Doon Express derails near Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh

Jaunpur: Five coaches of the Doon Express, on its way from Howrah to Dehradun, have derailed near Koridia village about 20 km from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.

There are some unconfirmed reports of injuries. Early reports said five bogies skid off the track at around 1.15 in the afternoon. The train was due to arrive at the Varanasi station in some time.

Relief teams have been rushed to the spot.

This is the second rail mishap in 10 days. At least 25 people were killed when the Hampi Express rammed a stationary goods train in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur on May 22.

पेट्रोल मूल्यवृद्धि के विरोध में भारत बंद, दिखने लगा है

नई दिल्ली: पेट्रोल की कीमत बढ़ाने के विरोध में एनडीए के भारत बंद का असर दिख रहा है। यूपीए सरकार के खिलाफ इस एक दिन के विरोध-प्रदर्शन के दौरान देशभर में धरना प्रदर्शन, रैलियां, सभाएं आयोजित की जा रही हैं।

दिल्ली में बीजेपी के साथ-साथ ज्यादातर विपक्षी पार्टियां पेट्रोल-सीएनजी की बढ़ी कीमतों और महंगाई के विरोध में जगह−जगह प्रदर्शन कर रही हैं। वहीं इस बंद में ऑटो−टैक्सी और दिल्ली ट्रांसपोर्ट फेडरेशन भी शामिल हो गई हैं। इससे रेलवे स्टेशन और बस अड्डे जाने वालों यात्रियों की मुश्किलें बढ़ गई हैं हालांकि इस बंद के दौरान सार्वजनिक वाहन और मेट्रो चलती रहेंगी।
प्रदेश बीजेपी के अध्यक्ष विजेंद्र गुप्ता ने कहा है कि बीजेपी ने 100 मुख्य चौराहों को चुना है जहां विरोध प्रदर्शन के साथ-साथ मोर्चा निकाला जाएगा।

उधर, बिहार में बंद का असर सुबह से ही देखने को मिला। पटना के राजेंद्र नगर रेलवे स्टेशन पर नॉर्थ ईस्ट एक्सप्रेस, फरक्का एक्सप्रेस और साहेबगंज एक्सप्रेस को एनडीए के कार्यकर्ताओं ने रोककर प्रदर्शन किया।

वही इलाहाबाद स्टेशन पर सपा के लोगों ने मुंबई से फैजाबाद जाने वाली साकेत एक्सप्रेस को रोक लिया। बढ़ी पेट्रोल कीमतों के विरोध मे सपा ने आज पूरे राज्य में प्रदर्शन का ऐलान किया है।

कोलकाता में भी बीजेपी कार्यकर्ताओं ने एयरपोर्ट के पास रोड ब्लॉक करने की कोशिश की लेकिन पुलिस के जवानों ने उन्हें वहां से खदेड़ दिया। महाराष्ट्र के ठाणे में बीती रात एक बस में तोड़फोड़ की गई। हालांकि मुंबई में अभी तक सब कुछ सामान्य दिख रहा है। शहर में जगह−जगह पुलिस तैनात है। राजनीतिक दलों के भारत बंद के आह्वान के मद्देनजर आज मुंबई में सभी पुलिस स्टेशनों को अलर्ट पर रखा गया है शहर को 3100 अतिरिक्त पुलिसकर्मी भी मुहैया कराए गए हैं। किसी भी आपात स्थिति से निपटने के लिए एसआरपीएफ की 25 प्लाटून, 3 प्लाटून राइट कंट्रोल और रैपिड एक्शन फोर्स की 3 प्लाटून को भी तैनात किया है।

गौरतलब है कि महंगाई के खिलाफ कई राजनीतिक दलों के भारत बंद को मुंबई के डिब्बावालों ने भी अपना समर्थन दिया है उन्होंने ऐलान किया है कि आज वह कहीं भी खाने का डिब्बा नहीं पहुंचाएंगे। शहर के लगभग पांच हजार डिब्बावाले मुंबई के दफ्तरों में करीब 2 लाख लोगों को घर का टिफिन पहुंचाते हैं।

वैसे, भारत बंद के लिए मुंबई में विपक्षी दलों ने जोर-आजमाइश शुरू कर दी है। शिवसेना ने साफ कर दिया है कि वह अपने स्टाइल में बंद कराएगी हालांकि राज ठाकरे की एमएनएस ने खुद को बंद से दूर रखा है। समाजसेवी अन्ना हजारे ने भी बंद को अपना समर्थन दिया है।

उल्लेखनीय है कि बीजेपी अध्यक्ष नितिन गडकरी के शहर नागपुर में बीजेपी समर्थकों ने बंद से एक दिन पहले ही सड़क पर उतरकर सरकारी बसों को निशाना बनाया। उन्होंने राज्य परिवहन की आठ बसों में तोड़फोड़ की, चलती बसों पर पथराव किया और भाग गए। शहर के गणेश पेठ इलाके में हुई इस घटना के पीछे बीजेपी युवा मोर्चा के हाथ का शक है।

बीजेपी ने उत्तराखंड के हल्द्वानी में मशाल जुलूस निकाला। पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री भगत सिंह कोशियारी की अगुवाई में बीजेपी के सैकड़ों कार्यकर्ताओं ने केंद्र सरकार के खिलाफ नारेबाजी की। बीजेपी ने राज्य सरकार से कांग्रेस के घोषणा पत्र में पेट्रोल और डीजल पर वैट हटाए जाने की बात का जिक्र करते हुए जनता से किया वादा निभाने को कहा।

फरीदाबाद में पेट्रोल की बढ़ी कीमतों का विरोध लोगों ने बैलगाड़ी पर बैठकर किया। बीजेपी कार्यकर्ताओं द्वारा निकाली इस रैली में आम जनता ने भी बढ़-चढ़कर हिस्सा लिया। इन लोगों का आरोप है कि जब से केंद्र में कांग्रेस की सरकार आई है तब से लगातार महंगाई बढ़ रही है और सरकार उस पर काबू पाने में नाकाम है। वहीं इस रैली को नेतृत्व कर रहे बीजेपी के नेताओं का कहना था पेट्रोल के दामों में बढ़ोतरी के विरोध में उन्होंने बैलगाड़ियों पर बैठकर लोगों को यह बताने की कोशिश की है कि किस तरह से केंद्र सरकार ने देश को 21वीं सदी से 16वीं सदी पर ला खड़ा कर दिया है।

Rupee hits record low of 56.52 against US dollar

The rupee opened lower on Thursday at 56.50 and fell further to hit a record low of 56.52, continuing its downward momentum against the US dollar. It had ended at a record closing low of 56.23/24 per dollar.

The Indian currency has fallen for the third successive session, as oil importers ramped up demand for the greenback ahead of the end of the month, while global risk assets were hit by worries about Spain. Risk aversion deepened over continued euro zone worries, setting up expectations about potential intervention from the Reserve Bank of India.

Though global cues are providing the trigger, traders said the rupee was also being weighed down by deep concerns about India's fiscal and economic challenges, and doubts about slowing policy reforms.

Bharat bandh halts normal life, rail traffic hit

The Bharat bandh call by the NDA and the Left parties started affecting normal life on Thursday with the other parties joining the the protests. Rail traffic was hit as Samajwadi Party and JD(U) workers blocked rail routes in Allahabad and Patna. The Saket Express and Ganga Gomti Express were stopped in Allahabad.

The bandh turned violent in Karnataka as protestors burnt three state-run buses and damaged 11 buses.

In Delhi, auto rickshaw unions have also joined the bandh with 55,000 autos and 15,000 taxis expected to stay off the road. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has warned of blocking traffic at about 100 areas across the city.

BJP leader Sanjay Joshi said he will protest near the Akshardham temple in Delhi.

In Mumbai, the Shiv Sena will try and enforce the bandh in some of its strongholds. The city's dabbawalas, too, will be join in and won't be delivering tiffins.

But public transport won't be affected as autos, taxis, BEST buses and railway unions have decided not to join the bandh in Mumbai.

Protestors in Kolkata blocked the East-West by-pass. Blockades were also put near the Howrah station, but were lifted by the police.

Meanwhile, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has also called on his supporters to support the agitation. Major protest rallies are expected in NDA strongholds like Bihar, Karnataka and Madhya Pradhesh.

The NDA and the Left called for a nationwide bandh after the government raised petrol prices by Rs 7.50 per litre.

The last Bharat bandh that was called by the Opposition on July 5, 2010 had cost the economy Rs 13,000 crore.

AK Hangal returns to acting at 95

Veteran actor AK Hangal, 95, is making a comeback to acting with the television series "Madhubala". Hangal, who has acted in around 225 Hindi films and various TV shows in a career spanning nearly five decades, will be seen in a small role .

"It is very humbling to have Hangal ji on the show. We are honoured that he agreed to do the serial. He is a true actor and when on the sets he has this sparkle in his eyes which shows that he is very comfortable being there," Prashant Bhatt, head-fiction of Colors, told PTI.

"We didn't have to coax him much to be a part of the show. He agreed once we told him the story and his role," he added. Hangal's most notable roles are as Rahim Chacha in "Sholay" and Bipinlal Pandey in "Namak Haraam". Earlier this year it was reported that the veteran actor was facing financial problems and having a tough time meeting his medical expenses.

 "Madhubala" is based on the world of cinema and follows the story of a girl who is forced into glamour and showbiz. "He is the oldest face in Indian cinema and since the show is a tribute to 100 years of cinema we wanted Hangal ji on the show. He comes on a wheel chair and is very excited and eager to know his lines. We don't have narrate too many scenes and lines since we don't want to exhaust him. But he feels at ease when on the sets," Bhatt said. "Madhubala" went on air Monday and stars Drashti Dhami, Vivian D'sena, Raj Zutshi and Shagufta Ali.

रिम करेगा दो हजार कर्मचारियों की छंटनी

टोरंटो/नई दिल्ली: ब्लैकबेरी हैंडसेट बनाने वाली कनाडा की कंपनी रिसर्च इन मोशन (रिम) अपनी पुनर्गठन योजना के तहत अगले कुछ सप्ताह में वैश्विक स्तर पर 2,000 कर्मचारियों की छंटनी करेगी।

‘द ग्लोब एंड मेल’ ने कंपनी के नजदीकी सूत्रों के हवाले से प्रकाशित खबर में कहा है कि रिम वैश्विक स्तर पर बड़े पुनर्गठन की तैयारी कर रही है। अगले कुछ सप्ताह में वह वैश्विक स्तर पर 2,000 नौकरियों की कटौती करेगी। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि छंटनी का आंकड़ा इससे भी बड़ा हो सकता है।

Chennai petrol shortage forces offices to allow work-from-home today

Chennai: Many offices in Chennai have been forced to allow their staff to work-from-home today, after petrol pumps remain closed for the third day in a row because of lack of supplies from oil companies. Most petrol pumps in the city are shut and the few that have limited supplies are witnessing chaotic scenes since steepest ever petrol price hike last Wednesday.

Only a few bunks are open in the city, where only a motorist is only allowed to buy a litre or two at a time. The bunk owners here instructed motorists to park their vehicles on the road, leading to a traffic jam, and come in only with 1 or 2 litre bottles.

Two wheeler motorists are the ones who are the most affected. On the day of the announcement of the hike, many bunks ran out of stock of diesel. By the end of last week, a good number of bunks were selling only premium petrol at eighty rupees a litre, effectively taking the hike to over eleven rupees, temporarily. Petrol pump owners, speaking to NDTV on condition of anonymity, deny charges of hoarding and plead helplessness due to "lack of supplies from the companies."

Samuel Rajkumar, a driver fumed, "I stood in the queue for three hours from 5 am. At 8 am I got diesel for Rs 500. When I asked if I could get some more, I was told to go back to the end of the queue."

Quite like the mad rush for application forms for school admission, many motorists particularly auto drivers and others made a beeline at pumps before the crack of dawn for a few litres.

"Are the oil companies playing mind games with us? Create an artificial scarcity so that we would think its ok to shell out more as long as we get to fill our tanks" asked another irate customer.

The reason for the pumps drying up over the last 48 hours is being attributed to "no supplies from oil companies." When contacted, the Indian Oil Corporation Public Relations Officer Vetri Selvam told NDTV that he will "issue a statement shortly after discussing with the Executive Director." However oil companies say the situation will improve by tomorrow.

The AIADMK is slated to stage a demonstration against the hike across Tamil Nadu today and the DMK will hold its protest on Wednesday. Meanwhile, it's not the hike but the scarcity of petrol that has left people in Chennai worried.

Sources have told NDTV that the "shortage may continue for another two or three days and is due to reduced supply of Euro 4 grade fuel. Two Euro 4 grade tanker ships are expected to arrive at the Madras Refinery tomorrow. There has also been an unplanned shut down of MRPL & CPCL refineries in April for almost a month and over a week respectively."

CBSE Class 12 results 2012 declared for all regions

New Delhi: The results of class XII Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination 2012 have been announced.

The results are available on the websites www.results.nic.in, www.cbseresults.nic.in and www.cbse.nic.in. Students can also get their results on email by registering themselves on these websites.

Students can also dial 011-24357276 to get their results. Besides, they can get their results through SMSes.


The results for class X CBSE examination were declared on May 24, which recorded a pass percentage of 98.19. Girls once again outshone boys by aggregating a pass percentage of of 98.48 per cent as compared to 97.98 per cent in case of boys.

Nifty hits 4950 mark

It was a quiet start for the Nifty on the first day of the expiry week. The Sensex was up 109.47 points or 0.67% at 16327.29, and the Nifty was up 32.55 points or 0.66% at 4952.95. About 651 shares advanced, 257 shares declined, and 2515 shares remain unchanged. 

Auto, banks and capital goods stocks were on buyer's radar today. The broader markets also opened with decent gains. 

The Indian rupee opens at 55.24 per dollar versus 55.37 on Friday.

Top gainers on the Nifty were Bank of Baroda, SBI, BHEL, Jaiprakash Associates and Tata Steel. GAIL, BPCL, HUL and Ambuja Cements were bleeding in red.

Reliance Communications, India's second-biggest mobile phone carrier by subscribers, said on Saturday its fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled - its first profit rise in 11 quarters - on sharply lower costs.

Reliance Communications, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, said consolidated net profit rose to Rs 3.32 billion for the three months ended March, from Rs 1.68 billion reported in the year-ago quarter.

Broader Markets

In the midcap space 3M India, FDC, Shree Global, Zydus Wellness and Redington were up 4-10%. On the losing side, S Mobility, Suzlon Energy, Nava Bharat Ventures, FAG Bearings and Aurobindo Pharma were down 2-12%.

Chart Check

The 200-day SMA (Simple Moving Average) and 20-day EMA (Exponential Moving Average) have now shifted to 16800 / 5070 and 16430 / 4975, respectively. The ‘20-Week EMA’ is placed at 16930 / 5130 level.

Indices have taken a support near 15860 / 4766 level, which is the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level of the rise from 15135 / 4531 (Low on December 23, 2011) to 18524 / 5630 (High on February 22, 2012).

The daily 'RSI - Smoothened' oscillator has now signaled a positive crossover in the oversold territory. The candlestick pattern on the weekly chart represents another bullish “Hammer”.

Stocks in News

Government sources indicate that a diesel price hike in June is inevitable and that there could be small frequent hikes instead of a Rs 5-7 per litre hike.
 
The Telecom Commission passes on the TRAI’s reserve price recommendations to the EGoM. The TRAI analysis will go via the Department of Telecom (DoT) before coming to the EGoM. The auction will be undertaken in the 1st half of CY13. The telecom secretary says they have not made any recommendations on pricing and the EGoM will take a decision based on the TRAI’s analysis.

CNBC-TV18 learns that the Future Group management has given a nod for the sale of Future Capital stake to Warburg Pincus. The Future Group-Warburg deal is likely to be announced this week.

Hotel Leela redeems outstanding bonds worth USD 41.6 million.

JSPL drops USD 2 billion Bolivia plan, reports the Times of India.

RIL moves High Court on new consent order rules as it wants to settle insider trading charges via consent, reports the Economic Times.

Pratibha Industries ’ board okays issuing shares on rights basis.

The Reliance Industries versus Ministry spat forces PMO to look at Oil & Gas sectors, with Rangarajan heading the committee, reports the Economic Times.

Lanco will be selling its roads business and power arm to pare debt.

Thomas Cook ’s open offer is priced at Rs 65.48 per share. The offer opens on July 11 and will close on July 24.

Agencies report that trade union representatives in EPFO opposes Reliance AMC stake sale to Nippon Life.

And Tata Motors lowers its production target from 2.5 lakh units/year to only 30,000 units as vendors remain reluctant to take a hit on profitability. Tata Motors says there is no timeline fixed for the Nano Diesel launch. Vendors meanwhile are not accepting lower volumes for the diesel Nano.

Currency Corner

In the currency space, the euro recovers after briefly dipping below 1.25 on Friday rattled by Greek exit fears. The euro currently is above 1.25 while the dollar index holds above the 82 mark.

In the currency futures market, the most traded near-month dollar-rupee contract on the NSE closed at 55.4. The USDINR May open interest was down by 1.6% from the previous close. The June contract open interest was up by 21.8% from the previous day

ICICIdirect expects the US dollar to attract some selling pressure on rallies against the INR. Utilise the highs in the US$/INR May contract to sell

Commodity Check

Meanwhile, Brent crude prices steady around USD 107 per barrel levels following an upbeat US consumer sentiment data. The rupee movement, which fell to record lows against the dollar in the week gone by and impacted markets, will keep investors cautious. The euro gained against the dollar on Friday while exporters sold the greenback, helping the rupee's cause.

And from the precious metals space, gold inches higher to USD 1574/oz levels

Asian Markets

In Asia, South Korean markets are shut today. Right now, Taiwan is up 0.3%; Hang Seng is up 0.2%; Nikkei is up 0.1% and Shanghai is down 0.6%.

Wall Street ends lower

US markets closed lower in thin trading as investors remain cautious amid ongoing worries in the euro zone. Still, all three major indices posted their best weekly gains for the month, snapping a three-week losing streak. For the week, the Dow gained 0.69%, the S&P 500 rallied 1.74%, and theNasdaq soared 2.11%.

Cues from Europe

European markets closed flat as some traders looked to book profits on the back of a two-day rally with fears over Greece still lurking in the background.

दिल्ली में 5 रुपये सस्ता होगा पेट्रोल

नई दिल्ली: दिल्ली में पेट्रोल सस्ता हो सकता है। सूत्रों के मुताबिक पेट्रोल की कीमतों में करीब पांच रुपये तक की कमी की जा सकती है। फिलहाल दिल्ली में पेट्रोल का कीमत 73.18 पैसे है।

दिल्ली सरकार इस पर 20 फीसदी वैट लगाती है जिसे घटाकर 12.5 फीसदी करने का प्रस्ताव है। दिल्ली सरकार का बजट सेशन 28 मई से 6 जून तक चलेगा जिसमें इसका ऐलान हो सकता है।

जयराम ने कहा, लोगों को मुफ्तखोरी की आदत पड़ गई है

नई दिल्ली: केंद्रीय ग्रामीण विकास मंत्री जयराम रमेश ने एलपीजी, डीजल और केरोसिन से सब्सिडी हटाने की वकालत करते हुए कहा है कि सरकार को सब्सिडी से बहुत घाटा हो रहा है।

उन्होंने कहा कि लोगों को मुफ्तखोरी की आदत पड़ गई है और पेट्रोलियम पदार्थों पर सरकार जितनी सब्सिडी देती है, उससे कम बजट तो उनके मंत्रालय यानी ग्रामीण विकास का है।

गौरतलब है कि पेट्रोल में की गई 7.5 रुपये की भारी बढ़ोतरी से जहां सरकार की भारी आलोचना हो रही है और खुद यूपीए के सहयोगी दल इसके विरोध में आवाज बुलंद कर रहे हैं, वहीं रमेश का यह बयान आग में घी डालने वाला साबित हो सकता है।

Maharashtra Examination Results

Maharashtra Examination Results

HSC Examination Result 2012


To be announced on May 25, 2012 at 13:00 Hrs.

Delhi govt may consider cutting taxes on petrol

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tonight indicated that Delhi government may consider cutting taxes on petrol to provide some relief from the hike in fuel price.

"We will see what we can do," Dikshit told reporters when asked whether her government will reduce VAT on petrol.

Dikshit, however, justified the steep hike saying oil companies were incurring huge losses and the hike was necessary.

She is on a private visit to Jammu.

In a bid to give some relief from the steep petrol price increase, Kerala and Uttarakhand governments earlier today waived tax on the additional amount to bring down the fuel price by up to 25% of the hike.

Facebook causing a third of all divorces: UK survey

London: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his status to 'married' recently, but his social-networking website is causing a third of all divorces, a new UK survey has claimed.

According to the survey, feuding couples are increasingly complaining about their spouse's behaviour on Facebook in divorce filings, with inappropriate messages to the opposite sex being the biggest cause for complaint.

More than 33 per cent of divorces last year listed Facebook as a contributing factor, a study of 5000 divorce petitions by UK law firm Divorce-Online found.

The figure has shot up from just 20 per cent in 2009.

"If someone wants to have an affair or flirt with the opposite sex then Facebook is the easiest place to do it," Divorce-Online spokesman Mark Keenan was quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying.

Incriminating status updates, suspicious check-ins at restaurants and inappropriate photographs being posted online were all increasingly being used as evidence in divorces.

"People need to be careful what they write on their walls as the courts are seeing these posts being used in financial disputes and children cases as evidence," Keenan said.

According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 80 per cent of US divorce attorneys said the number of cases using the social network had increased.

K Jason Krafsky, co-author of 'Facebook and Your Marriage', said office romances and out-of-town affairs that took months or even years to develop in the real world happened "with a lightning speed" on Facebook.

"On Facebook they happen in just a few clicks," he said. Krafsky said the social networking website differed from traditional dating websites in that it both re-connected old flames and allowed people to 'friend' someone they may have only met once or twice.

"It puts temptation in the path of people who would never in a million years risk having an affair," he said.

Even when affairs develop offline, Facebook provides a forum for couples to inadvertently arouse the suspicions of their partners.

The UK study also found couples who had already split up were using Facebook to vent about each other, posting nasty comments for all their friends to see.

Twitter only appeared in 20 of the petitions as part of behaviour allegations. Couples complained their spouses were using twitter to make insensitive comments about them.

Aarushi case: Nupur and Rajesh Talwar to be tried for murder

Ghaziabad: Nupur and Rajesh Talwar will be tried for murder and destruction of evidence in a court in Ghaziabad, near Delhi.  Mr Talwar will also be tried for misleading the court, the judge ruled today.

The dentist-couple have been accused of murdering their 13-year-old daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj in May 2008 at their home.

Aarushi was found dead in her bedroom; Hemraj was discovered on the terrace 24 hours later.

The Talwars have appealed to the Supreme Court to cancel their trial -that petition has yet to be decided. Mrs Talwar was arrested on April 30.  Her request for bail is pending in the Allahabad High Court.

The CBI has said in court that the Talwars found their daughter in a compromising position with Hemraj and killed them using a golf club and another sharp instrument. The agency believes that a golf club found in the house could have caused the injuries found on both victims. However, the Talwars lawyers produced a golf club in court on Wednesday to counter that theory. The Talwars say that Hemraj allowed a group of friends into their home. They were drinking and then tried to molest Aarushi.  When she resisted, they say, the assaulters killed her.  They then killed Hemraj.

The CBI has said in court that it has circumstantial evidence against the Talwars.  In December 2010, the agency asked a CBI court for permission to close the case- it said it had no evidence to accuse anyone of murder, but said at the same time that it believed Mr Talwar was responsible for the double murder in his home. The judge in that court said the case would not be closed and ordered the Talwars to stand trial.  Since then, Aarushi's parents have challenged that verdict in different courts.

Mr Talwar was arrested a week after Aarushi's death by the Noida Police. He was released after nearly two months in jail when the CBI, who took over the case, said that there was no evidence against him.

पेट्रोल की बढ़ी हुई कीमतें कम होंगी : सूत्

नई दिल्ली: पेट्रोल की बढ़ी कीमतों शुक्रवार को होने वाली मंत्री समूह की बैठक में कम किया जा सकता है। सूत्रों के मुताबिक पेट्रोल की कीमत 2.50 रुपये तक कम हो सकती हैं।

इससे पहले पेट्रोल की कीमतों में 7. 50 रुपये की बढ़ोतरी के फैसले के विरोध में देशभर में प्रदर्शन हो रहे हैं। इसी विरोध को देखते हुए कांग्रेस ने अब अपने मुख्यमंत्रियों को पेट्रोल पर राज्य में लगने वाले टैक्स को कम करने की सलाह दी है।

इससे पहले उत्तराखंड की कांग्रेस सरकार ने आज ही अपने राज्य में पेट्रोल पर लगने वाले वैट में 25 फीसदी की कटौती का ऐलान किया है जिससे राज्य में पेट्रोल 1 रुपया 78 पैसा सस्ता हो चुका है। गोवा की बीजेपी सरकार ने भी सत्ता में आते ही राज्य में पेट्रोल पर लगने वाले टैक्स में भारी कटौती कर दी थी।

CBSE Exam Results

CBSE RESULT X Class

CBSE Exam Results 

Class X Exam Results 2012


Likely to be announced on 24^rth May 2012 at 7:00 PM IST

CBSE class 10th results 2012 likely to be announced today

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) class X examination results are likely to be announced today.

According to a statement issued by CBSE on Tuesday, the results will be declared by 4 pm today.

The results will be available on the websites www.results.nic.in, www.cbseresults.nic.in, and www.cbse.nic.in.

Students have the option of receiving their results on their e-mail address by registering themselves on the websites. They can also call the number 011-24357276 to get their results.

The CBSE Class X examination results for the Chennai region were announced on Monday with an overall 99.66 pass percentage.

This year, the board is expected to announce only grades without naming any toppers. 

CBSE class XII examination results are expected to be announced on May 25.

Petrol prices hiked, diesel, LPG could be next

The Indian government decided to hike prices of petrol by about Rs 7.50 per litre on Wednesday evening. A ministerial committee is likely to meet on Friday to decide on a possible Rs 5 perlitre hike in diesel and Rs 50 per cylinder hike in cooking gas (LPG).

Petrol prices to go up by Rs 7.50 per litre

The government on Wednesday hiked the price of petrol by Rs 7.50 per litre. The hike will be effective from Wednesday midnight.

Oil minister Jaipal Reddy had on Tuesday said there was an immediate need to raise fuel prices, but had refused to say when the hike would actually take place.

The government had decontrolled petrol price in June 2010 but rates were last increased on November 4 last year. This despite oil price rising by 14 per cent and 7 per cent fall in value of rupee against the US dollar.

Rupee has more downside

The rupee, Asia's worst performing currency this year, still has room to fall further after policy missteps by a struggling government, said Swiss private bank Lombard Odier's chief investment officer for Asia.

"I do not see clear skies for India at the moment," said Pranay Gupta, Asia chief investment officer at Lombard Odier, which manages 145 billion Swiss francs for its clients.

"The rupee still has some more downside."

India's economic growth has slumped to a near three-year low and its current account deficit is the highest since 1980, a gap that is difficult to control when the rupee is at a record low.

The currency dropped to a record low against the dollar on Wednesday, sparking mild intervention from a central bank seen by traders as reluctant to be more aggressive against such a strong down trend.

The rupee has been battered by India's wide current account and fiscal deficits, global risk aversion fuelled by the euro zone crisis and sluggish economic policymaking.

"You have a few personalities which are hellbent on stifling any kind of prudent economic policies that are laid out, and you cannot have a governing structure which facilitates that," said Gupta. "Democracy today is a failed experiment in India."

Just this month, the government delayed plans to tax foreign investors after an exodus of funds, partly driven by concerns the tax could be applied retroactively, battered the rupee.

Bearish On Equities Now

Gupta, who sold all his personal stockholdings over the last three months, also expects further downside for equities due to the high probability of a messy break up of the euro zone and political uncertainty in the U.S.

He advised investors to buy short term Asian corporate bonds for income, but added that he may look to pick up equities around September after the situation in Europe and the U.S. improves.

As China shifts its focus away from an investment-led economy to a consumption based one, Southeast Asian countries that supply consumer goods to China including Indonesia stand to benefit, but export-oriented economies such as Taiwan may suffer.

5 people reported dead in crude bomb explosion in Allahabad

A crude bomb has exploded in Alalhabad's Kareili area .

Two children are among the five people reported killed.

The bomb was lying in a garbage dump.

Ragpickers were hurt when it went off and have been taken to hospital

Brent slips towards $107 on potential Iran deal

Brent crude slipped towards USD 107 on Wednesday as a potential deal between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog eased fears of oil supply disruptions, while concerns over the debt crisis in the euro zone and a slowing Chinese economy weighed on demand.

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency expects to sign a deal with Iran soon to unblock investigations into suspected work on nuclear bombs in the oil-producing country, increasing the prospect of a resolution to a conflict over the issue.

Brent crude had dropped 74 cents to USD 107.67 a barrel by 0553 GMT and US July crude had fallen 77 cents to USD 91.07, with economic concerns weighing as the World Bank cut its economic growth forecast for China, the world's second-largest oil consumer.

Nagging fears of a messy Greek exit from the euro zone also remained ahead of a Wednesday meeting of European leaders. Germany has dismissed a French-led call for euro zone governments to issue common bonds, cooling hopes the meeting would produce fresh measures to tackle the region's debt problems.

"Elections (in Greece) and the EU Ministers' meeting could potentially cause a lot of headline-driven movements in oil prices," said Tony Nunan, a Tokyo-based risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp.

"The Greece situation is similar to Iran in the sense that it is going to drag out. With Greece in the euro zone, any changes will take time as the euro zone needs approval from parliament. It's a slow-moving train wreck."

Waning optimism about the summit drove shares, commodities and the euro down against the dollar, with the dollar index strengthening.

A stronger greenback can pressure dollar-denominated commodities such as oil by making them more expensive to consumers using other currencies.

The World Bank warned that Europe's seething debt crisis could inflict even bigger damage if it worsens, with sluggish US and European demand and a softening Chinese property market combining to weigh on the Chinese economy in the near term.

It also cut its economic growth forecast for China this year to 8.2 percent from 8.4 percent previously, adding that a slowing China will drag growth in emerging East Asia to two-year lows this year.

HIGH OIL INVENTORIES

US crude oil inventories rose 1.5 million barrels last week, industry group the American Petroleum Institute said in a report late on Tuesday, further hurting oil prices.

Ahead of weekly reports on US oil inventories, crude stocks were expected to have risen 1.0 million barrels last week, a Reuters survey of analysts showed.

The EIA's weekly report is due on Wednesday at 1430 GMT.

Europe is also facing a glut of high quality crude oil grades, only a year after Libya created a serious shortage, as demand from the continent falls and the US cuts imports due to greater domestic supply.

This has led to a steep weakening in values for many high quality sweet and low-sulphur grades, a rare development that suggests oil futures prices have room to correct further in an oversupplied market.

"In the short term, I'm quite bearish as ramped-up supply from Saudis and growing inventory in the United States shows the oil fundamentals are not that strong," said Nunan.

Increased production from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya has helped push US crude oil inventories to a peak and allowed Iran's customers to seek alternative barrels in the face of tightening sanctions on Tehran.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY HOPES

But hopes for fresh economic stimulus from China and a moderate economic recovery in Japan capped losses in oil prices.

Chinese media reported on Wednesday that Beijing will stick to active fiscal and prudent monetary policies in a bid to sustain relatively fast economic growth, quoting Vice Premier Li Keqiang.

This followed a report on Tuesday that China would speed infrastructure investments.

As widely expected, the Bank of Japan has kept monetary policy steady on Wednesday, maintaining its view that Japan's economy will resume a moderate recovery.

Also providing a bright spot, the latest data from US showed the pace of sales of existing homes in April rose to its fastest in nearly two years and a falloff in foreclosures helped bring a surprise jump in prices.

Need to raise petrol prices urgently, says Rangarajan

The government needs to raise petrol prices urgently to address the twin problems of fiscal deficit and current account deficit, C Rangarajan, Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council told CNBC-TV18 in an exclusive interview today.

"There will be a temporary impact on WPI (wholesale price index) inflation when petrol prices are raised, but the impact on fiscal deficit will be much more if (petrol) prices are not raised," Rangarajan told CNBC-TV18.

Cutting fuel subsidy, or in other words, hiking retail fuel prices is the key to the government lowering its fiscal deficit as well as trimming its import bill as crude accounts for roughly a third of the total bill.

Rangarajan said the slide in the rupee was much more than anticipated, and that the problem was being aggravated by lack of foreign capital flows into the country. The rupee today touched a fresh record low of 55.82 to the dollar today even as the Reserve Bank of India is using every weapon in its arsenal to support the currency.

"What is really needed is to revive sentiment to enable large capital flows," he said, adding that the RBI should use forex reserves to prevent abrupt swings in the rupee, and the government should use broader macro economic policy as a tool to encourage capital flows.

Secret case against Pakistan officer for allegedly plotting to take over the Army

From his prison cell, a senior Pakistani officer accused of plotting with a shadowy Islamist organization to take over the military released his political manifesto: His call was for the army to sever its anti-terror alliance with the United States, which he contends is forcing Pakistan to fight its own people.

"This may help us redeem some of our lost dignity and we badly need that," Brigadier Ali Khan writes in the six-page document obtained by The Associated Press. The US, he says, might retaliate by cutting military and economic aid, but "do they not always do this at will? ... Our fears that the heavens will fall must be laid to rest."

The manifesto reveals the ideological underpinnings of the most senior Pakistani military officer detained for alleged ties to Islamist extremists. The accusations against Brigadier Khan go to the heart of a major Western fear about Pakistan: that its army could tilt toward Islamic extremism or that a cabal of hardline officers could seize the country's most powerful institution, possibly with the help of Al Qaeda or associated groups like the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistani leaders dismiss such worries as ungrounded.

Details of the case, made public for the first time by The AP, point to efforts by some Islamist groups to recruit within Pakistan's military, though their success appears mixed. They also give a rare look into the discontent among some in the military over the rocky relationship with the United States, currently on hold after American airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani border troops in November.

Brigadier Khan, who was arrested a year ago, faces charges of conspiring with four other officers and a British member of Hizb ut-Tahrir to recruit officers to the group including the commander of the army's 111 Brigade, which covers the capital and has been historically linked to army coups.

One witness at his ongoing court-martial said Khan discussed sending an F-16 jet crashing into the army headquarters, though that allegation has been withdrawn, according to Brigadier Khan's lawyer Inam-ul-Rahiem. Pakistan's army declined to comment on the trial, which is supposed to be secret.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Pakistan and several other Muslim countries, professes non-violence and is not connected to terrorist groups like the Pakistani Taliban or Al Qaeda. But the outfit makes no secret of its desire to penetrate the armies of Muslim countries, particularly Pakistan, and foment an "Islamic coup" to establish a global "caliphate."

In interviews, Brigadier Khan's family and two of his army colleagues insisted he was innocent and has been targeted because of a falling out with senior officers and his political views - particularly his stance against the alliance with the US Brigadier Khan's lawyer has denied the charges and says no concrete evidence has been presented at the trial.

But one of the colleagues said Brigadier Khan did meet with members of Hizb ut-Tahrir and tried to enlist other officers, though the colleague played down the importance of the contacts.

"He was easy prey," said the colleague, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was worried about prejudicing the case. "He walked into a trap. He was fed up with the government and (army chief General Ashfaq Parvez) Kayani."

But he said Brigadier Khan walked away from the group when it was clear his fellow officers were not interested in joining. The colleague said that he himself had also been approached by Hizb ut-Tahrir, via a cousin, but had turned them down.

"Our brother is honest and outspoken," said Brigadier Khan's younger brother Bashir Ahmed. "He may have spoken against higher authorities and they don't like people to speak that way. That's why they are holding him."

At a meeting with other officers days after the May 2, 2011, raid by US commandos that killed Osama bin Laden, Brigadier Khan spoke out against the operation, which he and others on the forces considered a national humiliation.

Brigadier Khan was arrested on May 5 and his manifesto presents himself as a "victim" of the Osama raid.

His lawyer, Rahiem, sought to submit the tract to a government commission investigating the Osama incident, but it was rejected. Some of the passages were included in a letter he sent to General Kayani some time before his arrest, Mr Rahiem said.

The manifesto doesn't call for an armed insurrection, support Islamic militancy or mention Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Rather, it is a refutation of Pakistan army's alliance with Washington, along the lines of what is often espoused by right-wing, Islamist Pakistanis. It buttresses its arguments with conspiracy theories, including that the United States was behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In Afghanistan, he recommends a United Nations force of mostly Muslim nations to replace the current US-led one.

Pakistan's army has has long portrayed itself as a bulwark against extremism, even as it has to sought to harness militants to fight for its interests in Afghanistan and India. While many officers are secular or irreligious, a growing number are thought to have embraced a more conservative form of Islam over the last 10 years, like the country they are drawn from.

Brigadier Khan was known to be a conservative Muslim. At army staff college, he had the nickname "Mullah Rocketi" - roughly "rocket cleric" - and was lampooned in a graduation skit as a cleric, said one of his colleagues.

At the same time, anti-Americanism has been rising, fueled by anger at US drone strikes in the tribal regions, the killing of two Pakistanis by a CIA contractor in 2011 and the US border post attack in November.

Some soldiers and officers have carried out occasional, but serious, terrorist attacks against the institution they once served. Militant sieges against army headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009 and against a navy base in Karachi weeks after the Osama raid are both alleged to have had inside help.

The 600,000-member army releases little data on its enrollment or makeup, so its hard to say whether it is undergoing Islamization. A study last year on what limited data found no evidence the force was recruiting disproportionately from conservative areas of the country.

Lieutenant General Khalid Rabbani, who commands 150,000 troops in the northwest leading the fight against militancy, scoffed at the notion his men could become attracted to extremism. "This is absolute rubbish, leaps and bounds away from reality," he said. "We are as disciplined a force as the British or American or any other first class army in the world."

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country teeming with disgruntled Muslims, is a strategic priority for Hizb ut-Tahir, ex-members and analysts said.

A Britain-based spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is strong among British Pakistanis, declined comment on Brigadier Khan. But he said the group has recruited officers and would continue to do so.

"We call on the people in the armed forces to use their authority and fulfill their Islamic duty of stopping the political and military leaderships' transgressions," Taji Mustafa said in an email.

Nepal plane crash

A small plane owned by a private company crashed in northwest Nepal on Monday, killing 15 people including 13 Indians, an official said.

The Dornier aircraft owned by private Agni Air company was carrying 18 passengers and a crew of three on a flight from the resort town of Pokhara to Jomsom when it crashed while landing at the mountain airstrip.

"Among those killed are 13 Indians and two Nepalis," Kathmandu airport official Mahesh Shrestha said.

Six survivors had been taken to a hospital in Pokhara and the condition of at least one of them is critical, he said.

Two Danish tourists were among those rescued.

Jomsom, about 125 km (79 miles) northwest of Kathmandu, is a gateway for trekking in the region where Mount Annapurna, the world's 10th highest mountain, is located.

In September last year, 19 people returning after viewing Mount Everest were killed when their plane crashed in bad weather near Kathmandu.

It was not immediately clear what caused Monday's crash.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks, including Mount Everest.

Tens of thousands of hikers and foreign tourists go to Mount Everest and other trekking routes to see the lofty Himalayan peaks every year.

Tourism, a key source of earning for impoverished Nepal, accounts for nearly four percent of the gross domestic product and employs tens of thousands of people.