tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53749693314229954812024-03-19T02:03:56.077-07:00WIKI INFO ZONEIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.comBlogger330125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-21256321376038520152011-06-02T21:53:00.001-07:002011-06-02T21:53:22.921-07:00US gives Pakistan deadline to capture Mullah OmarWashington - The United States has given Pakistan time till July to capture Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri and Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar. <br />It has also warned of a military offensive in North Waziristan if they are not captured. <br />The July deadline coincides with NATO and allied forces withdrawing from Afghanistan. Last week, the US had handed over to Pakistan a list of five terrorists, seeking immediate intelligence information on them. It reportedly also wanted Pakistan to possibly target these terrorists in joint operations, claimed NDTV.<br />Besides Ilyas Kashmiri and Mullah Omar, the list included Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri, the operating chief of Haqqani network Sirajuddin Haqqani and the Libyan operations chief of Al Qaeda Atiya Abdel Rahman. Abdel Rahman had emerged as a key intermediary between Osama bin Laden and Qaeda's affiliate networks across the world.The list was discussed during two meetings between Pakistani and US officials in the past two weeks, and also during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's talks with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad on Friday, ABC News quoted a US official as saying.<br />The US views the list as a test of whether Pakistan is "serious about fighting terrorists who have long enjoyed safe havens within its borders", the ABC report said.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-74471788275284271162011-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:52:54.867-07:00Waqas Younes and Shahid AfridiPakistan’s cricket coach Waqar Younis has denied any rift with former captain Shahid Afridi and pointed out that he works within his limits.<br />Talking to journalists here at the Gaddafi Stadium after meeting the PCB chairman, he said that he never interfered with the captain’s affairs and he works within his own drawn boundaries. He said that he was disappointed with Afridi’s conditional retirement from international cricket.<br />“Afridi’s remarks that I intervened in his job is something surprising and its beyond understanding why Afridi said so,” he added.<br />Waqar said: “I have told what the chairman asked him and the meeting was held in a very healthy atmosphere and the next course of action would be decided by the board,” he maintained.<br />He also refused to compare Afridi and Misbahul Haq as captains. However, he said that Misbah has proved his worth as captain both in the West Indies and Ireland.<br />Earlier, on his arrival in Islamabad, Waqar said: “I am disappointed at his decision to retire. I don’t want to make too many comments before meeting PCB officials. There are no personal differences; we all play for Pakistan and I have only come to know about my differences with Afridi through the media and will not comment on them until I know what Afridi has said.”<br />Afridi’s outburst on Waqar’s interference on the team selection led to the sacking of Afridi from captaincy. But Waqar said that he had nothing to do with removal of Afridi from the captaincy.<br />“It’s not in my hand to appoint captains. The PCB chairman appoints the captain so you better ask him why the change was made,” Waqar said.<br />Afridi has faced disciplinary action for violating PCB’s code of conduct and they have terminated his central contract.<br />Waqar Younis, along with four other players, returned after completing West Indies and Ireland tour. The other four players who accompanied him include Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umer Akmal and Wahab Riaz.<br />The national coach said that he has no information about the on-going battle between Afridi and the PCB as he was concentrating on the Ireland series and he cannot give his comments before meeting the board.<br />When was asked about the team’s performance in the recent Ireland series, Younis said that he is proud of the player’s performance and termed it as satisfactory.<br />Afridi quit international cricket on Monday, saying he was dejected after being replaced as one-day captain following a fiery clash with Waqar. Last month the PCB replaced Afridi as captain with Misbah-ul-Haq.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-38827934546130790062011-06-02T21:50:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:51:22.719-07:00Murder Of Saleem ShahzadLAHORE - The news of murder of Syed Saleem Shahzad, a well-known journalist from Islamabad and Bureau Chief of Asia Times, was a fresh shock for the journalist community all over the country. When Shahzad published his two-part report saying that the Pakistan Navy had Al Qaeda infiltration, everyone believed him. It was not the garbage published by someone, who only worked for sensational publication, following the leads of yellow journalism. This man was an expert on Al Qaeda, having seen it operate closely and having covered them during several integral points of time during the past. Therefore, it was no surprise that he went missing a couple of days after on Sunday May 29, 2011. But the hope against hope of his family, friends, and colleagues of him turning up soon, was battered after his brutally tortured body was found on Tuesday (two days later) along with his missing car.<br />In October, Shahzad had sent an email to the group Human Rights Watch, "in case something happens to me or my family in future," detailing how he was called into the offices of the ISI after publishing a story saying that Pakistan had quietly freed Mullah Bahadar, the deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban who was arrested in February 2010. It has been recorded by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) that during the past eight to nine years, over 45 journalists have been killed, some in terrorist attacks, others picked up by unidentified men, after which they went missing only to turn up dead later. Until now, there has certainly been no bias from the side of the perpetrators in the killing of these journalists, because no one media group or news agency has been targeted. From Sindh to Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, and especially in Baluchistan, journalists have been reported tortured, missing and murdered belonging from almost every organization including PPI, Dawn TV, Daily Baluchistan Express, Waqt TV, The News International, Geo, Jang, etc.<br />Many of the journalists did not belong to the national media. They were part of the regional press and were associated with news they had published which could threaten the security and intelligence agencies of the country, while in several other cases, they were reportedly picked up by militants themselves and killed afterwards. Some have been murdered in mysterious circumstances. For example On May 21, 2009, Ibrahim, 45, from Express TV was returning home after a high profile interview of Maulvi Omar, the chief of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), when unidentified gunmen killed him. The PFUJ strongly condemned the incident, but not much action was taken to investigate the incident. In another incident, Hayatullah Khan who was a reporter of the AFP in the area of FATA was abducted. He had written extensively about Al Qaeda, Taliban and the heavy fighting in Waziristan. After being abducted in October, 2005 his body was found six month later in July 2006. Later, his wife and brother were also killed.<br />CR Shamsi, elected member and former secretary general of the PFUJ, claims that mercilessness and indifference has reached a level where no one is moved by such incidents. “This crisis that has hit the Pakistani journalist community seems to be growing worse and worse each year. Still I don’t see any noise being made by the lawyers, the civil society, the government officials. If one journalist is murdered an entire society is murdered – this should be remembered,” he says. Shamsi says that journalists were never so blatantly treated, not even during the martial law era. “This is terrifying: to be abducted and then turn up tortured or murdered with horrendous marks over your body. Who are these people and what signals are they trying to give?” According to a statement by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), this was an action to muzzle the media. While expressing grief, HRCP condemned the murder and said that this was a depraved attempt to silence the media. The identity of the perpetrators may only be established through a transparent probe but the quick disposal of his body and burial strengthens doubts of the involvement of state actors.<br />HRCP Chairperson Zohra Yousuf says, “All media organizations should collaborate over this issue and the government should flex its authority,” she says. “Leaving the defense and intelligence forces and giving them absolute power to act on their own whims is wrong. This is why human rights defenders and journalists are in worst circumstances. This is also why Reporters Sans Frontiers (RFS) have declared Pakistan the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, even though countries like Afghanistan have a militant war going on in them too.” Zohra opines that for the past 10 years, the role of the intelligence agencies has changed and they have become stronger because of the war against militancy, and these killings have increased because sensitive matters have been exposed. Last year 12 of them were murdered, she said.<br />PROTESTS: Various media and human rights organizations held protests on Wednesday to condemn Shehzad’s murder. Lahore Press Club and South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) held a joint protest. They asked the authorities to take action against the killers of Shahzad. SAFMA secretary general and other notables were present at the protest. PFUJ has also announced two-day mourning. Several human rights organizations also demanded immediate justice for Shahzad’s family. HRCP demands a professional and scientific investigation to apprehend the killers. If it must, the government should seek help from other countries in this regard. HRCP statement reads, “The government must give compensation to the bereaved family and consult media organizations with a view to allay journalists’ apprehensions about their safety and security.”Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-39088787024236959302011-01-05T07:20:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:20:26.995-08:00crossfitCrossFit is a strength and conditioning brand. CrossFit combines weightlifting, sprinting, and gymnastics.[1] CrossFit says that proficiency is required in each of ten fitness domains: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. It defines fitness as increased work capacity across all these domains and says its program achieves this by provoking neurologic and hormonal adaptations across all metabolic pathways.[2][3][4] [5]<br /><br />CrossFit athletes run, row, jump rope, climb rope and carry odd objects. They frequently move large loads quickly over long distances, and use powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting techniques. CrossFit athletes also use dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, and many bodyweight exercises.[6] CrossFit is used in nearly 2,000 gyms worldwide and by many fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and military organizations including the Canadian Forces, and the Royal Danish Life Guards.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-27808950187979920002011-01-05T07:19:00.003-08:002011-01-05T07:19:59.941-08:00california lotteryThe California State Lottery, also known as the California Lottery, began on November 6, 1984, after California voters passed Proposition 37, the California State Lottery Act of 1984, authorizing the creation of a lottery. The first tickets were purchased on October 3, 1985.<br /><br />The minimum age to purchase or redeem California Lottery tickets is 18Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-50399482531188897572011-01-05T07:19:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:19:36.718-08:00illinois lotteryThe Illinois Lottery is run by the government of Illinois. The Lottery was founded in 1974, when U.S. lotteries were confined to the Northeast and Midwestern states. Televised drawings are based at the West Bradley Place studios of Chicago's CW affiliate WGN-TV (channel 9), and occur twice daily, with the midday drawing occurring at 12:40 p.m. CT during that station's noon newscast Monday-Fridays and on weekend afternoons during syndicated programming, and the evening drawing occurring at 9:20 p.m. CT during the 9 p.m. newscast seven nights a week. The drawings are supervised by the accounting firm of E.C. Ortiz & Co., LLP and verified by the auditing firm of Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C. Illinois' is the only lottery to have their non multi-jurisdictional drawings televised nationwide (via WGN-TV's national superstation feed WGN America).<br /><br />The Illinois Lottery is one of 42 members of Mega Millions, and among 44 members of Powerball (whose drawings are also broadcast by WGN-TV in the Chicago area and nationally on WGN America). It also runs Illinois Lotto (players pick 6 of 52 numbers) with a smaller jackpot on a Monday-Wednesday-Saturday night drawing schedule. Pick 3 and Pick 4 numbers are drawn twice daily; the same numbers apply to those playing the same games in neighboring Iowa. Little Lotto (5/39), with a minimum jackpot of $100,000, is drawn nightlyIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-78779091324381159192011-01-05T07:18:00.003-08:002011-01-05T07:18:52.025-08:00texas lottoLotto Texas was the first Texas in-house drawing game offered, with sales beginning on November 7, 1992; its first drawing on November 14, 1992, and the first jackpot won on November 28, 1992. By its first anniversary, the Texas Lottery sold over $1 billion in tickets.[13]<br /><br />Initially sold as an annuity game with no cash option, and the purchaser having to pick numbers, and the drawings held only on Saturdays, Lotto Texas later added the "Quick Pick" option (random selection of numbers, added on May 29, 1993, the Lottery's first anniversary),[14] the "Cash Value" option,[15] and changed the drawings to twice weekly, adding Wednesdays.<br /><br />Among notable winners was Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, the former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, who claimed a winning jackpot in excess of $14 million in 2000.[16]<br /><br />The current format utilizes 54 balls; players choose 6 numbers. The jackpot is paid either in 25 annual payments, or in lump sum (discussed further below). Non-jackpot payments are in lump sum. Each game costs $1, the minimum jackpot is $4 million, and drawings are held at 10:12 PM Central time on Wednesdays and Saturdays.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-65523720942402559812011-01-05T07:18:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:18:32.746-08:00ga lotteryThe Georgia Lottery is overseen by the government of Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Atlanta and run by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the lottery takes in over US$1 billion yearly. By law, half of the money goes to prizes, one-third to education, and the remainder to operating and marketing the lottery. The education money funds the HOPE Scholarship, and has become a successful model for other lotteries, including the South Carolina Education Lottery.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-83718028304643722752011-01-05T07:17:00.002-08:002011-01-05T07:18:12.288-08:00washington state lotteryWashington's Lottery is run by the government of Washington. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Keno, Hit 5, and scratch games.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-74680040843277426192011-01-05T07:17:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:17:43.132-08:00sugar bowlThe Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009. The Sugar Bowl, along with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl, are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl (first played 1902, played annually since 1916).[2] The Sugar Bowl is also a member of the Bowl Championship Series. Presently, its official title is the Allstate Sugar Bowl after its current sponsor.<br /><br />The Sugar Bowl hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2000 and 2004. However, since the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game has been a stand-alone event one week following the New Year's Day bowl games (including the Sugar Bowl). Under the current BCS format, the Sugar Bowl itself will not host the BCS National Championship Game, but the Superdome will be one of the four rotating stadiums used to host the BCS National Championship Game.<br /><br />The Sugar Bowl hosts the Southeastern Conference (SEC) champion unless (under the current BCS alignment) the team is selected to play in the national championship game; in that case the Sugar Bowl can select a team at-large from any conference as the host team. The SEC champion has participated in every standalone BCS National Championship Game since 2006; the Sugar Bowl has used its replacement selection on an SEC at-large team. As such, an SEC team has played in the Sugar Bowl every year since the 2000–01 game.<br /><br />The payout for the 2006 game was $14–17 million per participating team. According to Sports Illustrated, the 2007 salary for Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan was $607,500Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-9128879840528077682011-01-05T07:16:00.002-08:002011-01-05T07:17:01.420-08:00texas lotteryThe voters of Texas approved an amendment to the Texas Constitution in November 1991 authorizing lottery sales in Texas.[2]<br /><br />The Texas Lottery Commission created an unusual contest for the Lottery logo – designs from a contracted ad agency were pitted against designs from the general public. One logo from each source was placed in head to head competition, and the winning logo – a cowboy hat thrown high in celebration (still in current use) – was the public design (the winner was Susan Holten, from Carrollton).[3]<br /><br />The Lottery's first game was the scratch-off ticket Lone Star Millions, with the first ticket sold to Gov. Ann Richards at Polk's Feed Store in Oak Hill. First-day sales of 23.2 million tickets set a then-world record, with first-week sales (ending June 5, 1992) also setting a world record.[4]<br /><br />Lotto Texas began sales on November 7, 1992, with the first drawing on November 14, 1992 and the first jackpot (from Schulenburg) won on November 28, 1992.[5] By November 1993, Texas Lottery sales would exceed $1 billion, breaking the Florida Lottery's record set in 1989.[6]<br /><br />The Texas Lottery Commission was formed via legislation in 1993 to take over management of the Lottery from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; the legislation also gives the Commission oversight of charitable bingo games (moving that duty from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission).[7]<br /><br />Texas joined the Mega Millions consortium in 2003, with sales beginning December 3 and the first drawing to include Texas was two days later. Though no Texas ticket won the jackpot, one ticket matched the first five numbers for $175,000.[8] The first Texas jackpot winner of Mega Millions was not until the drawing of October 4, 2004; a Carrollton player took home the $101 million prize.<br /><br />As part of the cross-selling arrangement between the operators of Mega Millions and Powerball, the Texas Lottery Commission agreed to begin selling Powerball tickets on January 31, 2010; the first drawing including Texas was three days later.<br /><br />In 1997 a major scandal rocked the Texas Lottery. Accusations of fixed contracts with the company that manages the lottery surfaced. The scandal went away when the director simply appointed the previously accused management company as the winning bid after a different company had already been chosen. [9]<br /><br />[edit] General rulesAll lottery players must be at least age 18.<br /><br />Winning tickets must be claimed within 180 days or be forfeited. For scratch-off tickets, the time limit begins when a game is officially closed by the Commission; for drawings the time limit begins the date of the drawing.<br /><br />According to the Texas Lottery Commission, the allocation of lottery sales is as follows:[10]<br /><br />62 percent is paid out in prizes<br />27 percent is paid to the Foundation School Fund, which is used to support state public education<br />5 percent is paid to retailer commissions<br />5 percent is retained to cover lottery administration costs<br />Approximately 1 percent (specifically, the value of unclaimed prizes) is transferred to the Texas Legislature for allocation to other state programsIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-80533715102904199802011-01-05T07:16:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:16:32.742-08:00mega millionsMega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 (see below), Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments (unless the cash option is chosen), increasing when there is no jackpot winner.[1] Reflecting common practice among American lotteries, the jackpot is advertised as a nominal value of annual installments. A cash value option, when chosen by a jackpot winner (see below), pays the approximate present value of the installments. Mega Millions currently uses a 5/56 (white balls) + 1/46 (the Mega Ball) double matrix to select its winning numbers. Each game costs players $1; in most of the 42 Mega Millions jurisdictions, players may opt to pay an extra $1 per game to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, or 4x with the Megaplier. (The Megaplier will be available to all Mega Millions players in January 2011.) Mega Millions is drawn at 11 PM Eastern time Tuesdays and Fridays, including holidays. The drawings usually are held in Atlanta, Georgia.[2]<br /><br />Mega Millions holds the record for the largest US lottery jackpot, set on March 6, 2007, when two tickets, one each from Georgia and New Jersey, split a prize of $390 million (annuity). Both sets of winners chose the cash option.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-45562404155046763672011-01-05T07:15:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:15:59.903-08:00bank of barodaBank of Baroda (BoB) (BSE: 532134) (Hindi: बैंक ऑफ़ बड़ौदा) is the third largest bank in India, after the State Bank of India and the Punjab National Bank and ahead of ICICI Bank.[1] BoB has total assets in excess of Rs. 2.27 lakh crores, or Rs. 2,274 billion, a network of over 3,000 branches and offices, and about 1,100 ATMs. IT plans to open 400 new branches in the coming year. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries and affiliates in the areas of investment banking, credit cards and asset management. Its total business was Rs. 4,402 billion as of June 30.[2]<br /><br />As of August 2010, the bank has 78 branches abroad and by the end of FY11 this number should climb to 90. In 2010, BOB opened a branch in Auckland, New Zealand, and its tenth branch in the United Kingdom. The bank also plans to open five branches in Africa. Besides branches, BoB plans to open three outlets in the Persian Gulf region that will consist of ATMs with a couple of people.<br /><br />The Maharajah of Baroda, Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III, founded the bank on 20 July 1908 in the princely state of Baroda, in Gujarat. The bank, along with 13 other major commercial banks of India, was nationalised on 19 July 1969, by the government of India.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-31602476925564716392011-01-05T07:14:00.000-08:002011-01-05T07:15:19.936-08:00wipro careersWipro Ltd (BSE: 507685, NYSE: WIT) is a giant information technology services corporation headquartered in Bangalore, India. According to the 2008–09 revenue, Wipro is one of the largest IT services company in India and employs more than 115,900 people worldwide as of September 2010.[3] It has interests varying from information technology, consumer care, lighting, engineering and healthcare businesses. It is 9th most valuable brand in India according to an annual survey conducted by Brand Finance and The Economic Times in 2010. [4] Azim Premji is the Chairman of the board.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-44636426355708719712011-01-05T07:13:00.000-08:002011-01-05T07:14:15.309-08:00hpclHindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) (BSE: 500104, NSE: HINDPETRO), a state-owned oil company of the Government of India located at Mumbai, India and is a Fortune 500 company of India listed at number 311[3] in the global 500 rankings, with an annual turnover of over 1,16,428 Crores and sales/income from operations of Rs 1,31,802 Crores (US$ 25,618 Millions) during financial year 2008-09, about 20% Marketing share in India and a strong market infrastructure. Corresponding figures for financial year 2007-08 are: Turnover- Rs 1,03,837 crores, and sales/income from Operations- 1,12,098 Crores (US$ 25,142 Million).<br /><br />HPCL operates 2 major refineries[4] producing a wide variety of petroleum fuels & specialties, one in Mumbai (West Coast) of 6.5 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) capacity and the other in Vishakapatnam, (East Coast) with a capacity of 8.3 MMTPA.[5] HPCL holds an equity stake of 16.95% in Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a state-of-the-art refinery at Mangalore with a capacity of 9 MMTPA. Another Refinery of 9 MMTPA is under construction in Bathinda, Punjab by HMEL, a Joint Venture with Mittal Energy Investments Pte.Ltd.<br /><br />HPCL also owns and operates the largest Lube Refinery in India producing Lube Base Oils of international standards.[6] With a capacity of 335 TMT. This Lube Refinery accounts for over 40% of the India's total Lube Base Oil production. Presently HPCL produces over 300+ grades of Lubes, Specialities and Greases.<br /><br />The marketing network of HPCL consists of 13 Zonal offices in major cities and 101 Regional offices[7] facilitated by a Supply & Distribution infrastructure comprising Terminals, Aviation Service Facilities, LPG Bottling Plants, Lube filling plants, Inland Relay Depots, Retail Outlets (Petrol Pumps) and LPG & Lube Distributorships.<br /><br />HPCL has, over the years, moved from strength to strength on all fronts. The refining capacity steadily increased from 5.5 million metric tonnes in 1984/85 to 13.00 million metric tonnes (MMT) now. On the financial front, the turnover grew from 2687 crores in 1984-85 to Rs 1,31,802 Crores in Financial year 2008-09.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-82905364792222352362011-01-05T07:12:00.004-08:002011-01-05T07:13:12.218-08:00amravatiAmravati (Marathi: अमरावती) is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India and the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district. Among the historical landmarks in the city are the temples of Goddess Amba, Lord Shri Krishna and Shri Venkateshwara.<br /><br />Amravati is also the headquarters of the "Amravati Division" which is one of the six divisions of the state of Maharashtra (Amravati and Nagpur divisions together form Vidarbha region). Apart from Amravati district itself, following four districts also come under Amravati Division:[1]<br />1. Akola, 2. Yavatmal, 3. Buldhana and 4. Washim.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-44629186840349693272011-01-05T07:12:00.003-08:002011-01-05T07:12:34.482-08:00cibilCIBIL is India's first credit information bureau. [4] Its a repository of information, which contains the credit history of commercial and consumer borrowers. CIBIL provides this information to its members in the form of credit information reports.[5]<br /><br />As on September 2009, CIBIL has an information base on over 160 million consumer trades, and 4 million commercial trades which continues to grow at a fast pace and shares credit information with its 175 member base on the principle of reciprocity.[6] CIBIL’s members include all leading banks, financial institutions, non-banking financial companies, housing finance companies, state financial corporations and credit card companiesIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-34627222265843899812011-01-05T07:12:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:12:09.892-08:00alagiriMuthuvel Karunanidhi Azhagiri (Tamil: முத்துவேல் கருணாநிதி அழகிரி), generally known as M. K. Alagiri, is an Indian politician and a Cabinet Minister. He is the second son of the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, M. Karunanidhi. His mother, Mrs. Dayaalu Ammal, is the second wife of M. Karunanidhi. His son is the film producer, Dayanidhi Azhagiri.<br /><br />Although he harbored hopes of eventual accession to the post of President, Karunanidhi always appeared to prefer his younger son, M. K. Stalin, a former mayor of Chennai and currently the Deputy Chief minister of Tamil Nadu. In fact, in 2000, orders went out that party members should 'distance' themselves from Azhagiri.[1]<br /><br />Following clashes between the supporters of M. K. Stalin and M. K. Alagiri, he was sent to manage the party in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu from Madurai, while M. K. Stalin was retained in Chennai to manage the party in the northern districts. M. K. Azhagiri, was acquitted along with 12 others on Thursday, by a sessions court of Chittor, Andrapradesh, in a case relating to the murder of a former DMK minister for want of reliable evidence.[citation needed]<br /><br />The succession crisis came out into the open when party members loyal to Alagiri attacked the Madurai office of Dinakaran and set it to fire, in which three staffs were burnt. Dinakaran is a part of the Sun TV group owned by Kalanidhi Maran.[2] He is also accused of conspiring in the murder of the former DMK Minister, T. KiruttinanIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-63462905506107613022011-01-05T07:11:00.001-08:002011-01-05T07:11:50.114-08:00mandira bedi vogueMandira Bedi (Punjabi: ਮੰਦਿਰਾ ਬੇਦੀ, Hindi: मन्दिरा बेदी (born 15 April, 1972) is an Indian actress, model and television presenter who gained celebrity status playing the title role in the 1994 television serial Shanti: ek ghar ki kahaani, shown on India's national channel, Doordarshan.<br /><br />She continued a high profile career in the next decade with hosting duties for Cricket World Cups[1] and presentations alongside top TV personality Charu Sharma.[2Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-1230522163633967032010-12-06T21:01:00.001-08:002010-12-06T21:01:48.163-08:00WikiLeaks cables claim al-Jazeera changed coverage to suit Qatari foreign policyQatar is using the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera as a bargaining chip in foreign policy negotiations by adapting its coverage to suit other foreign leaders and offering to cease critical transmissions in exchange for major concessions, US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks claim.<br /><br />The memos flatly contradict al-Jazeera's insistence that it is editorially independent despite being heavily subsidised by the Gulf state.<br /><br />They will also be intensely embarrassing to Qatar, which last week controversially won the right to host the 2022 World Cup after presenting itself as the most open and modern Middle Eastern state.<br /><br />In the past, the emir of Qatar has publicly refused US requests to use his influence to temper al-Jazeera's reporting.<br /><br />But a cable written in November 2009 predicted that the station could be used "as a bargaining tool to repair relationships with other countries, particularly those soured by al-Jazeera's broadcasts, including the United States" over the next three years.<br /><br />Doha-based al-Jazeera was launched in 1996 and has become the most watched satellite television station in the Middle East. It has been seen by many as relatively free and open in its coverage of the region, but government control over its reporting appears to US diplomats to be so direct that they said the channel's output had become "part of our bilateral discussions – as it has been to favourable effect between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and other countries".<br /><br />In February, the US embassy reported to Washington how "relations [between Qatar and Saudi Arabia] are generally improving after Qatar toned down criticism of the Saudi royal family on al-Jazeera". In July 2009, the US embassy said the channel "has proved itself a useful tool for the station's political masters".<br /><br />In one dispatch, the US ambassador, Joseph LeBaron, reported that the Qatari prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, had joked in an interview that al-Jazeera had caused the Gulf state such headaches that it might be better to sell it. But the ambassador remarked: "Such statements must not be taken at face value." He went on: "Al-Jazeera's ability to influence public opinion throughout the region is a substantial source of leverage for Qatar, one which it is unlikely to relinquish. Moreover, the network can also be used as a chip to improve relations. For example, al-Jazeera's more favourable coverage of Saudi Arabia's royal family has facilitated Qatari-Saudi reconciliation over the past year."<br /><br />Although LeBaron noted that the station's coverage of the Middle East was "relatively free and open", he added: "Despite GOQ protestations to the contrary, al-Jazeera remains one of Qatar's most valuable political and diplomatic tools."<br /><br />US allegations of manipulation of al-Jazeera's content for political ends also contradict Qatar's claim to support a free press. "The Qatari government claims to champion press freedom elsewhere, but generally does not tolerate it at home," the US embassy said after the French director of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom resigned in June 2009, citing restrictions on the centre's freedom to operate.<br /><br />In a clear example of the regional news channel being exploited for political ends, the Doha embassy claimed Sheikh Hamad (HBJ) told the US senator John Kerry that he had proposed a bargain with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, which involved stopping broadcasts in Egypt in exchange for a change in Cairo's position on Israel-Palestinian negotiations.<br /><br />"HBJ had told Mubarak 'we would stop al-Jazeera for a year' if he agreed in that span of time to deliver a lasting settlement for the Palestinians," according to a confidential cable from the US embassy in Doha in February. "Mubarak said nothing in response, according to HBJ."<br /><br />The US has benefitted, too. "Anecdotal evidence suggests, and former al-Jazeera board members have affirmed, that the United States has been portrayed more positively since the advent of the Obama administration," a cable in November 2009 said. "We expect that trend to continue and to further develop as US-Qatari relations improve."<br /><br />In 2001 the emir, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, refused a US request to stop al-Jazeera giving so much airtime to Osama bin Laden and other anti-American figures, saying: "Parliamentary life requires you to have a free and credible media, and that is what we are trying to do.<br /><br />"Al-Jazeera is one of the most widely watched [TV stations] in the Arab world because of its editorial independence." The Gulf state has frequently held up al-Jazeera as evidence of its relative openness. The independent Visit Qatar website states: "What makes al-Jazeera such a unique channel in the Middle East is its editorial independence.<br /><br />"This has been seen by many as evidence that Qatar is one of the region's more liberal and democratic countries, and one which provides freedom of press and speech."<br /><br />Qatar maintains a working relationship with Iran, and the US embassy was concerned by the lack of al-Jazeera coverage of the civil unrest in Iran after the disputed presidential election in the summer of 2009.<br /><br />"Al-Jazeera's coverage of the Iranian election and its aftermath has been scanty by comparison to other hot topics in the region, such as Gaza," reported the embassy at the time.<br /><br />Al-Jazeera "has proved itself a useful tool for the station's political masters", the cables said.<br /><br />Local media are also affected by government interference. "Over the past three [visits] we have assessed as steady the lack of overall media freedom in Qatar," the November cable said.<br /><br />"Although overt and official censorship is not present, self and discreet official censorship continue to render Qatari domestic media tame and ineffective."<br /><br />Al-Jazeera last night denied the claims. A spokesman for the station said: "This is the US embassy's assessment, and it is very far from the truth. Despite all the pressure al-Jazeera has been subjected to by regional and international governments, it has never changed its bold editorial policies which remain guided by the principles of a free press." The embassy of Qatar in London declined to comment on the story last nightIllusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-69430319139402272522010-12-06T21:00:00.000-08:002010-12-06T21:01:10.290-08:00Sharm el-Sheikh tourist killed in new shark attackA 70-year-old German tourist died after being mauled by a shark off the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh today – the latest in a series of shark attacks in the Red Sea over the past five days.<br /><br />Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) sent an urgent message to its members in Sharm el-Sheikh, instructing them to clear the water.<br /><br />"Following reports of another incident in Middle Garden local reef, CDWS is calling for all its members in Sharm el-Sheikh to stop any snorkelling activities happening from any boats or shore. Please tell all your boats to immediately recall any snorkellers who may be in the water," it said.<br /><br />The group's chairman, Hesham Gabr, told the Guardian: "We are busy dealing with the crisis. I can confirm that a German woman was injured and she passed away."<br /><br />According to security officials quoted by the Associated Press, the woman's arm was severed in the attack and she died within minutes.<br /><br />Last week three Russians and a Ukrainian were badly injured.<br /><br />The Egyptian authorities had said they were confident that the capture and killing of two sharks on Thursday had eliminated the threat to swimmers.<br /><br />A 48-hour ban on entering the water had been lifted yesterday but all watersports, except for diving sites, have been closed again following today's attack.<br /><br />Jochen Van Lysebettens, manager of the Red Sea Diving College at the resort, said the latest victim was a regular guest at the luxury Hyatt Regency hotel. He told Sky News: "The woman was just swimming to stay in shape. Suddenly there was a scream of help and a lot of violence in the water. The lifeguard got her on the reef and he noticed she was severely wounded."<br /><br />Van Lysebettens said 40 diving instructors had been out in the waters in recent days to check for sharks after the initial catch. "They found nothing," he said. "Based on that the authorities opened the dive sites again and opened the watersports activities again."<br /><br />He thought the same shark had been responsible for all the attacks. He suggested it may have been drawn to the coast by dead sheep left in the water. "I have no idea why this shark is behaving so aggressively," he continued.<br /><br />"This must have been triggered by something in the past. Unfortunately in this case he is now looking at snorkellers."<br /><br />A British couple tonight told the Guardian they were in a group of snorkellers that had to leave the water hurriedly on Saturday after a large shark circled round them. Christina Stafel-Collins, from Broughton, north Lincolnshire, said: "It was definitely an oceanic whitetip. We saw it so close-up. My husband is six foot and it was loads larger than him … I am so upset this woman has died. They should have shut the beaches ."<br /><br />Her husband, Terry Collins, who was in the army for 24 years, said the shark had acted aggressively. "It was about three metres long. I was about 10 metres behind everyone else. I saw it come out of the depths and it went towards our leader. It circled him and began circling the group.<br /><br />"It was deep grey and was that close I could see electric blue fish swimming in front of it. It was circling lazily but with intent," he said.<br /><br />The boats that brought them to the area were on the other side of a reef the group had been circling.<br /><br />Terry said when he raised his head he saw people on the board shouting warnings.<br /><br />The swimmers had to make their way to the reef and rested there before swimming one by one across about 100 metres of open water to the boats.<br /><br />"We tried to keep the splashing down."<br /><br />Around three million tourists visit Sharm el-Sheikh each year, with the winter months peak season. The Red Sea, with its exotic fish and spectacular corals, is a magnet for divers and snorkellers.<br /><br />Last week's victims were thought to have been attacked by an oceanic whitetip shark, which rarely swims close to the shore. Experts blamed tourists for throwing food into the water to lure fish in order to get a better close-up view.<br /><br />"It is clear from our initial discussions with shark behavioural experts that this highly unusual spate of attacks by an oceanic whitetip shark was triggered by an activity, most probably illegal fishing or feeding in the area," Gabr said in a statement on Friday.<br /><br />Conservationists from the South Sinai National Park caught two sharks on Thursday following the earlier attacks, which happened on Tuesday and Wednesday. The animals were dissected to examine the contents of their stomachs, although the results of the autopsy procedures were not released.<br /><br />Tourists who witnessed one of last week's attacks, near Tiran beach, were shaken by the experience. Speaking before today's attack, many said they would not return to the water even if the authorities gave the all-clear.<br /><br />"I was very close by," Uri, a tourist from Moscow, said. "I will be spending the rest of my holiday sitting on the beach."<br /><br />But Anthony Bradbury, a 38-year-old from Oldham, said he was confident the authorities would catch the shark responsible.<br /><br />"They'll look after the tourists – they want the trade, don't they? You can't live your life being scared of everything," he said.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-52381483226752994962010-12-06T20:57:00.003-08:002010-12-06T20:57:48.407-08:00Nobel winner Mario Vargas Llosa rules out Peru presidency rerunNobel literature prizewinner Mario Vargas Llosa said today he would not run again for the presidency of Peru, saying his 1990 candidacy was due to exceptional circumstances.<br /><br />While in Sweden to collect his 10m krona (£600,000) prize, Vargas Llosa said he stood against Alberto Fujimori 20 years ago because the country's "very fragile democracy was shaking and on the point of collapse".<br /><br />He added: "We had practically a civil war … we had hyper-inflation … it was because of those circumstances that I had the necessity of political participation. I certainly won't repeat this experience."<br /><br />Vargas Llosa was among the leaders of the resurgence in Latin American literature in the 1960s. He lost to Fujimori, who tackled the country's inflation and Maoist guerrillas but is now in jail for human rights abuses.<br /><br />Vargas Llosa, 74, said he hoped the presidential election in Peru next year would strengthen democracy and the rule of law, and build on the peace of recent years.<br /><br />A champion of the left in his youth, Vargas Llosa shifted later in life across the political spectrum, angering much of Latin America's leftist intelligentsia.<br /><br />He said, however, he remained a liberal: "I am totally against all forms of authoritarianism and … totalitarianism."<br /><br />Vargas Llosa made his international breakthrough in the 1960s with The Time of the Hero, a novel about cadets at a military academy in Lima. Many of his works are built on his experiences of life in Peru in the late 1940s and 1950s.<br /><br />"The point of departure for all [my] stories are some personal experiences that are preserved by my memory and that awake in my imagination the enthusiasm to fantacise around," he said.<br /><br />The Swedish Academy singled out his "cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt and defeat".<br /><br />Vargas Llosa said winning the prize had been a shock and that his life had "entered into a vortex" afterwards.<br /><br />"The way in which the Nobel prize is deserved, for me, is a total mystery," he said. "I still wonder if it is real or a kind of universal misunderstanding."<br /><br />He picked French novelist Gustave Flaubert as having the most influence on him. He also said he would give the Nobel Literature prize to Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges – after resurrecting him, as only living writers can be honoured by the Nobel committee.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-50860009988834474912010-12-06T20:57:00.001-08:002010-12-06T20:57:27.903-08:00L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and daughter call truce in legal disputeFrance's richest woman, L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, and her daughter have called a truce in the three-year family feud that sparked a political crisis.<br /><br />The pair have agreed to cease the squabbling and hostilities that have torn apart one of the country's most famous families, cost a government minister his job, and thrown suspicion on the president.<br /><br />The dispute that split Bettencourt, 87, and her only child, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, 63, began with claims that the heiress was not in her right mind when she gave gifts worth nearly €1bn (£850m) to a charming society photographer.<br /><br />It rumbled on in weekly, daily and, at one point, hourly instalments, bringing allegations of illegal donations to Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling political party, tax evasion in secret Swiss bank accounts, and the use of France's secret services to spy on journalists.<br /><br />"Liliane and Françoise have been reunited and want to end all this arguing," said Olivier Metzner, lawyer for Bettencourt Meyers. "We are bringing an end to all procedures following this family reconciliation. There is no more case as far as we are concerned."<br /><br />The plot of the Bettencourt affair, as it became known, took more twists and turns than a cheap thriller. Bettencourt Meyers sought to have her mother made a ward of court after discovering she had given photographer François-Marie Banier, a 63-year-old socialite, art masterpieces, life insurance policies and gifts. Bettencourt met Banier, who has taken pictures for the New Yorker and Vanity Fair magazines, in 1985 when he was commissioned to take her picture with Italian film director Federico Fellini.<br /><br />Banier, once described as a "strategic master on the battlefield of charm" and a friend of Salvador Dali, Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Samuel Beckett and Johnny Depp, among others, charmed, flattered and, if his critics are to be believed, bullied Bettencourt. Soon she was transferring treasures into his name, including works by Picasso, Mondrian, Delaunay, Man Ray and Matisse, and giving him enough money to expand his property empire.<br /><br />Bettencourt Meyers accused Banier of taking advantage of her mother's state of mind and took legal action against him.<br /><br />The feud turned political when secret tapes made by the butler at Bettencourt's luxury home in the chic Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine came to light.<br /><br />They revealed that the heiress had employed the wife of the then budget minister, Éric Woerth, to manage part of her fortune, while at the same time allegedly hiding millions from the taxman in Swiss bank accounts.<br /><br />Shortly afterwards, the heiress's former bookkeeper claimed Bettencourt had made illegal cash donations to Sarkozy's 2007 presidential election campaign, an allegation vehemently denied by the French leader and his entourage.<br /><br />At the height of the scandal, police quizzed Bettencourt's financial adviser, Patrice de Maistre, who, it was also revealed, had received a Légion d'Honneur from Woerth.<br /><br />When Banier's trial for "abuse of weakness" opened in July, fact surpassed any possibility of invention as France's most famous leading lawyers traded insults, threats – and almost blows – in court<br /><br />Woerth was later dropped from the cabinet in a government reshuffle, but is still facing investigation over the alleged donations. Meanwhile, Sarkozy was accused by Le Monde of ordering France's secret services to spy on its journalists reporting on the Bettencourt case. The surprise reconciliation between Bettencourt and her daughter, who met again for the first time in more than a year today, came after three weeks of secret negotiations.<br /><br />It was reported that Bettencourt had agreed to have nothing more to do with Banier and De Maistre, while her daughter had agreed to stop all legal action.<br /><br />Metzner said the pair had signed an agreement to end their various disputes but the details were "private and confidential". A joint statement said they were "looking to the future".<br /><br />"The decision Françoise and I have taken is a source of hope for me," it said. "This agreement will allow us to rediscover our family harmony."<br /><br />The L'Oréal group welcomed a "happy ending" to an affair which has seen its image tarnished.<br /><br />Jean-Paul Agon, director general, said the reconciliation was "very positive for our company".Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-67002267987971345632010-12-06T20:56:00.002-08:002010-12-06T20:57:04.917-08:00Nick Clegg to make plea to divided party on eve of tuition fees voteA Liberal Democrat grassroots revolt over the party leadership's support for trebling tuition fees emerged tonight as members of the party's policy committee demanded powers to rein in ministerial independence from Lib Dem policy.<br /><br />Separately, proposals were being put forward by some activists to make it easier for local parties to deselect Lib Dem MPs.<br /><br />The moves came as David Davis, the Conservative MP and rightwing standard-bearer, announced that he will rebel in the key Commons vote on Thursday by voting against the trebling in tution fees.<br /><br />Although Davis insisted he was "a rebellion of one," provoked by the damage he said the fees rise will inflict on social mobility, his move prompted coalition fears that a few other rightwing Tories might also break ranks, so reducing, but probably not endangering, the coalition majority in Thursday's Commons vote.<br /><br />Davis told the Guardian: "The kids being helped are the very, very privileged indeed. Free school meals being the bar [for applying for the government's financial support fund plan] means quite a lot of aspirant working class kids will not be helped." He added he was concerned by rising indebtedness. "Kids are already leaving university with high levels of debt before they even go to work. I am worried making this worse will see the next generation significantly set back – unable, for instance, to get a mortgage."<br /><br />His remarks will severely embarrass the Lib Dem leadership as they claimed the entire tuition fee package as a whole will help social mobility.<br /><br />Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, is to make a desperate final plea to persuade his MPs tomorrow night to retain unity, but that prospect was evaporating tonight. Two junior ministers, the transport minister Norman Baker and the equalities minister Lynn Featherstone are considering whether to abstain, or vote against a move that might require them to resign from the government.<br /><br />The coalition agreement allows Lib Dem MPs to abstain on tuition fees, but it is not clear how this applies to ministers. At least 13 or 14 backbench MPs, including former party leaders Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell, are going to vote against, with Vince Cable, the business secretary, leading a group determined to vote for the measures they support.<br /><br />Lord Ashdown, the former party leader, today called on the party to back the coalition tuition fees package, but admitted that in the current political climate the public was not listening to Clegg. He added: "Nick could deliver the Sermon on the Mount. They are just not listening."<br /><br />Clegg's main strategic goal has been to show that coalition politics works, and he will be disturbed that the tuition fees vote is prompting calls for a rethink in the constitutional relationship between the party and ministers.<br /><br />Gareth Epps, a member of the Lib Dem federal policy committee, warned that "the policy committee elected in November will want to have the opportunity to put out clear policy statements if it feels coalition policies are at odds with the Liberal Democrat principles and policies.<br /><br />"A more formal mechanism is needed to make ministers realise they need to think again, and this will become more important as the coalition continues and more proposals inevitably emerge that were not covered by the coalition agreement."<br /><br />Epps said that the party's special conference, called to endorse the coalition agreement in May, was debarred from discussing two motions ordering MPs to stick by their pledge to oppose a rise in fees in line with the manifesto agreement.<br /><br />Lord Ashdown had yesterday claimed that the special conference had unanimously endorsed the coalition agreement.<br /><br />Epps said: "It's self-evident now that the failure to tackle this issue at Special Conference has been a significant contributory factor in the difficulties the Party has faced now, and particularly in the disconnect between Ministers and the Party at large.<br /><br />"The conference organisers did the party a severe disservice by preventing the special party conference from discussing the specific issue of tuition fees. If it had, we might not be in the difficulties we are now and we would be able to rein in ministers as they veer from what was in the manifesto. This is now an issue of trust as much as the policy."<br /><br />He said two motions demanding Liberal Democrat MPs stick by their election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees were not taken by the conference organisers. One motion, designed to refer to the pledge given to the National Union of Students by Liberal Democrat MPs not to support an increase in tuition fees read "no MP can be mandated in matters of conscience, including those matters where they have explicitly pledged a certain course of action to their electorate.'<br /><br />Another called on the party to reaffiirm its aspiration to scrap tuition fees and to make|" the impact on student debt" the paramount consdieration of any decision.<br /><br />There are also calls from party activists to change party rules on the deselection of MPs. The current rules, adopted at a time when the Lib Dems wanted to avoid the kind of civil wars that plagued Labour, limit local party ability to deselect MPs with the incumbent given preference. One source said: "Our MPs have to realise they cannot vote for this rise with impunity. It damages not just them but the whole party." In practice redrawing constituency boundaries will make it harder for sitting Lib Dem MPs to claim incumbency.<br /><br />In a bid to hold the party together cabinet members, including Clegg, have been holding teleconferences with senior party figures including parliamentary candidates to explian his thinking.<br /><br />More than 135 Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates have signed a petition urging MPs to oppose the tuition fees increase, and currently the mood is against calling for a special conference, seen as the nuclear option.<br /><br />'MP' is an impostor<br /><br />A man interviewed on Radio 4's World at One today, who claimed to be a Liberal Democrat MP, was revealed to be an impostor. Presenter James Robbins thought he was apparent interviewing ministerial aide Mike Crockart, who said he would be prepared to quit over the rise in tuition fees, but the interviewee turned out to be an impostor.<br /><br />The BBC blamed an incorrect number listed against his name in the corporation's directory of MPs' contact details. All the "usual pre-broadcast questions" had been asked of the man, over the phone, who had "maintained throughout that he was Mr Crockart and appeared credible", the BBC said.<br /><br />A fake Crockhart was also quoted in today's London Evening Standard, saying he would resign over the issue of tuition fees.<br /><br />The quotes were picked up by the Press Association, which later issued a correction saying that the quotes attributed to the MP were from an impersonator.<br /><br />The Lib Dem press office posted on Twitter: "For the record, Lib Dem PPS Mike Crockart was not on Radio 4 resigning earlier – it was an impersonator (he wasn't even Scottish)."<br /><br />"We are absolutely clueless as to who it was," said a Lib Dem insider. "We figured it out when our head of media was talking to Mike on the phone and the fake Mike Crockart was on the World at One."<br /><br />The BBC's most famous case of mistaken identity came four years ago: its 24-hour news channel interviewed a man who had been waiting in the BBC's reception., thinkingStaff thought he was computer expert Guy Kewney. Guy Goma gamely bluffed out the interviewer's questions on screen and briefly shot to fame as the "wrong guy".Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374969331422995481.post-27173505918548055072010-12-06T20:56:00.001-08:002010-12-06T20:56:38.381-08:00UK snow: Fresh blizzards grip Scotland with hundreds stranded in carsFresh blizzards closed Scottish airports and disrupted rail travel as the army was called in to help ambulance crews reach patients trapped in remote areas.<br /><br />Hundreds of drivers were stuck on the main route between Glasgow and Edinburgh as the snowy conditions blanketed the central belt of the country. Others opted to bed down in their offices rather than face the long commute home.<br /><br />Breakdowns and drifting snow blocked major roads. Lothian and Borders police forces said there had been "numerous" problems that brought traffic to a standstill.<br /><br />"We are trying to remove vehicles from the road and get people that have been stuck," said a police spokesman. "We are looking to put gritters and snowploughs out to clear the carriageway [on the main road between Edinburgh and Glasgow]."<br /><br />One driver, Mustafa Elshani, said he had been stranded on the M8 for eight hours during a 17-mile journey that normally takes 30 minutes. "I left work early because of the snow chaos," he told Sky News.<br /><br />"Some families are stuck in their cars, some car batteries are running out. People are totally desperate. There's absolutely no one coming to help. We're just being left here, stranded."<br /><br />Military 4x4 vehicles were helping medics from the Scottish Ambulance Service reach patients. Pauline Howie, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "Ambulance crews are battling through horrendous conditions across the central belt, and the additional 4x4 vehicles from the military provides valuable operational assistance to our teams."<br /><br />The Met Office said that there was between 10cm and 40cm of lying snow in the central lowlands, around 32cm in Edinburgh and 11cm in Glasgow. Both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were closed for part of the day. Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall and Campbeltown airports were also closed.<br /><br />Motorists were advised to drive only if their journey was absolutely necessary, and roads throughout the country were closed. Tayside was the only region with no major routes closed, but drivers were warned to exercise "extreme care" behind the wheel.<br /><br />In the Highlands a bus with 21 passengers on board slid off the road in the wintry conditions and collided with rocks. No-one was injured and a spare bus was sent so the passengers could complete their journey.<br /><br />The Forth Road Bridge was closed southbound from around 11am due to a jack-knifed lorry but reopened at 3.30pm. Motorists were warned that a large backlog of traffic had built up and it would be some time before the road cleared.<br /><br />While 95% of schools in Scotland reopened, many schools sent pupils home early due to the weather. Temperatures are expected to plunge as low as minus 13C in central Scotland and parts of the north.<br /><br />Severe weather warnings for icy roads were in place throughout the country, with further warnings of snow in Orkney and Shetland and the Highlands & Eilean Siar.<br /><br />The Scottish government said more than 160 vehicles and almost 400 staff were working "round the clock" to keep the road network moving.<br /><br />The Scottish transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, said: "Scotland has been in the grip of the worst snow and ice conditions in the early winter since the 1960s. Every effort has been made to keep disruption to a minimum.<br /><br />"Snow was predicted for today but was significantly heavier than expected, and timing during rush hour made conditions worse. "<br /><br />In the past 10 days Transport Scotland have spread approximately 50,000 tonnes of salt throughout the country.Illusionisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348893784203932481noreply@blogger.com0