India is Pak’s most important neighbour: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan views India as its most important neighbour and desires sustained, substantive and result-oriented process of dialogue with it to resolve all outstanding issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday.

PM Gilani, who flew into the picturesque Swat Valley on a day-long visit to address a national seminar on de-radicalization, said: “We sincerely hope that the ongoing process of comprehensive engagement with India will be fruitful. Pakistan would like to resolve all outstanding issues with India in a peaceful manner.”

Gilani said that India will have to play a more positive and accommodating role and respond to Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.

“India will not find Pakistan lacking in will to write a new chapter in our bilateral relations,” he added.

He said that since 2008 Pakistan has taken a number of measures at different levels to fight terrorism, in line with the country’s national interest.

“We are working closely with our global partners to fight terrorist groups and are determined not to allow use of our soil for terrorist activities against anyone.”

He said Pakistan was committed to working in unison with all neighbours in the region for the establishment of peace and elimination of terrorism.

He reiterated that a stable united, friendly and peaceful Afghanistan was in Pakistan’s best interest and pointed that Pakistan wants independent and sovereign Afghanistan without any external influence.

The Prime Minister spoke at length about Pakistan’s security paradigm that owes its genesis to US-led Afghan jihad in the 1980′s, inept post-cold war handling of Afghanistan by the West, regional conflicts and post 9/11 war in Afghanistan.

“What we witness today is the consequence of history and has an internal, regional and global context.”

‘Game over’ for Gaddafi: Nato

BRUSSELS: Nato says time is running out for Muammar Gaddafi as opposition forces advance, air strikes continue to inflict losses and regime officials flee.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday the alliance had destroyed 2,700 “legitimate military targets” since the campaign began in March. This includes 600 tanks and artillery pieces and 800 ammunition stores.

Still, Fogh Rasmussen warns that Gaddafi’s forces remain a threat, saying that “without Nato there would be a massacre.”

Nato’s campaign was intended to deliver a sharp, devastating military blow that would allow the opposition to quickly oust his regime. But with the campaign dragging on inconclusively, there have been increasing international calls for a negotiated end to the war.

Dial auto service launched in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Sept 17 (ANI): In a bid to provide quick, hassle free and reasonably charged mode of transportation, a dial-an-auto service equipped with GPS navigation system has been launched for the first time in Chandigarh.

The neat and clean pink coloured motor rickshaws, known as Tuk Tuk, are changing the way people travel in the city.

The fleet of 10 dial-an-auto-rickshaw, which is only a phone call away, also boasts of two lady drivers, the first in Chandigarh.

Women passengers, who feel safer traveling with lady drivers, are appreciating their services.

“Chandigarh is one city where people are safe anyway. We have been told we are safe with the service,” said Alka Thapar, a lady auto driver.

One has to just dial 4242424 for calling an auto rickshaw to get it at your doorstep.

The autos are equipped with tamper proof fare meters to assure passengers of not being overcharged.

“We maintain our call center. Whenever any individual requires an auto he rings up and the call centre picks up the call. They record the call and then convey to the driver by selecting the vehicle nearby to pick up the customer. That’s the procedure and customer has to pay from the pick up point to the drive point only,” said VS Dhillon, Managing Director of the Tuk Tuk Auto Rickshaw Company.

The service aims at providing a quick, reliable and safe journey to people who can relax and sit back without the fear of getting fleeced by drivers.

“I’m using it for the first time It’s reasonably priced and I’m really liking it,” says Charanjit, a customer.

The new service is a welcome change for commuters. With the new service in place, passengers can hope for a change in the attitude of traditional auto drivers who are often accused of fleecing customers. By Sunil Sharma (ANI)

Eight-year-old kidnapped in Patna

Patna, Sep 14 (ANI): Unidentified persons in Patna kidnapped an eight-year-old boy at gunpoint in Patna on Monday at 7.30 am.hreyas Srivastava, is a standard one student at Christ church school in Kankarbagh area.

According to the police, the incident occurred early morning when Shreyas Srivastava was going to school along with other students in an auto-rickshaw when three motorcycle-borne persons stopped the auto-rickshaw at gunpoint.

“The incident occurred around 7.30 in the morning. The boy along with other children was going to school in the auto- rickshaw. Three men stopped the vehicle between Maurya hotel and exhibition road and took the child away on his motorbike,” said Parsh Nath Rai, Inspector General.

However, the kidnappers had not made any demand till morning.

Meanwhile, the police are interrogating the auto-rickshaw driver for further investigations. (ANI)

Nifty touches 52 weeks high, telecom, ifra sectors gain

Mumbai, Sep 7 (ANI): The Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) touched a 52-week high of 4743.75 on Monday following early trends of good purchasing in all Asian markets.

Earlier, during the intra-day the Nifty registered the high of 4737.20 and low of 4679.30.

Indian markets were well-poised Monday taking cues from the positive global markets as all the sectoral indices were up, led by gains in realty, metals and auto stocks.

According to the market analysers, the US markets closed up and other Asian markets are positive.

Asian stocks rose for a third day, led by finance and technology companies, as the G-20 nations agreed on steps to shore up the global financial system.

The Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was at 15862.98, up 173.86 points the 30-share index touched a high of 15877.12 and low of 15793.27.

Amongst the sectoral indices, BSE Realty Index was up 2.13 per cent, BSE Metal Index moved up 1.60 per cent and BSE Auto Index gained 1.30 per cent.

BPCL 6.28 percent, Reliance Communications 3.36% percent, TCS 2.56 percent, Tata Motors 2.30 percent and Reliance Capital 2.20 percent were amongst the Nifty gainers. (ANI)

Tata Motors suffer Q1 loss, but confident of improvement

Mumbai, Sep 1 (ANI): Tata Motors, India’s largest vehicle maker have posted a consolidated loss for its fiscal first quarter, but remained confident about the prospects of its loss-making Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) unit.

This was disclosed by the C Ramakrishnan, Chief Financial Officer at a press conference that was also addressed by Ravi Kant, Vice Chairman and Prakash Telang, Managing Director of the company here on Monday.

The company, which controls about 60 percent of the world’s fifth-biggest truck and bus market, said that increased borrowing to support investments and new product development caused an increase in depreciation and interest costs.

It said JLR unit’s sales fell about 52 percent in the quarter from a year ago due to adverse global market conditions.

The company is eyeing some support from the commercial banks to meet the crisis.

“We are working on to tie up our working facilities with commercial banks for Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR)…this has been put in place, some work is still going on which would be finalise in next few weeks,” said Ramakrishnan.

The company reported 3.29 billion rupees consolidated loss for April-June.

In the year-ago quarter, Tata Motors posted a net profit of 7.2 billion rupees, but said the figures were not comparable as the previous period contained JLR numbers only for June 2-30. Tata said JLR made a loss before tax of 62 million pounds during the fiscal first quarter. JLR sold 35,900 units during the quarter, up from 32,600 in the March quarter.

In July, Tata Motors reported a standalone net profit of 5.14 billion rupees for its Indian operations. But officials hoped that market would recover despite a weal monsoon.

“I can say that things would have been better, but the monsoon has not been so good that caution optimism but we still believe that things would be slightly better in coming time,” said Prakash Telang, Managing Director, Tata Motors.

Auto sales in India have been rising on an improving economy, easier finance and new launches, including Tata Motor’s Nano, the world’s cheapest car, which hit the roads in July.

The company’s consolidated debt at the end of June stood at 240 billion rupees. The company has said it would look at capital raising at an appropriate time to deleverage its balance sheet. (ANI)

Volkswagen appoints its third dealership in Delhi, NCR

New Delhi, July 8 (ANI/Business Wire India): Volkswagen India today announced the appointment of Volkswagen Delhi West as its third authorized dealer in New Delhi and NCR region.

The announcement came at a time when the company is witnessing an upsurge in demand from across the country and its plant at Chakan, Pune is ready for manufacturing the Polo December onwards.

Volkswagen Delhi West showroom is spread over an area of 6000 sq. ft. and is located at Main Najafgarh Road, Near Moti Nagar. The showroom would offer premium buying experience to its customers, at par with the Volkswagen’s global standards of sales and services. The facility has become operational from July 2009.

Commenting on Volkswagen’s dealer network strategy Neeraj Garg, Member of the Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “The partnership with Volkswagen Delhi West reiterates our strong focus on widening our presence across key markets and supporting customers with prompt and efficient services.

This is in addition to both our partners M/s Kashyap Motors and DD Auto World who have supported Volkswagen since its entry to India. We are confident that these partnerships will be major milestones for our expansion plans in India.”

Volkswagen currently operates 17 franchises in the cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Cochin, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Kolkata, Lucknow, Pune, Coimbatore, Surat and now adds its third facility in Delhi NCR. In the year 2009, Volkswagen aims to take up its total number of dealer outlets in India to 40.

According to Kirti Singhania, Dealer Principal, Volkswagen Delhi West, “We are pleased to partner with Volkswagen and look forward to building strong relationships with our premium customers in New Delhi. We are confident of providing Volkswagen’s global standards of experience to our customers as any other Volkswagen international dealership”.

As with every other Volkswagen dealership, Volkswagen Delhi West has been provided intense training in management of sales, service, spare parts and business systems to assure customers of the best-in-class pre and post sales ownership experience. (ANI)

Ronaldo to sell three luxury cars for 195,000 pounds

London, July 8 (ANI): Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is putting three of his luxury cars up for sale for 195,000 pounds.

According to The Sun, his close friends also believe that he plans to sell his four million pound mansion in Cheshire.

First up for grabs are his Bentley Continental GT Speed (114,950 pounds), Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Tiptronic S (69,995 pounds) and Mercedes C220CDI (10,795 pounds).

All three are being sold through Manchester-based dealer Vehicle Consulting and are on Auto Trader. (ANI)

Meet Barack Obama, the comedian!

New York, June 20 (ANI): US President Barack Obama sent the crowd into stitches with his jokes at the 65th Annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner.

The popular leader made other politicians, the economy, health care reform, his own White House team and other problems facing the nation the butt of his jokes during the Washington, D.C. affair.

Obama scored enough laughs while referring to a picture of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel riding a camel in Egypt.

“I admit, I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I said at the time, “This is a wild animal known to bite, kick and spit. And who knows what the camel could do?” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

Speaking about the attempts to reform health care, he said: “I have gained the support of the American Medical Association.”

He then added, “It proves true the old expression that it’s easier to catch flies with honey. And if honey doesn’t work, feel free to use an open palm and a swift, downward wrist motion.”

Obama then told those present that efforts were being made to help restore financial institutions and auto companies gain back their strength.

He added: “But you probably wouldn’t understand the concept of troubled industries, working as you do in radio and television.”

And when he realised, that may stir a commotion, the President grinned and said: “W-h-a-a-t! I can’t joke about that.”

He later declared: “I have no ambition to run an auto company.”

Obama did not even spare Secretary of State Clinton’s fractured broken elbow, saying the “Secret Service spotted Richard Holbrooke spraying WD40″ all over the driveway where she fell.

He joked: “Now on top of the cost of health care and the recovery plan we have another fiscal problem. Fortunately, the lawyers tell me Hillary is ready to settle.” (ANI)

Tata Motors launch new range of trucks

Mumbai, May 29 (ANI): Tata Motors, India’s leading manufacturer of both heavy and light automobiles, launched a new line of trucks, named ‘World Truck’ here on Thursday.

The launching of the new series of trucks also marked the company’s objective to bring international standard top quality trucks in the Indian market.

The range, which comprises of multi-axle trucks, tractor-trailers, mixers and special application vehicles, is a bid by Tata Motors to prove itself as a global auto major.

“There will be various offerings coming from this. There will be tractors for taking higher levels of movements across high speed tracks. There will be tippers which will be meeting construction and mining requirements. So, it is an entire range of products which will be coming through this,” said P M Telang, Executive Director, Tata Motors.

The company however has not mentioned the price levels of its latest models and the varied versions.

“It’s about changing the way trucking happens in India and bringing it closer to the sort of levels that you see in more developed countries and rest of the world. So, it is a range of models and when you talk of range of models, there is no one price we can talk about,” said R Ramakrishnan, Head of Marketing, Medium and Heavy Trucks, Tata Motors.

Tata Motors bought the Jaguar and Land Rover brands last year, and is raising funds to close a 1.9 billion dollars residual bridge loan taken for the acquisition. (ANI)

12pct Brit drivers use cars as ‘love-mobiles’ to indulge in passion with partners

London, May 25 (ANI): A poll conducted in Britain has revealed that 12 per cent of drivers use their cars as “love-mobiles” to indulge in passion with their partners.

Carried out by Auto Trader, the survey on bad driving habits involved responses from over 2,700 motorists nationwide.

Matt Thompson, marketing director of Auto Trader, says 41 per cent of the motorists surveyed admitted to texting while driving.

He further revealed that 72 per cent reported being in a habit of eating or drinking at the wheel, while 85 per cent said that they listened to loud music.

Sixty-four per cent used a sat nav while at the controls, and 93 per cent changed CDs or radio stations while driving.

Thompson said that, in addition, 62 per cent admitted to shouting and gesticulating at other motorists, while 22 per cent smoked at the wheel.

“Drivers are potentially at risk of having their mind elsewhere, rather than concentrating on driving,” the Scotsman quoted him as saying. (ANI)

Now, a motorbike, which runs on air-pressure!

Ludihana, May 13 (ANI): A group of engineering students in Ludhiana has developed an eco-friendly motorbike which runs on air-pressure and doesn’t require fuel.
The 100cc bike equipped with two compressed air cylinders, gives a mileage of 11 miles per hour, which the students have plans to increase with some changes in near future.

Students of Auto Engineering Department at the Guru Nanak Dev Polytechnic College in Ludhiana have invented this air-powered bike.

They claim that it is the world’s first 100cc motorcycle powered by air and can help eliminate pollution to a great extent.

“There are bikes that run on batteries, but a lot of time is spent in charging them. In an air bike, you just need to fill air through a compressor. If we develop its air tank and reprocess the exhaust air, the capacity of this air bike can be increased, ” said Akashdeep Singh, one of the innovative students.

“The main advantage is that it is pollution-free as its exhaust is cold air. The Defence personnel can also use the bike, as thermal radiation cameras cannot detect it. Also, the engine of this bike can work underwater and breathes air from its storage tank, which in turn sucks it from the atmosphere,” said Balbir Singh, another student.

Having created the environment-friendly bike, the college students opine that it might not look very hi-tech and sophisticated for now, but it is a step in the right direction for a greener Earth.

“The idea of an air bike was conceived as our energy resources are being depleted day-by-day and pollution level is rising. Keeping all this in mind we have designed a 100cc bike which runs on air pressure technique,” said Jagraj Singh Kaul, Head of the Department, Auto Engineering Department.

Established in 1953, Guru Nanak Dev Polytechnic College (GNDPC) is one of the oldest engineering institutions in north India and is a pioneer in technical education.

An ISO-certified institution, the GNDPC is committed to improve technical excellence to achieve global standards.

The polytechnic has set up its own Electrical and Electronics Laboratories Library and Computer Center under World Bank assisted projects.

And the air-powered bike is an innovation that makes the college proud.

In future, Motor companies can perfect this technology and produce air-powered vehicles. By Karan Kapoor (ANI)

Edwards’ betrayed wife not sure whether he fathered mistress’s child

Washington, May 6 (ANI): Despite Democrat politician and former presidential candidate John Edwards’ denials that he fathered a baby with his onetime mistress, Rielle Hunter, his betrayed wife Elizabeth said she has “no idea” whether he is a new dad.

In an exclusive interview set to air Thursday, Oprah Winfrey asks Elizabeth Edwards about rampant speculation that Edwards is the father of campaign videographer Rielle Hunter’s one-year-old daughter.

“I’ve seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn’t look like my children, but I don’t have any idea,” Elizabeth Edwards told Winfrey.

Edwards talked about the state of her marriage, her husband’s infidelity and her ongoing battle with terminal cancer.

Last week, the Daily News published an exclusive report about Elizabeth Edwards’ new memoir “Resilience” in which recounts how she publicly stood by her cheating husband’s side in his failed presidential campaign.

Winfrey asked Edwards directly whether she’s still in love with her husband.

“You know, that’s a complicated question,” she said.

The couple is still living together in their 28,000-square-foot home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Asked if their relationship is day to day, Edwards replied, “Neither one of us is out the door so I guess it’s day by day, but maybe it’s month by month.”

In a portion of the interview that will be chronicled in the June issue of O magazine, Edwards offered an explanation for why her husband might have been attracted to Hunter.

“This person is very different from me, and really very different from him,” she said. “We’re basically old-fashioned people. So, this was a pretty big leap for him. Maybe it’s being so different is what was attractive.”

As she revealed in her memoir, Elizabeth Edwards told Winfrey she specifically requested fidelity from her husband when they married.

“I wanted him to be faithful to me – it was enormously important to me,” she said.

Edwards told Winfrey how Hunter used a tawdry pick-up line to lure her husband.

“What John said is that this woman spotted him in the hotel in which he was staying. He was meeting someone in the restaurant bar area and she verified with someone who he worked with that it was John,” she said.

“John went to dinner at a nearby restaurant and when he walked back to the hotel she was standing in front of the hotel. She said to him, ‘You are so hot.’”

Edwards, who has dealt with tragedy before when the couple’s 16-year-old son, Wade, died in an auto accident, said she is not scared of dying.

“It’s not as frightening,” she said. “If there’s an ever after – please, please, please – I would be leaving part of my family, but I can do and join another party, and wait for that day when we’re all together again. In some ways it’s something you yearn for.”

John Edwards did not publicly admit the affair with Hunter until last August – seven months after he quit the presidential race, and the National Enquirer had reported he was the father of Hunter’s daughter. (ANI)

Tokyo stocks lose 2 per cent over swine flu fears

Tokyo – Tokyo stocks lost more than 2 per cent to close Tuesday trading on fears of swine flu and concerns over the US economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average plunged 232.57 points, or 2.67 per cent, to close at 8,493.77.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 21.11 points, or 2.53 per cent, at 811.99.

The market entered positive territory at the end of morning trading on pharmaceutical shares.

But selling took over in the afternoon session as the yen’s advance against the US dollar hurt export-oriented issues, especially the auto and electronics sectors, and reports of spreading swine flu increased fears among investors.

First detected in Mexico, at least 26 of the country’s 149 suspected swine flu cases have been confirmed, with the illness also spreading to the United States, Europe and Asian nations.

The Japanese government and businesses have encouraged people to wear face masks, wash hands and gargle frequently to prevent the virus spread.

Japan’s markets will be closed Wednesday for national Greenery Day holiday. Trading is to resume Thursday.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 96.34-37 yen, down from Monday’s 5 pm quote of 96.72-73 yen.

The euro traded at 1.3010-15 dollars, down from late Monday’s quote of 1.3165-67 dollars, and at 125.27-32 yen, down from 127.33-37 yen.(dpa)

GM says Pontiac not gone yet; gets another 2 billion dollars

Washington – Reports that General Motors might kill off its muscled Pontiac line – Firebird, Grand Prix and Bonneville – pushed GM to nix the idea on Friday, at least for now.

GM is already working to shake off Hummer, Saab and Saturn as part of its belt-tightening ahead of the crucial June 1 deadline, set by the government for the country’s largest car maker to attain viability.

GM received news this week that it would get another 2 billion dollars in loans from the US government to help it stay afloat until the deadline. The new infusion brings to
15.4 billion dollars its debt to the US government since December.

GM faces bankruptcy after June 1 if the government’s auto task force believes it has not become lean enough to survive.

Reacting to reports that GM was going to kill off Pontiac, GM posted a statement on its website to dispute “media speculation” on the topic and say it was still reviewing its plan to ensure success.

“General Motors has not announced any changes to its long-term viability plan or to the future status of any of its brands,” the company said.

GM’s smaller rival, Chrysler, faces a shorter deadline on viability on Thursday, and is hustling to nail down a buy-in deal with Italian automaker Fiat, get more cooperation from its lenders and talk its employees, particularly in Canada, into parting with some of their union benefits. (dpa)

German government demands guarantees from Opel investors

Berlin – The German government has demanded that potential Opel investors preserve jobs and factories in Germany, the German daily Bild reported. “Every investor must strengthen Germany,” Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said in an interview to be published Sunday. “Anyone who wants to close plants and cut jobs is not a suitable Opel partner,” Tiefensee added.

Italian carmaker Fiat and Austrian-Canadian auto components manufacturer Magna are both in talks with the German government over a possible majority stake in the ailing General Motors (GM) offshoot.

Opel’s works council is fearful that a Fiat takeover would lead to job cuts and factory closures, believing the Italian company would be bound to scrap meagre-selling Opel models which were in direct competition to the Italian products.

The State Premier of Hesse, where Opel is based, has also voiced concern over the Italian takeover bid. “Fiat has similar problems to Opel and will also need to reduce capacities to survive,” Roland Koch told daily Hamburger Abendblatt.

Koch said Magna was a far more appealing partner, as there were “many overlaps in knowledge and ability, but none in the daily market activity.”

German Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg dismissed worries over the Italian bid.

“The premature criticism weakens the German negotiation position,” Guttenberg said, warning against an instinctive rejection of the proposals.

“We will also check Fiat’s concept very closely to see how many sites and jobs can be retained in Germany,” the economics minister told German Spiegel news magazine.

Guttenberg, who has reportedly held initial talks with Fiat, is to meet Magna early next week to discuss its bailout proposals for Opel, his ministry confirmed Saturday.

“Magna is potentially an interesting partner,” Guttenberg told German Spiegel news magazine, adding that their proposals would also be closely scrutinised.

“Of course we will seriously check any involvement,” Guttenberg said.

Tiefensee said all options must be considered to preserve jobs. “A state involvement for a closely limited period may be necessary as a solution of last resort,” Tiefensee said.

The minister, who is responsible for investment in Germany’s impoverished east said, “The state must do everything that is sensible and saves sustainable jobs.”

Meanwhile, Opel is still waiting for a decision on patents which GM mortgaged to the US government as security in return for loans.

Restitution to Opel of these securities, worth around three billion dollars (2.27 billion euros), is seen as an important step in disentangling the German manufacturer from its stricken US parent company. (dpa)

Official Washington prefer more-breezy, fly-in, fly-out casual partying events

Washington, Apr.30 (ANI): Socialising and partying in official Washington has undergone a change in the last decade and a half.

Washington doesn’t demand or even want a sit-down dinner with an evening port.

According to Politico, partygoers tend to prefer more-breezy, fly-in, fly-out casual events, like birthday parties for A-list reporters and staffers.

Faced with the most terrifying economic crisis since the Great Depression, two wars, the looming collapse of the auto industry, a swine flu epidemic and even a few pirate attacks, the city’s new establishment hasn’t had the time – or perhaps the inclination – to elect a new power hostess.

“The first 100 days, the economy wasn’t solved and the new hostess hasn’t been identified,” says journalist Margaret Carlson, who has a knack for bringing people together.

Its essentially par for the course that every incoming administration reshuffles the Washington deck – effectively determining who’s powerful and who’s not. But as any decent lobbyist will tell you, access is the key to power, and few control the access to the city’s political hierarchy more directly than the reigning social chair.

The doyennes of yesteryear — Democratic powerhouse Esther Coopersmith, the well-known Sally Quinn, and Beth Dozoretz, a friend of the Clintons, remain social fixtures. These women still host fabulous parties.

Several years ago, two new party players – Juleanna Glover and Nancy Jacobson Penn – popped up on the horizon, offering food, drink and expansive homes for White House officials, members of Congress, senators, Capitol Hill staff, lobbyists, reporters and even then-Vice President Dick Cheney.

Glover, a Republican, was more than willing to throw a party for anyone from the newly minted head of CNN’s Washington bureau to visiting A-listers such as businessman John Tisch.

Jacobson Penn, conveniently a Democrat, used her impressive Rolodex to transform her palatial Georgetown home into a sort of social foxhole for Democrats in a town that was run by Republicans.

Between them, Glover and Jacobson Penn had the social cartography of political Washington covered.

Still, the grandeur of a Katharine Graham soiree is missing – the utter sophistication and French chefs replaced by appetizers from Costco.

So who’s in line for the new throne?

Communications guru, avid party-thrower and overall Washington political scene expert Jim Courtovich says that “the list is still emerging.” (ANI)

LG launches two music centric phones – GM200 and KM335 – in India

Superb fusion of “music, style, design, and exclusive features,” the GM200 and the KM335 are the two new phones that LG has recently launched in the Indian market. The LG GM200 and the LG KM335 are the music centric phones offering unique and unexampled audio experience.

Let’s start with the LG GM200, the first Dolby Mobile with powerful bass extensions from LG. Offering high class music experience with rich surround sound, the GM200 features 2.1 Channel woofer stereo sound, with subwoofer and dual side speakers. The wireless FM radio feature, which facilitates listening songs without the hassles of a headset, is one of the remarkable features the phone. The GM200 phone also allows users to record their favorite songs from the FM and set them as ringtones.

The GM200 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, with video recording capabilities and video playback feature. The GM200 also features amazing profiling with auto ringtone level and ambient noise sensor. The other features of the phone include MP3 hot key, document viewer, Bluetooth connectivity, GPRS, 3.5mm jack, and 1GB of memory. The battery of the phone offers a talktime of upto 10 hours and a standby time of upto 600 hours. The LG GM200 is priced at Rs.8250.

The LG KM335 is the phone that amplifies music entertainment with its unique AM/FM radio feature and dual stereo speaker. The KM335 allows users to tune into their favorite radio station and keep themselves in touch with the latest music. The phone features shortcut hot keys for FM radio and MP3 player offering instant access to music features.

The LG KM335 features a 2.0 inch TFT LCD screen and a 3 megapixel camera with flash, capable of video recording at 15 fps, playback at 30 fps. The phone offers 90 MB of internal memory, which can be enhanced upto 8GB. The phone is powered by 1100mAh battery, capable of offering talktime of upto 9.5 hours and a standby time of upto 600 hours. Priced at Rs.9,250, the LG KM335 is available in three different colors – champagne, wine and black.

The LG GM200 and the LG KM335 are the latest to join the ever-swelling LG lineup of the mobile phones in India. The LG GM200 and the LG KM335 are available at the LG retail outlets throughout the country.

Hero Group pulls out of DHMC; Daimler to go ahead with truck venture in India!

Citing the rather poor performance of the Indian heavy truck segment, the Hero Group has decided to pull out of its joint venture with Daimler! With the Hero Group quitting the collaboration for making commercial vehicles in India, Daimler will buy back Hero’s 40 percent stake – worth 16 million euros – in Daimler Hero Motor Corporation (DHMC).

While Daimler says the Hero Group back-out was due to financial constraints, the Chairman of Hero Corporate Services, Sunil Kant Munjal, cited plunging commercial vehicle sales in India – which dropped 22 percent in FY 2009 – as the reason.

Munjal said: “We will not like to invest in such an uncertain economic situation and have decided to venture out.”

Though let down by its local partner, Daimler is not daunted – it intends going ahead alone with the venture! The determined German auto giant – the maker of Mercedes Benz cars – said on Wednesday that, over a period of four years, it would make over 700-million-euros investment to establish itself in the subcontinent and, in due course, use it as a “bridgehead to other emerging markets.”

In reaction to the Hero Group pull out and the company’s single-mindedness of purpose, Daimler Trucks’ chief, Andreas Renschler, said in a statement: “I really regret the Hero Group’s decision, but Daimler Trucks will nonetheless enter the truck volume market in India.”

European car sales slump again

Berlin – European car sales fell 17.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, data released Thursday showed, as the crisis in the global auto industry deepened.

The Brussels-based European car makers’ industry association (ACEA) said the slump during the first three months of the year came in the wake of a 9-per-cent fall in auto sales in March compared to the came month last year.

The fall came despite a hefty 39.9-per-cent surge in March car sales in Germany following the government’s launch of car purchasing incentives in Europe’s biggest auto market. (dpa)