Maharashtra reels under heavy rain

Local train services took a hit and flights were delayed for the second day as Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra continued to reel under a heavy spell of rain on Monday. Operations along the Central and Harbour railway lines were suspended till late morning, but overall the trains were running at slow speed, throwing life out of gear.

Traffic snarls

Water-logging at various places led to traffic snarls, making commuting a nightmare for the Mumbaikars. Many remained at their homes.

Flights cancelled

Six flights, two arrivals and four departures, were cancelled following the incident of a plane skidding in Kochi. While visibility was normal, flights were delayed by 10 minutes, a Mumbai International Airport Pvt.Ltd.spokesperson said.

Rain-related accidents claimed four lives here and Konkan on Monday. One person died and two were injured in a landslip at Haji Ali here. A 55-year-old woman in Sindhudurg district lost her life when a portion of a wall collapsed on her. Two more persons died in a wall collapse at Rabale in Navi Mumbai.

Houses damaged

Incessant showers damaged 35 houses a across the State. Many cattle also died in heavy downpour. Shahapur, Mahad, Pune and Jalgaon experienced heavy rainfall. The State Irrigation department begin releasing water from dams. The fire brigade successfully evacuated 33 people trapped in flood waters at Palghar, Thane.

Festival mood spreads all over State

  Business and shopping witnessed a surge in the last few days, ahead of the approaching Id-ul-Fitr and Onam festivals. Id-ul-Fitr in the State will be either on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be followed by Onam, after a week's gap.

All textile shops had been witnessing heavy rush. Most shops had procured special stocks in view of the festivals.

Cattle fairs were held in different parts of the State, particularly in Malabar. The prices of poultry birds remained unchanged but the cost of cattle had gone up. Beef and mutton are mostly in demand. Id-Gahs had been set up in almost all towns and suburbs across the State. Special Id prayers will begin at Id-Gahs between 7am and 8.am. While Sunnis prefer mosques, Salafis and Jama'at-e-Islami groups prefer Id-Gahs for prayers.

The Id-ul-Fitr day will be decided on the basis of the sighting of the new moon. (If the  sighting is on Monday evening, Id will be celebrated on Tuesday). If sighting does not take place, then Ramzan will be completed on Tuesday and Id-ul-Fitr celebrated Wednesday. 

Leading Kazis of Kerala, including Cherusseri Zainuddin Musliar and Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar, requested people to let them know if the moon is sighted on Monday.

     

      

    

     

Gold Silver Tumble On Global Cues

Gold prices on thursday witnessed the steepest single-day fall of Rs.1,840 per 10 gram here on frantic selloff from investors and speculators, mirroring the precious metals meltdown in global markets. Silver also tumbled in tandem with gold.

The precious metal, which was rallying in a phased manner at the domestic market after the onset of global recessionary fears, lost almost 9 per cent since three trading sessions from its Tuesday's record level of Rs.28,145 per 10 gram.

On the global front, gold came under pressure after a plunge in futures trading on the back of a strong get of U.S economic data and expectation of more Federal Reservestimulus, along with second trading margin hike by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group leading to hectic profit taking by investors.

Standard gold (99.5 purity) nonsedived by Rs.1,840 per 10gram to close at Rs.25,670 from Wednesday's closing of Rs.27,510. Pure gold (99.9 purity) also plummeted by Rs.1,835per 10 gram to end at Rs.25,795 against Rs.27,630.

Silver ready (.999 fineness) tanked Rs.3,785 to finish at Rs.60,545 from Rs.64,330 a kg on Wednesday.

  

Gold Futures Slip From Record Levels On Weak Global Trend

Amid profit booking at record levels by speculators and a weak trend overseas, gold futures slipped by 0.53 per cent from their record level to Rs. 27,450 per 10 grams today.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in October fell by Rs. 147, or 0.53 per cent, to Rs. 27,450 per 10 grams, with a business turnover of 1,665 lots. It had galloped to a record high of Rs. 28,284 per 10 grams in yesterday’s volatile session.

Gold for delivery in December also lost Rs. 146, or 0.52 per cent, to Rs. 27,710 per 10 grams, with a trade turnover of 72 lots.

Analysts said profit-booking by speculators at record high levels and a weak trend overseas, where the precious metal slipped from its record level of $ 1,913.50 an ounce, mainly led to the fall in gold prices in futures trade here.

Also, a weak trend in precious metals in the domestic spot market at prevailing record levels also weighed on gold prices in futures trade here, they said hlobally, gold fell sharply by $ 68 to $ 1,830.10 an ounce in New York last night.

 

Cleared of criminal charges, Strauss-Kahn faces civil suit

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

The sensational sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn (62), former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and potential French presidential candidate, even more sensationally collapsed on Tuesday, after Judge Michael Obus of a State Supreme Court in Manhattan dismissed the criminal case entirely. 

The dismissal came a day after the prosecuting District Attorney (DA) recommended that the rape charges brought against Mr. Strauss-Kahn by hotel housekeeper Nafissatou Diallo (33) be dropped, though Ms. Diallo's lawyer Kenneth Thompson had criticised DA Cyrus Vance's decision saying, He has not only turned his back on this victim but he has also turned his back on the forensic, medical and other physical evidence in this case. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Judge Obus had also issued a written ruling denying a request by Ms. Diallo's lawyers to remove the DA from the case and appoint a Special Prosecutor instead. 

Following the dramatic airport arrest of one of the world's most powerful financiers three months ago the plaintiff's side suffered a series of setbacks especially following a major turnaround in Mr. Vance's stance last month. 

At the time the DA's office cited a substantial credibility issue against Ms. Diallo, whom it accused of lying on her asylum application about having been gang-raped in the past, a letter submitted by prosecutors said. Following that shift in position, Judge Obus lifted Mr. Strauss-Kahn's house arrest and bail. 

While the latest decision is tantamount to a clear victory for Mr. Strauss-Kahn's team, their client is not entirely in the clear yet as Ms. Diallo has also launched a civil case against him and he faces a another legal inquiry in France from an writer who has alleged that Mr. Strauss-Kahn “forced himself on her during a 2003 interview in Paris.” 

According to reports Ms. Diallo's attorneys also intended to take the case to France where they had been trying to establish a pattern of sexual abuse by Strauss-Kahn and had tried to contact other women who may have had similar encounters.

Obama administration urged to pursue Pan Am case against Qadhafi

The bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 resulted in the deaths of 270 people, including 189 Americans.

    Several top U.S. lawmakers and political leaders have urged the Obama administration to pursue the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing case against Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi in case he is arrested and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Justice for the U.S. victims of terrorist attacks committed by Mr. Qadhafi and his regime must remain a top priority for our country, Senator Frank Lautenberg said in a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“Mr. Qadhafi be arrested and sent to the ICC, he must stand trial for his terrible crimes against our fellow citizens,” Mr. Lautenberg said.

Mr. Lautenberg urged Ms. Clinton to work with Libya’s transitional government to ensure that if Mr. Qadhafi is tried before the ICC he is charged with these terror attacks perpetrated by him and his regime.

As a first step, I call on this new government to arrest and extradite the mastermind behind the bombing of Pan Am 103, Abdelbaset Mohmed Ali al-Megrahi, so justice can finally be done,  Republican presidential aspirant Mitt Romney said in a statement.

Early this year, the ICC had issued arrest warrants for Muammar Qadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, and Libya’s intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi for crimes against humanity allegedly committed against civilians in Libya since February 15 this year.

Jens David Ohlin, international law expert and associate professor of Law at Cornell University, said with the Qadhafi regime crumbling, the next step is to await their transfer to The Hague to await prosecution before the International Criminal Court.

“I would be willing to wager money that the chief prosecutor will prosecute Mr. Qadhafi, his intelligence chief and his son Saif under a new and controversial doctrine known as indirect co-perpetration” he said.