New Delhi : The mystery about who facilitated the escape of Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson’s from the country after the Bhopal gas tragedy, may never be solved.

The then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh has said in the past that Anderson was allowed to leave Bhopal to prevent a law and order situation in the city, but it was assumed that the orders to let him fly out of India on December 7, 1984, came from a higher authority in Delhi. Had Anderson been promised “safe passage” by the external affairs ministry? Whether that was in fact the case might never be known.

The Prime Minister’s office has now said in response to an RTI query, that it has no records of phone calls made or received by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the aftermath of country’s worst industrial disaster.

The minutes of the conversation between the two leaders might have indicated the circumstances in which Anderson was arrested and later allowed to use aircraft of Madhya Pradesh government to come to Delhi from where he left for the United States.

But now the PMO has said it does not have records of any telephonic conversations between Rajiv Gandhi and the US officials or with Arjun Singh in the week following the Bhopal Gas leak, which killed over 15,000 people and maimed thousands.

“The applicant sought information relating to phone calls made/received by the Prime Minister during specified days in December, 1984. The matter was referred to the office for inputs. The office has informed that PMO does not have the information sought by the applicant,” Central Public Information Officer Sanjukta Ray said in her reply.

The RTI applicant had sought to know from the PMO the minutes of calls made to Arjun Singh during December 6-8, 1984 besides details of calls made to any government official of the MP government during the period of Anderson’s stay.

“The reply does not indicate that they (PMO) do not maintain information. Had it been the case they could have mentioned it in the reply,” an Information Commissioner commented.

New Delhi :  The sex scandals that have rocked hockey and weightlifting are “scary and shameful”, says Khel Ratna awardee woman boxer M C Mary Kom, who feels male coaches should be kept away from female athletes at all times other then training.

The 25-year-old four-time world champion said although she has never encountered sexual harassment in her sporting career, it remains an everyday reality for all the women in the country.

“Whatever has happened in hockey is shameful and scary. When I first read about it, I was shaken. This was unexpected and the thought which scares me most is that it might be happening in every sport including my own,” the pin weight 46 kg boxer from Manipur said.

“It’s just not sports, sexual harassment is a harsh everyday reality for any woman in India. Girls should be protected. Female athletes should be made to feel safe in camps and training areas,” she added.

Mary Kom said having women coaches at the helm can help but she has no issues with men either provided safeguards are in place to prevent harassment and exploitation.

“Ideally, women should be chief coaches when it comes to women’s sports but I don’t mind male coaches either as long as there is no problem,” the mother of two said.

“I feel male coaches and female athletes should not mix beyond the training time. Male coaches should be lodged in separate hotels when they are with a women’s team. In camps, they should be staying away from stadiums where women are lodged. This can surely help in preventing such disgraceful episodes,” she suggested.

Mary Kom was among the boxers who in 2002 refused to train at a camp in Hisar after an intruder misbehaved with one of the campers and she said the incident highlights the threats a woman athlete faces.

“Safety comes first. Unless we feel secure, we can’t be expected to give our 100 per cent. That was a scary incident and we put our foot down demanding security and we managed to get it,” she recalled.

The diminutive boxer said federations should act quickly and fairly while dealing with incidents of sexual harassment as such episodes don’t just scar the victim but her teammates as well.

“As a woman athlete, I felt ashamed when I first heard of the scandal in hockey and weightlifting. That’s the impact such an episode has. It doesn’t just kill the morale of the victim but also the other members of the team,” she said.

“That is why, it is important that the Federations do their job and act promptly. They should ensure that the victim is not traumatised and justice is done quickly,” she added.

shares in the German automaker, as the two firms form a formidable force in the auto industry.

Shares in Suzuki bucked a sharp fall in other Japanese auto stocks to end up 3.5 percent at 2,370 yen on Wednesday in Tokyo, a day after sources told Reuters of Volkswagen’s impending stake purchase.

“Two of the world’s leading carmakers are joining forces and preparing to meet the growing challenges that lie ahead,” Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said in a statement.

“Together we can maximise our opportunities for growth.” Winterkorn and Suzuki Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki will hold a news conference at 5 pm. in Tokyo (0800 GMT).

Suzuki will allocate 19.9 percent of itself to Volkswagen from its treasury stock.

Executives at Volkswagen, the world’s third-largest automaker, have publicly said over the past half year that Suzuki would be an interesting target given its expertise in small cars — a key segment to compete in emerging markets.

“Financially speaking, it’s helpful for Suzuki to have a partner to invest in future technologies,” said Chizuko Satsukawa, an autos analyst at Standard & Poor’s.

News of the Volkswagen-Suzuki alliance comes days after PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi Motors Corp said they were exploring deepening their ties, which have been limited to a project-based partnership so far.

Reports that the French carmaker could take a controlling stake in ailing Mitsubishi Motors have triggered the inevitable question of “who’s next”, as the industry faces fragile demand, chronic overcapacity and mounting pressure to join hands to tackle stricter environmental regulations.

Suzuki lost its equity ties to General Motors Co a year ago, having bought back the US automaker’s 20 percent stake in it, now worth about 257 billion yen ($2.9 billion).

Volkswagen, with its 10 brands including Audi, Skoda, Seat and now Porsche, has said it wanted to become the world’s No.1 automaker by 2018 — a goal it would reach with relative ease if Suzuki became a subsidiary.

In the first six months of 2009, Volkswagen sold 3.265 million vehicles and Suzuki sold 1.15 million. Their combined sales of 4.415 million units would be larger than top-ranked Toyota’s 3.564 million.

In contrast to a potential pair-up between PSA and Mitsubishi Motors, which many regard as a union of the weak, Volkswagen and Suzuki are both regarded as being amongst the strongest automakers thanks to their big exposure to the fast-growing markets of China and India, respectively.

The other Franco-Japanese alliance, between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co, is stepping up its push to achieve bigger synergies after 10 years of partnership, considered one of the few success stories in the industry.

“This (Volkswagen-Suzuki negotiations) comes right after the Mitsubishi Motors deal and shows that foreign carmakers are coming to take stakes in Japanese firms, raising expectations of a reorganisation in the autos sector,” said Noritsugu Hirakawa, a strategist at Okasan Securities.

The bankruptcy of Chrysler this year was twinned with a link-up with Italy’s Fiat SpA, while Chinese automakers are looking to buy into brands on sale from General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co.

Still, Suzuki’s agreeing to join hands with Volkswagen comes as a surprise after its CEO had categorically denied any talks as recently as November. Analysts said the move could benefit Suzuki by giving it cash and a partner to develop clean-car technology, where it lags, while giving Volkswagen a minicar platform, as well as a foothold in emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia. “It is probably a good move for both parties,” said Koji Endo, an autos analyst at Advanced Research Japan.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/international-business/Suzuki-sells-199-stake-to-Volkswagen-for-25bn/articleshow/5318414.cms

“I always wanted to be porn star. I am going to work with all the positivity and clarity to be a porn star,” Shah Rukh said much to the amusement of the packed audience.

And where did this inspiration arise from? “I have always been a huge fan of Sylvester Stallone who was a porn star before becoming Hollywood superstar,” the actor said.

Shah Rukh, famous for his outrageously funny remarks did tickle the funny bone of the audience who was in for a laugh riot while listening to the actor.

And it was the icing on the cake when the actor said, “I will take my flag and put it up in America after becoming the biggest porn star of the world.”

The whole joke started when Chaudhuri, while reading excerpts from his book gave example of Stallone’s determination and his journey from a porn star to becoming one of the Hollywood’s icons.

He also referred how Akio Morita, founder of Sony, Japanese electronics giant, started the company with a dream to have his country’s flag flutter high on the soils of US.

“You see that is what happens with students like me who take all the wrong things from best of the examples given to them,” Shah Rukh jested.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/I-want-to-be-worlds-biggest-porn-star-SRK/articleshow/5314699.cms

Economists said the 7.2 trillion yen plan, equal to about 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product, would not provide a significant lift to an economy dependent on overseas demand for machinery, electronics and cars.

While several other economies are already debating phasing out economic stimulus deployed to fight the financial crisis, Japan continues to struggle amid chronically weak consumer demand and falling prices.

The budget underscores the balancing act faced by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Democratic Party.

The Democrats are keen to avoid a recession ahead of an upper-house election next year but are also under pressure to make good on their pledge of fiscal discipline as the country’s public debt nears 200 per cent of GDP, by far the worst among G7 nations.

“This may help the economy somewhat,” said Yasunari Ueno, chief market economist at Mizuho Securities. “But it doesn’t even begin to address the more fundamental issues facing Japan, such as weaknesses in the global economy and deflation.”

Japan pulled out of recession in April-June thanks to a recovery in exports but figures due on Wednesday are expected to show third-quarter growth was much slower than an initial estimate.

Growth is seen slowing further in the first half of next year as the effect of nearly 27 trillion yen stimulus agreed by the previous Liberal Democratic Party government, wears off.

The new package, earmarked for low-interest mortgages for new home buyers, incentives for users of “green” technologies and extended subsidies for energy-efficient cars and household appliances, aims to encourage reluctant Japanese consumers to spend more.

Analysts, however, were sceptical about the plan’s impact and while most expect Japan to avoid a double-dip recession, those who predict another slump were not swayed by the latest spending plan.

“This stimulus will have a limited impact on the economy. I don’t think we need a major change in our forecast,” said Hideki Matsumura, a senior economist at Japan Research Institute, who expects a contraction in both the first and second quarter.

“I would be surprised if the contribution to growth exceeded 0.5 percentage point,” said Simon Wong, regional economist at Standard Chartered in Hong Kong.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/japan-injects-81-bn-stimulus-into-its-economy/106717-7.html

During the debate on Tuesday in Lok Sabha behaviour of MPs hit a new low in Lok Sabha.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to decide if they will allow Parliament to function after party BJP MPs did not allow Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to answer and shouted slogans throughout the government’s reply after Congress member Beni Prasad Verma made personal remarks against Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.

The BJP has threatened it will not allow Parliament to function till Verma apologises.

Verma called Vajpayee ‘low minded’ and ‘mean’. He went on to call LK Advani a Karachi man.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/babri-report-debate-leads-to-storm-in-parliament/106748-37.html

So Manisha is taking long vacations with him in different cities of the world, far away from the media’s eye. But we hear through people close to Manisha that she is mighty impressed with Dorris, a sports counselor, author and entrepreneur.

According to a close friend, Manisha wanted to move in with Dorris to test what life would be like when they stay together, because she wants to be sure before tying the knot. It is a late marriage for Manisha and she doesn’t want to regret her decision. Manisha actually went to Paris for around four months and lived in with him to see his habits.

“Manisha also wanted to see how much she would have to adjust to make the relationship work smoothly. She believes that unless you stay with the person, you don’t get to know how he really is.” said a close of Manisha Koirala.

It is also believed that the two might have already said ‘I do’ in Paris in a secret ceremony.

However when contacted, Manisha rubbished the gossip of a secret wedding. But she confirmed that Dorris and she have been spending quality time with each other in Paris and many other world cities. “I went on my own to Paris and met Chris much later. Chris and I have travelled to many places together,” she replied.

Source: http://www.samaylive.com/news/manisha-may-marry-with-christopher-dorris/670071.html

When 6 MPs against whom questions were listed did not bother to show up for the Question Hour, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari was left to wonder if the virus had spread to the chamber.

“Is this a virus?” The Lok Sabha virus has reached Rajya Sabha,” he said describing the malaise.

“I was meeting a minister in the central hall and never realised that my question will come so soon,” said Rajiv Shukla, a Congress MP.

Empty benches during some of the most crucial debates of national importance are not unusual.

* During the passing of Right to Education, there were only 55 MPs in the Lok Sabha
* During the debate on internal security in Rajya Sabha, only 45 were present
* The debate on price rise was postponed in Lok Sabha twice due to lack of quorum

The opposition has been objecting to Prime Minister’s foreign tours saying for the last two years during each major session, the PM has been out at least twice.

“The Prime Minister should follow the schedule of the Parliament,” said CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/hamid_ansari_upset_as_mps_bunk_session.php

“It is not about what religion or community you come from, it is what you bring to the table, what capability you have,” he said in an interaction with students of the Aligarh Muslim University.

He was replying to a question that having come a long way after Independence how much more time will it take for India to have its first Muslim prime minister.

“Today, Manmohan Singh is not the Prime Minister of India because he is a Sikh. He is the Prime Minister because he is the most capable person to do the job.

“And let me tell you something that even when you do have a Muslim prime minister, he will be a prime minister because he is the most capable person,” 39-year-old Gandhi said.

He told a questioner, “You need to step up and the number of leaders coming out of your community needs to go up.

You got today a Sikh prime minister that nobody would have ever imagined in a country of over a billion people that we would have a Sikh prime minister. Sikhs are a very small percentage of this country.”

Gandhi said his effort was to involve people from different communities and from different parts of India in the political system.

Source: http://www.samaylive.com/news/muslim-can-become-pm-if-he-is-capable-rahul/669932.html

India’s largest private sector firm RIL was up 1.69 per cent, Tata Steel 1.89 per cent and Hindalco 1.89 per cent in early trade.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer Sensex was quoted at 17,067.30 at 1015 hours, up 84.16 points or 0.50 per cent over its previous close.

The National Stock Exchange’s 50-share Nifty also rose by 20.45 points or 0.40 per cent to 5,087.15 at 1015 hours from its last close.

Tata Steel said yesterday that its sales rose 34.5 per cent to 498,000 tonnes in November over the corresponding period last year.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Sensex-regains-17000-level-in-early-trade/articleshow/5313270.cms