the mood in American market, as the Dow Jones shed 800 points to fall below 10,000-mark for the first time since 2004. While the European markets struggle to cope up with the credit crunch, the fall in US market, deepened the global financial crisis. The Dow Jones finally closed at 9,955 at the end of Monday’s trading. The recession fears are now looming large, as the markets across the world are going down. The US, European countries and Asian countries such as India and Japan are feeling the heat of credit crunch. The Federal Reserve (Fed) tried to revive the financial stability in the US market by increasing the amount of short-term lending money to $600 billion, but in vain.

 

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.

 

Kim Jong-il collapsed

North Korea’s Kim ‘has collapsed’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was absent on Tuesday

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, “almost certainly” has health problems, a South Korean government official has told the country’s Yonhap news agency. The official said Mr Kim had collapsed, but did not say when or how serious his condition was. He said he had not died. But a North Korea official denied the reports, calling them “worthless”. The reclusive leader failed to appear at a triumphant military parade on Tuesday in the capital, Pyongyang, to celebrate his state’s 60th anniversary. Earlier, Western intelligence officials said Kim Jong-il might have suffered a stroke. According to the latest South Korean report, the illness is “not serious enough to threaten his life”. “It seems that he had intended to attend the 9 September event in the afternoon but decided not to because of the aftermath of the surgery,” Yonhap quoted the official as saying. Conspiracy claim The North Korean official, North Korea’s ambassador handling relations with Japan, said reports describing Kim Jong-il as ill were a “conspiracy” by Western media, Japan’s Kyodo News reported from Pyongyang. “We see such reports as not only worthless, but rather as a conspiracy plot,” Song Il-ho was reported as saying. It was Pyongyang’s first reaction to recent reports that the North Korean leader was ill. “I believe the aim is to form a public opinion on something that is not true. Western media have reported falsehood before,” Song said, as quoted by Kyodo News. Abnormal Indications South Korean news agency Yonhap also reported that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday convened an unscheduled meeting with his senior secretaries to discuss the health of the North Korean leader. Who is Kim Jong-il? N Korea’s “Dear Leader” is a reclusive character, at centre of an elaborate personality cult Succeeded his father Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea, who died in 1994 Mr Kim is seen in the West as both a master manipulator, and delusional madman He has a reputation as a drinker, a playboy and a hypochondriac Profile: Kim Jong-il Absence fuels health rumours

“Lee discussed countermeasures to a possible serious illness of the North Korean leader during his unscheduled meeting with senior presidential secretaries,” a source at the presidential office said. “The president and his senior aides discussed all abnormal indications from North Korea, as the North’s situation appears to be serious following Kim Jong-il’s absence from a high-profile founding anniversary parade on Tuesday,” the source was reported by Yonhap as saying. A ranking intelligence officer from the Office of the President in Seoul said a number of “unusual goings-on” had been detected in North Korea, but the exact health conditions of the North Korean leader remained unclear, Yonhap reported. The BBC’s John Sudworth, in the South Korean capital Seoul, says rumours were already rife about his well-being before the rally. But Mr Kim’s absence from the parade – he was not seen in any of the TV coverage of the event – will prompt further speculation, especially given the symbolic importance of the anniversary. This is especially the case, our correspondent says, given that Mr Kim oversaw similarly triumphant occasions for North Korea’s 50th and 55th anniversaries. ‘Largest ever’ The anniversary comes amid an impasse in international efforts to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme. Tuesday’s military parade was overseen by North Korea’s second most senior politician

On Monday, state-run television channel KRT showed footage of the North’s cabinet holding a large indoor gathering to mark the anniversary. The cabinet released a statement, picked up by monitors in Seoul, saying that North Korea had a powerful army that would “mercilessly punish invaders”. According to South Korean media, the main parade on Tuesday was to be the largest ever staged by its northern neighbour. “The North probably wants to boost the image of its military might in order to cement unity within the country and secure a better position in the denuclearisation negotiations,” a South Korean government source told JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. The future direction of North Korea is tightly linked to the personality of the country’s reclusive leader. Mr Kim has not been seen in public since early last month, giving rise to speculation he could be seriously unwell. Mr Kim has been known to disappear from public view for extended periods before, and has always returned eventually, but this time the rumours of ill health have been given added impetus by news that a team of Chinese doctors was recently summoned to examine him. Food shortages The celebrations are taking place amid rising tensions between Pyongyang and the international community. North Korea agreed in February 2007 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions, but the progress of the deal has been far from smooth. After a long delay, Pyongyang handed over details of its nuclear facilities in June 2008. In return, it expected the US to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which the US has yet to do, so the North now appears to be starting to reassemble its main nuclear plant. Meanwhile the World Food Programme estimates that North Korea is suffering from a serious food shortage. The North has relied on foreign assistance to help feed its 23 million people since its state-controlled economy collapsed in the mid-1990s.

 

Kim Jong-il collapsed

North Korea’s Kim ‘has collapsed’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was absent on Tuesday

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, “almost certainly” has health problems, a South Korean government official has told the country’s Yonhap news agency. The official said Mr Kim had collapsed, but did not say when or how serious his condition was. He said he had not died. But a North Korea official denied the reports, calling them “worthless”. The reclusive leader failed to appear at a triumphant military parade on Tuesday in the capital, Pyongyang, to celebrate his state’s 60th anniversary. Earlier, Western intelligence officials said Kim Jong-il might have suffered a stroke. According to the latest South Korean report, the illness is “not serious enough to threaten his life”. “It seems that he had intended to attend the 9 September event in the afternoon but decided not to because of the aftermath of the surgery,” Yonhap quoted the official as saying. Conspiracy claim The North Korean official, North Korea’s ambassador handling relations with Japan, said reports describing Kim Jong-il as ill were a “conspiracy” by Western media, Japan’s Kyodo News reported from Pyongyang. “We see such reports as not only worthless, but rather as a conspiracy plot,” Song Il-ho was reported as saying. It was Pyongyang’s first reaction to recent reports that the North Korean leader was ill. “I believe the aim is to form a public opinion on something that is not true. Western media have reported falsehood before,” Song said, as quoted by Kyodo News. Abnormal Indications South Korean news agency Yonhap also reported that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday convened an unscheduled meeting with his senior secretaries to discuss the health of the North Korean leader. Who is Kim Jong-il? N Korea’s “Dear Leader” is a reclusive character, at centre of an elaborate personality cult Succeeded his father Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea, who died in 1994 Mr Kim is seen in the West as both a master manipulator, and delusional madman He has a reputation as a drinker, a playboy and a hypochondriac Profile: Kim Jong-il Absence fuels health rumours

“Lee discussed countermeasures to a possible serious illness of the North Korean leader during his unscheduled meeting with senior presidential secretaries,” a source at the presidential office said. “The president and his senior aides discussed all abnormal indications from North Korea, as the North’s situation appears to be serious following Kim Jong-il’s absence from a high-profile founding anniversary parade on Tuesday,” the source was reported by Yonhap as saying. A ranking intelligence officer from the Office of the President in Seoul said a number of “unusual goings-on” had been detected in North Korea, but the exact health conditions of the North Korean leader remained unclear, Yonhap reported. The BBC’s John Sudworth, in the South Korean capital Seoul, says rumours were already rife about his well-being before the rally. But Mr Kim’s absence from the parade – he was not seen in any of the TV coverage of the event – will prompt further speculation, especially given the symbolic importance of the anniversary. This is especially the case, our correspondent says, given that Mr Kim oversaw similarly triumphant occasions for North Korea’s 50th and 55th anniversaries. ‘Largest ever’ The anniversary comes amid an impasse in international efforts to urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme. Tuesday’s military parade was overseen by North Korea’s second most senior politician

On Monday, state-run television channel KRT showed footage of the North’s cabinet holding a large indoor gathering to mark the anniversary. The cabinet released a statement, picked up by monitors in Seoul, saying that North Korea had a powerful army that would “mercilessly punish invaders”. According to South Korean media, the main parade on Tuesday was to be the largest ever staged by its northern neighbour. “The North probably wants to boost the image of its military might in order to cement unity within the country and secure a better position in the denuclearisation negotiations,” a South Korean government source told JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. The future direction of North Korea is tightly linked to the personality of the country’s reclusive leader. Mr Kim has not been seen in public since early last month, giving rise to speculation he could be seriously unwell. Mr Kim has been known to disappear from public view for extended periods before, and has always returned eventually, but this time the rumours of ill health have been given added impetus by news that a team of Chinese doctors was recently summoned to examine him. Food shortages The celebrations are taking place amid rising tensions between Pyongyang and the international community. North Korea agreed in February 2007 to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions, but the progress of the deal has been far from smooth. After a long delay, Pyongyang handed over details of its nuclear facilities in June 2008. In return, it expected the US to remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which the US has yet to do, so the North now appears to be starting to reassemble its main nuclear plant. Meanwhile the World Food Programme estimates that North Korea is suffering from a serious food shortage. The North has relied on foreign assistance to help feed its 23 million people since its state-controlled economy collapsed in the mid-1990s.