Smerch, Agni-IV & Sukhoi stand out in R-Day parade
NewDelhi: Pomp and glory, solemnity and pride marked the 63rd Republic Day parade with the pageantry of the defence forces and the rich cultural diversity of the country on full display at the stately Rajpath here on Thursday.

Prior to the parade, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tributes to the immortal warriors at the India Gate.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil arrived at the saluting base accompanied by her 46 bodyguards — magnificent men atop large, bay-coloured horses with full mane. Also being escorted was the chief guest of the day, Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The 21-gun salute soon boomed heralding the celebrations.

The parade began with four Mi-17 helicopters flying in a ‘Y' formation, only 60 metres above ground and showering flowers as they flew. The flower petals set the mood for the rest of the spectacle as light winds ensured that the odd-petal came to rest on somebody's shoulder or head every now and then.

The Ashok Chakra was awarded posthumously to Lieutenant Navdeep Singh, who died while stopping terrorists from infiltrating the Line of Control. He had killed four terrorists. Seven winners of the Ashok Chakra award and two winners of the Param Vir Chakra for similar acts of selfless courage were paraded in open jeeps.

Thereafter, it was the turn of the Army, which was led by its mounted columns, regiment in full ceremonial garb astride brown horses. The 3,000-km-range nuclear-capable Agni-IV missile, successfully flight tested in November last, stole the limelight.

The newly acquired multiple launch rocket system, ‘Smerch,' stood out among the various tanks and rocket systems showcased.

The ‘Remount Veterinary Corps' tableau showcasing the brave hearted Army dogs received “oohs” and “ahas” as the black Labradors formed themselves into a lotus position and had one white canine at the centre with its head up in ‘grand salute.'

The Navy cadets in blue marched smartly past the rapt audience.

However, the Air Force marching contingent led for the first time by a woman, Flight Lieutenant Sneha Shekhawat, immediately enthralled the audience, who resumed the clapping that had temporarily abated.

Loud claps and cheers also accompanied the other marching contingents of the paramilitary and auxiliary civil forces with the BSF camel contingent and its band, mounted on bejewelled camels getting the bigger share of cheers.

The Delhi police marching contingents with silver-edged rifles that glinted in the sun also attracted resounding applause.

Tableaux of different States and Central government ministries were followed by the courageous children who won the National Bravery Awards. In open jeeps, the children were received with loud cheers, especially from their peers.

Next were the cultural programmes from school children of different States, followed by daredevilry stunts on motorcycles. Men suspended on thin ladders and human pyramids atop moving motorcycles had children shrieking so much that the announcements on speakers were all but drowned.

However, it was the ending that took the limelight of the entire parade. “Ladies and gentlemen, turn your eyes skywards!” announced the speaker.

Up in the sky came the flypast of the Air Force that seemed to challenge the laws of gravity. The spectacle of three Su-30 MKI aircraft making a ‘Trishul' formation in the sky was surpassed only by the ‘Vertical Charlie' in which an Su-30 went up at breakneck speed before suddenly taking a vertical turn. The aircraft then started dropping down fast — appearing as if it would crash — only to become steady again and disappear into the horizon.


M.O.H. Farook passes away
Chennai: Kerala Governor and veteran Puducherry politician M.O.H. Farook, 74, passed away at a hospital here on Thursday night after ailing for some time, family and hospital sources said.

Admitted to the Apollo Hospitals on December 4, Mr. Farook was treated for multiple myeloma. He was on medical leave in his last days, with Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj holding the additional charge of Kerala.

He is survived by his son M.O.H.F. Shahjahan and daughters F. Malika and F. Yasmin.

Mr. Farook, who hailed from Karaikal, held several important posts in his long career, the first notable one being Speaker of the Puducherry Assembly at the age of 27. He was thrice Chief Minister of Puducherry (1967-68, 1969-74 and 1985-90). He headed the governments of both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Congress.

Elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996 and 1999, he served as Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism in 1991-92 in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government.

In September 2004, he was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and in 2010 Jharkhand Governor. He was appointed



India Inc refutes Obama's charge of stealing jobs
Davos ; With HCL Technologies announcing 10,000 jobs for locals in the U.S. and Europe, India Inc on Thursday chose the WEF meet to send a strong message that Indian IT firms are creating and not stealing jobs in troubled western economies.

Also, a message emerged from British Prime Minister David Cameron's advice to the European Union (EU) that instead of being a threat, the emerging economies like India can be of great help to Europe.

Concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India by the year-end would be in Europe's interest, he said.

“We need to have a checklist to tackle the euro crisis...There has to be FTAs, bilateral trade agreements and EU trade agreements with countries like India and Singapore, among others by the end of the year,” he said.

His plain-speak to Brussels (EU headquarters) comes against delay in the trade-opening pact with India.

Barely a day after President Barack Obama hit out against outsourcing, HCL Technologies' Vice Chairman Vineet Nayar made a major announcement here that his company would create 10,000 locals jobs in the U.S. and Europe in the next five years.

“Companies in today's world of globalisation need to create jobs wherever they go. We have taken a pioneering step...,” he said.

Wipro chief Azim Premji, known for his frank talk, said the issue of outsourcing is “getting hyped up since elections are coming up...The U.S. has become over-sensitive on jobs.”

Chairman of Mahindra Satyam Vineet Nayyar hinted at creating jobs in the western economies from where they get the bulk of business. “Indian firms when they go overseas, will have to create jobs there. We will certainly do so,” he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also wanted investment in Europe to create employment. Mr. Obama in his State of Union address had hit out at outsourcing. “No American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here,” he had said.

Amid economic uncertainties and rising unemployment in the western world, the focus is on generation of jobs.


Environmentalist quits Olympics ethics panel over Dow's Bhopal links
London :Olympics after Meredith Alexander, a leading environmentalist, resigned from the Games' ethics committee — the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 — protesting against Dow's links with the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster and accusing the organisers of “toeing” the company's line.

“I feel that the Commission and the London Games organisers are in danger of becoming apologists for Dow Chemicals. They are repeating and falsely legitimising Dow's assertion that they have no responsibility for the Bhopal tragedy,” she told The Hindu, indicating that other members could follow suit.

Terming the deal “ill-judged,” Ms. Alexander said: “I share Amnesty International's view that Olympic bodies are culpable of entering into an ill-judged relationship with Dow, the company that carries the responsibility for the catastrophic gas leak, a responsibility they have repeatedly absconded from.”

She decided to quit after the Commission failed to address the concerns. She felt that continuing to be part of a body that publicly endorsed Dow was “untenable.”

Ms. Alexander, a seasoned campaigner who works for the charity ActionAid, said Dow's involvement had “hurt” the victims' families and “tainted” the Games. “I felt it was absolutely essential for me to stand up and be counted on this.”

She also wanted to highlight the “toxic legacy” of the Bhopal tragedy. “It's one of the worst abuses of human rights in my generation, and I just could not stand idly by.”

The Commission is an official watchdog set up to monitor and ensure that the London Olympics meets its commitment to deliver the most sustainable Games ever.

Besides a £7-million deal under which Dow is funding a fabric wrap for the Olympic stadium in east London, the company has a 10-year sponsorship arrangement with the International Olympic Committee estimated to be worth at least £100 million.

The deal has sparked protests. Noam Chomsky is among high-profile international figures, including British MPs and former Olympians, who have written to Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog), urging him to scrap the deal. Barry Gardiner, senior Labour MP and chairman of the Labour Friends of India, demanded a parliamentary inquiry.

Dow, which bought the Bhopal plant from Union Carbide after the gas tragedy, denies any liability. The Games' organisers have defended the decision to award the contract to Dow, saying it was taken after all the issues were “very carefully” considered.


Report: Ponting to sue Indian software firm
Adelaide : Angry over the use of his face in an Indian software company’s mobile phone application without permission, Australian batsman Ricky Ponting is contemplating legal action.

Ponting was not aware that the 99c iPhone app “Face Guess Cricket” was using his face.

“We weren’t aware of it and we’ll be issuing action against them straight away for the use of his intellectual property,” Ponting’s manager James Henderson was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

The Indian firm AHI Infotech had also apparently used the faces of retired greats Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne in its application without their permission.

“It’s news to me,” McGrath’s manager Warren Craig, said. “We have no relationship with (the developer). And we had to look it up to see what Face Guess Cricket was,” he said.

The application asks users to guess a cricketer’s identity from close-ups of his face. The AHI Infotech’s website also lists a number of iPhone game apps similar to Face Guess Cricket.


India lose openers in chase of 500
Adelaide : Chasing 500 for a win, India were 92 for two in their second innings at tea on the fourth day of the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia here today.

Brief Scores:

Australia: 604/7 and 167/5 decl.

India: 272 and 92/2 in 24 overs (Virender Sehwag 62, Rahul Dravid 19 batting, Ryan Harris 1/11)

Australia innings report:

Australia declared its second innings at 167—5 on Friday and set India a nearly impossible target of 500 runs to win the fourth and final test.

Australia declared its second innings after batting for just 10 minutes in the middle session of day four. India was dismissed for 272 on the third day after Australia declared its first innings on 604—7.

India has over four sessions and a minimum of 146 overs to secure an unlikely win or play out a draw to stop Australia from securing the Border—Gavaskar Trophy with a 4—0 cleansweep.

Ricky Ponting hit an unbeaten 60 to continue his renaissance in this series.

Brief Scores: Australia 604/7 dec & 167/5 decl (Ricky Ponting 60 no, R Ashwin 2/73). India 272.

Lunch report:

Former skipper Ricky Ponting followed up his first—innings double ton with an unbeaten half century Friday as Australia continued to bat India out of the fourth and final test at the Adeliade Oval.

Enjoying a 332—run first innings lead after dismissing India for 272, Australia took lunch on the penultimate day on 154—5 after having resumed on 50—3.

Australia lost skipper Michael Clarke for 37 after a run—a—minute 71—run stand with Ponting, and Mike Hussey for 15 as Australia extended the lead to an impregnable 486 runs.

At lunch, Ponting was on 54 and Brad Haddin 1.

Ponting continued where he left off in the first innings. He survived a catch on 45, when Rahul Dravid failed to latch on to a miscued pull at square leg, the only blemish in his innings.

He and Clarke hit the home side out of a spot of trouble at 40—3, and ensured the game was beyond India’s grasp, by adding more pain by leaving India out on the field.

Clarke was trapped lbw by swing bowler Umesh Yadav, and finished his first home series as captain with 626 runs (average 125.20). His series aggregate is the third highest for Australia against India behind Don Bradman’s 715 runs in five tests in 1947/48, and Ponting’s 706 in fours tests in 2003/04 all in Australia.

Whenever Clarke decides to declare the innings, India will face an enormous task to either win or play out a draw on a deteriorating pitch.

History is against an Indian victory here, with the most successful fourth innings run—chase at the Adelaide Oval belonging to Joe Darling’s Australians when they chased 315 and won by four wickets against Archie MacLaren’s Englishmen, 110 years ago.


Sensex gains 176 points in early trade
Mumbai: The BSE benchmark Sensex on Friday shot up by another 176 points in early trade, extending gains for the fourth straight session on continued buying by funds and retailers amid a firming trend in Asian markets.

The 30-share index rose further by 176.39 points, or 1.03 per cent, to 17,253.57. It had gained over 338 points in the past three sessions.

In a similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index regained 5,200 points level to trade 49.75 points, or 0.96 per cent, higher at 5,208.05 points.

Brokers said apart from a firming trend on other Asian bourses, hopes of easing liquidity in the market after the RBI cut cash reserve ratio by 0.50 percentage point in its policy review on Tuesday, buoyed the trading sentiment.

In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose by 0.13 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei Index by 0.40 per cent in early trade on Friday


Samsung Q4 profit rises 17 per cent
Seoul: Samsung Electronics Co.’s quarterly profit rose 17 per cent from a year earlier on the strength of sales in smartphones and flat panels.

Samsung said on Friday in a regulatory filing that its net profit reached 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in the three months that ended in December. The company earned 3.4 trillion won a year earlier.

The South Korea-based company said its operating profit jumped 75.8 per cent to 5.3 trillion won in the same quarter. The figure was closely in line with the company’s estimate last month of a 73 percent rise.

Samsung, the world’s biggest manufacturer of memory chips and liquid crystal displays, said demand for semiconductors in mobile products and servers remained solid despite weaknesses in personal computers.

The company also said it was able to consolidate its profit in smartphones and flat television sales, noting its efforts to expand electronics parts businesses to secure future growth potential.