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National Current Affairs

NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

BIHAR ELECTIONS NOV’05: JD(U)-BJP COMBINE GETS MAJORITY The (United)-Bharatiya combine got majority in the Bihar poll in November 2005. In the elections, second in eight months, forced by a premature dissolution of the 243-member assembly, the Nitish Kumar led- National Democratic Alliance bagged 140 seats, 18 more than the halfway mark of 122. Kumar's Janata Dal-United won 86 seats and BJP 54 seats against 55 and 37 won in the March elections, which had thrown up a hung verdict, President's rule and the consequence dissolution. NDA's chief ministerial candidate 54- year-old Kumar, an electrical engineer who led coalition to a convincing victory, said good governance will be his top most priority and that he would be fair to all religious communities and castes, including the extremely backward classes and deprived sections. He is expected to be elected leader of the JD(U)-BJP legislature party and likely to be sworn in on Thursday at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna. RJD, which had a vice- like grip on power ever since 1990, finally lost in the battle of ballots securing 53 seats and its alliance partner Congress getting nine seats, one less than last time. RJD had won 75 in the last elections. Another alliance partner Communist Party of -Marxist managed to get a lone seat.

NITISH KUMAR SWORN-IN AS BIHAR CM Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar was on Nov 24, 2005 sworn-in as the 33rd chief minister of Bihar. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor at a public function at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. State President was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister of the JD(U)-BJP . The swearing-in ceremony was attended among others by several National Democratic Alliance leaders, including former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, BJP president L K Advani, JD(U) leaders Sharad and Jaya Jaitely. Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal, National Conference leader , Chief Minister Babulal Gaur and BJP leaders M , , Arun Jaitely and Navjot Singh Siddhu also attended the function. Altogether 26 ministers, 16 of cabinet rank and 10 ministers of state, took oath along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. OIL-FOR-FOOD SCANDAL K. Natwar Singh, India's External Affairs Minister, as well as the Congress Party are listed in the recently released report of the Volcker Committee as "non-contractual beneficiaries" of Iraqi oil sales in 2001 under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. The contracting company in both cases is named as Masefield AG. The fifth and final report of the Independent Inquiry Committee, appointed by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in April 2004 to investigate the administration and management of the Oil-for-Food Programme, is available at www.iic- offp.org. Mr. Singh is shown in Table 3 of the Report as the non-contractual "beneficiary" in connection with 4 million barrels of oil allotted to Masefield AG, the contracting company, which actually lifted 1.936 million barrels out of this. The phase in which the oil was allocated is shown as 9. In addition, the Congress Party is listed in the same table as the non-contractual "beneficiary" in connection with 4 million barrels allotted in phases 10, 11, 12 and 13. Out of this allocation, 1.001 million barrels were lifted. In this case, Masefield AG is shown as the contracting company in phase 10 (during which the 1.001 million barrels were lifted), but no name of the contracting company is mentioned for the subsequent phases. The table also lists Reliance Petroleum Limited as a "beneficiary" from an allocation of 19 million barrels of oil to Alcon Petroleum Limited, the contracting company, which lifted 15.780 million barrels in phases 9, 10 and 11. A yet to be identified Bhim Singh from India is also listed in the table as a "beneficiary," with no contracting company mentioned by name. In Bhim Singh's case, 7.300 million barrels were allocated but nothing of this was lifted, according to the table. Volcker Drama: the key players With new revelations almost daily, the Volcker report drama continues to rock India's political circles, in general, and the ruling United Progressive Alliance government, in particular. New names are cropping up everyday, with new allegations. If the rapid turn of events has left you a little confused, here is a quick guide to the key players in the oil for food scandal, as far as India is concerned. The U.N. Investigative Officer Mr. Paul Volcker: Before the oil for food report, he was best known as the chairman of the American Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987, when Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were President. Volcker is credited with having stemmed an inflation crisis in America in the 1980s. In April 2004, the United Nations gave him the task of investigating charges of corruption in the oil-for-food programme the UN had devised to help sanction-riddled Iraq to survive. The Iraqi Connections: Saddam Hussein: Iraqi dictator overthrown by America's Operation Iraqi Freedom. After Saddam's Iraq invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990, the UN imposed economic sanctions on the country. In the face of a global appeal to save the people of Iraq from bearing the brunt of the sanctions on its dictatorial regime, the UN started the oil-for-food programme in December 1996. Under the programme, Iraq could sell its oil at UN-prescribed prices in exchange of humanitarian goods. Iraq sold $64.2 billion worth of oil to 248 companies and 3,614 firms sold $34.5 billion worth of humanitarian goods to Baghdad before the programme ended in 2003. Saddam's regime devised an elobarate scheme to pilfer money from the oil-for-food programme, the full details of which came to light with the Volcker Committee report. Tariq Aziz: He was the deputy prime minister in the Saddam regime, and the only Christian in the deposed dictator's inner circle. Aziz was the Saddam regime's global face, before America invaded Iraq. It is now being alleged that the kickbacks received by the Indian non contractual beneficiaries -- read former external affairs minister Natwar Singh -- came after a series of meetings Natwar, his son Jagat Singh, and family friend Andy Sehgal had with Aziz and other Baath Party officials. The Indian Players: K Natwar Singh: India's former external affairs minister and veteran Congress leader. The Volcker report says Iraq 'selected oil recipients in order to influence foreign policy and international public opinion in its favour.' Thus the oil vouchers went to prominent pro-Iraq global voices, who the report classifies as 'non-contractual beneficiaries. These 'non- contractual beneficiaries', in turn, sold the vouchers to oil companies who bought oil at UN- prescribed low prices. Natwar is one of the Indian non-contractual beneficiaries named in the Volcker report. The others are Jammu and Kashmir Panther's Party leader Bhim Singh, and the Congress party. Natwar has maintained he had no role in the oil-for-food scam. Jagat Singh: Natwar's son and Congress legislator from Lachhmangarh in Alwar, . He has admitted he visited Saddam Hussein's Iraq, but maintains he did so as part of a Youth Congress delegation, and not for personal gains through the oil-for-food scam, as has been alleged. Jagat is not a stranger to being in the news for all the wrong reasons. His name figured prominently in the media when his wife Natasha and sister Ritu committed suicide within two months of each other in 2002. Andaleeb 'Andy' Sehgal: Sehgal owns Hamdan Exports, which was named in the Volcker Report for paying $748,540 as illegal surcharge payments on behalf of Masefield AG, a Swiss oil company. According to the Volcker Report, Masefield bought Iraqi oil against coupons given to Natwar Singh and Congress. Natwar Singh's son Jagat Singh's close friend and relative. Sehgal's brother-in-law Jayatendra Singh's father and Natwar Singh's wife are cousins. Aneil Mathrani: He served for over 20 years in the All India Congress Committee's foreign affairs department, and helped the party develop ties with political parties across the globe. When the United Progressive Alliance government was sworn in, Mathrani was made officer on special duty in the ministry of external affairs. He was the Indian Ambassador to Croatia, till he was recalled on Friday, following his disclosures to a television channel that Natwar was fully aware of the oil-for-food scam. Mathrani was secretary of the Congress' foreign cell when Natwar Singh was its chairman. According to reports, Mathrani flew to Jordan on January 18, 2001, the same day as Natwar's son Jagat Singh did. Reports also say Mathrani flew back to Jordan in April the same year. The visits almost coincide to when the Volcker Committee says 'illegal surcharge' payments were made in the Jordan National Bank.

NEW MADHYA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Nov 27, 2005 replaced Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur with backward leader Shivraj Singh Chauhan, even as it decided to elevate firebrand leader Uma Bharati, a contender for the post, as party general secretary. Chauhan, the state BJP president, has the backing of a considerable section of the party. The parliamentary board met after Gaur, in a communication to party president L. K. Advani, expressed his desire to step down. Gaur sent his resignation to Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jhakar soon after Jaitely's announcement. Former prime minister , Advani, and former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh were among those who attended the meeting. Earlier, there were reports of serious differences among senior party leaders on the issue of not making Uma Bharati chief minister as there were apprehensions of how she would react to this. The formal announcement about Gaur's replacement was made after Uma Bharati agreed to become a general secretary. The party's top brass also consulted senior leaders from the state on the change and individually met the 18 MPs from the state to ascertain their views on who should replace Gaur. Uma Bharati's supporters had been petitioning the central leadership to allow her to return as the state chief minister. She had resigned from the post last August after a Hubli court issued arrest warrants against her in a 1994 riot case. Before quitting, she chose Gaur to succeed her.

PRIYA DUTT WINS MUMBI WEST SEAT The daughter of late Bollywood filmstar-turned-politican Sunil Dutt, Congress candidate Priya Dutt Nov 22, 2005 won the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha defeating veteran Shiv Sena leader Madhukar Sarpotdar. 39-year old Dutt polled 343,933 votes. Sarpotdar bagged 171, 890. The election was closely watched, considering it was the first after the demise of her father, who was the sitting MP in this constituency. Her campaign was a big success, and Dutt exuded a lot confidence all along. The same confidence showed when she secured a comfortable margin over her rival from round one of counting. NARAYAN RANE WINS MALWAN ( ) BY-ELECTION SEAT Maharashtra Revenue Minister and Congress candidate Narayan Rane on Nov 22, 2005 won the Malwan assembly seat by 63,372 votes defeating his rival Parshuram Uparkar, who lost hid deposit. Rane bagged 78,616 votes, while Uparkar got 15244 votes. The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of Rane, who has been representing the Shiv Sena from Malvan in the past, from the Assembly. He later joined the Congress. The by-poll was held on November 19, 2005. That Rane would win handsomely was clear from the very first round when the Konkan strongman led by 11,280 votes. Subsequent rounds of counting only reinforced the margin. However, the loss of deposit of the Sena candidate has come as a shock for the Sena leaders.

RAJ THACKERAY QUITS AS SENA LEADER Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj Thackeray announcd on Nov 27, 2005 his decision to quit as Shiv Sena leader and president of the Sena’s student wing, Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena. His resignation is in protest against the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray who's the Sena's working president. Announcing his decision, Raj Thackeray said he had no differences with party chief Bal Thackeray, and that the country needed the Shiv Sena. However, he said the party had passed into the hands of "middlemen" which is why he was quitting as its leader.

AZAD’S 13-MEMBER COALITION GOVT SWORN IN J&K Mr was sworn in as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Nov 2, 3005 succeeding Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as per the agreement between the two main alliance partners, Congress and the PDP, each leading the team for three years. Twelve others, including two Ministers of State, were also sworn in. Of the 13, two ministers were new faces with all others having served their term as ministers in the Mufti government. The Governor, Lt-Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, administered the oath of office to the ministers at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here this evening. The function was attended by the Union Minister for Home, Mr , his deputy, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, AICC General Secretary, Ambika Soni, Mr Saifuddin Soz, outgoing Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, National Conference President , PDP President and legislators. Unlike in the past the swearing-in ceremony was a low-key affair, in view of last month’s devastating earthquake in Kashmir and Saturday’s blasts in . Apart from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister those sworn in included Mangat Ram Sharma (Congress), Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar (PDP), Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen (PDF), Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed (Congress), Qazi Mohammad Afzal (PDP), Nawang Rigzin Jora and Haji Nissar Ali (Associate members of Congress), Taj Mohiuddin (Cong), Mr Tariq Hameed Qarra (PDP), as Cabinet Ministers Mr Gulchain Singh Charak and Mr Jitender Singh of the Congress were also sworn in as Ministers of State. The two new faces in the Council include Tariq Hameed Qarra and Gulchain Singh Charak.

ABU SALEEM ANSARI EXTRADITED FROM PORTUGAL In what is seen as a major breakthrough for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), one of India’s most wanted gangsters Abu Salem alias Abdul Saleem Ansari wanted in over 60 cases was finally deported from Portugal. Getting him to India was not an easy job for the police as the country does not have an extradition treaty with Portugal. The Indian government had to give an assurance to Portugal that Abu Salem won’t be given a death penalty. Immediately after he landed in Bombay he was produced in a special court and remanded to judicial custody till Nov 23, 2005. Prime accused in the deadly Bombay serial blasts of 1993 that killed 250 people and destroyed properties worth million, Abu Salem is also wanted in connection with the sensational murder of film producer and music czar Gulshan Kumar and few other high profile attempts to murder cases involving Bombay film personalities. The mafia don was also in involved in abduction of rich prosperous businessmen for extorting huge sums of money. Abu Salem’s arrest in Lisbon To evade arrest by the Indian security service, Salem underwent plastic surgery but as luck would have it was arrested in the Portuguese capital by the Interpol along with his girl friend Monica Bedi after his satellite phone was tracked soon after arriving on forged documents. The Monica angle Monica Bedi came to Bombay to try her luck in films. On one occasion her producer took her to Dubai for a show and it is believed that it was here that Monica was introduced to Salem. Abu Salem helped Monica to get roles in films and in turn Monica passed on vital information about film producers to Salem who then made extortion calls to them. Monica was arrested along with Salem for carrying forged passport and travel documents. With Monica’s arrest the CBI is hopeful that they will get some very vital information regarding Abu Salem’s modus operandi and his complex mafia network as she is the only person who has been with the gangster all these years.

DELHI BOMBING OCT 2005 Delhi bombings occurred on October 29, 2005 in Delhi, killing 61 people and injuring at least 188 others in three explosions. The high number of casualties make the bombings the deadliest terrorist attack in India in 2005. The bombings came only two days before the important festival of Diwali. The bombs were triggered in two markets in central and south Delhi and in a bus in the Govindpuri area in the south of the city. A Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, the Islamic Inquilab Mahaz claimed the responsibility for the blasts. This group is known to have links with the Kashmir separatist/ Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba. The tactics—using multiple strikes simultaneously or near-simultaneously—are a format used previously by Al Qaeda. President A P J Abdul Kalam condemned the blasts in Delhi and sent condolences to the bereaved and other victims of the loss of lives and damage to property.

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

INDIA – PAK The first of three points on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan was opened on Nov 7, 2005 for earthquake relief work. Indian and Pakistani Army officers shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at the frontier point of Chakhan-Da-Bag. Amidst hundreds of locals and media persons, officers of both countries hugged each other and exchanged white flags. Locals were swept away in a sea of emotion, as they rushed to meet near and dear ones separated for half a century. The crossing point at Kaman in Uri and Tithwal in Tangdhar were opened in Novemebr 2005.

KEY POINTS OF VOLKER’S REPORT ON THE OIL-FOR-FOOD INVESTIGATION · On February 3, 2005, the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC), chaired by Paul Volcker, released its first interim report, which provides extensive information on a number of important issues related to the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. The findings of the interim report are based on the review of more than five million pages of UN documents by over 75 investigators and about 400 interviews conducted in 25 countries. · The professionalism of the members of the IIC and thoroughness of the interim report should put to rest any notion that this investigation is somehow biased or superficial. The report's recommendations are a valuable input to the ongoing reform of UN management and accountability mechanisms, which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has spearheaded throughout his tenure. · The IIC confirmed that "the major source of external financial resources to the Iraqi Regime resulted from sanctions violations outside the Program's framework." Revenue from illicit oil sales or "smuggling" far outweighed that from surcharges or kickbacks within the program. The IIC also confirmed that the Security Council was made aware of "the existence, but not necessarily the amounts, of sales and purchases under these [illicit trade] protocols…and at least in the case in Jordan, it was 'noted.'" · According to the interim report, the UN Secretariat's use of funds to administer the Oil-for- Food Programme was generally disciplined and the accounting of funds appears to have been appropriately carried out. In fact, the UN used $327 million or 27 percent less than it was given for program administration; these funds were instead used for the direct benefit of the Iraqi people. · However, other findings and conclusions are extremely troubling. The IIC found: o Resources committed to auditing the program were inadequate; some important areas of the Program were not reviewed; and the audit function of the Program's work should have been more independent and transparent. o The procurement process of three UN contractors did not conform to established rules or to reasonable standards of fairness and transparency. Political interests were one notable influence on the process. o Benon Sevan, former director of the program, created "a grave and continuing conflict of interest" by repeatedly soliciting oil allocations from Iraq under the program. · The Secretary-General has pledged to accept these findings and take the necessary steps to fix systemic problems as quickly as possible. On the day of the report's release, he stated, "Measures have already been taken to remedy some of these defects. Other steps will be announced soon." · The Secretary-General once again pledged to take appropriate and swift action in regard to any UN employee found to have violated the rules of the UN or engaged in improper activities, including waiving diplomatic immunity. He has already initiated disciplinary proceedings against officials cited in the interim report. · Notwithstanding the seriousness of the investigation's findings, it is important to recognize that the Oil-for-Food Programme succeeded in meeting its goals: o It maintained support for sanctions, which kept Saddam from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; o It fed 27 million Iraqi residents; o It provided dependable access to electricity and clean water for the people of Iraq; and o A portion of the proceeds went to the UN weapons inspection program in Iraq, which was crucial to destroying Saddam's weapons and preventing him from developing new programs. · Secretary-General Annan has made UN reform one of his main priorities for the final two years of his term. Immediately following the release of the interim report, his office announced a series of new reforms: o New management leadership to strengthen the capability and effectiveness of the Office of Internal Oversight Services; o An Oversight Committee to ensure action is taken when recommendations are made by the Board of Auditors and Joint Inspection Unit; o The dissemination of audits and reports to member states; o The establishment of a freedom of information policy; o New human resources policies to include whistleblower protections and disciplinary procedures; and o New senior management to help provide accountability and a higher standard of performance. · The IIC is expected to release another interim report that will look more thoroughly into several facets of the program, including the procurement of a contractor that employed the Secretary-General's son, Kojo Annan. · Recently, 70 Nobel Laureates announced their support for the Secretary-General citing his record of reform. They said, "He has never failed to take a critical look at the UN to examine its weaknesses and recommend improvements."

PARIS RIOTS NOV 2005 The 2005 civil unrest in France and neighboring countries was a series of riots and other forms of violent clashes between thousands of youths (predominantly of French Muslim background) from poor suburbs and the French Police (as well as the police of neighboring countries). The riots began on Thursday 27 October 2005 in the Banlieues of Paris. They peaked on the night of 7 November, affecting 274 communes. On 17 November, the French police declared a return to a normal situation throughout France, saying that the 98 vehicles torched the previous night corresponded to the usual average. According to the official count, 8,973 vehicles were torched during the 20 nights of rioting, with 2,888 arrests, and 126 police injured.

BUSH FACES PROTESTS IN ARGENTINA Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez leads a protest of 25,000 anti-Bush demonstrators at a soccer stadium during a summit meeting with Latin American leaders.

SUICIDE BOMBERS STRIKE IN IRAQ On Nov 7, 2005, the bomber kills four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad in the deadliest suicide attack since June. On Nov. 10, 2005 the Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia claims responsibility for attack in a Baghdad cafe that kills about 30 people, including many police officers. On Nov. 18, 2005 two suicide bombers blow themselves up in two Shiite mosques in the Kurdish town of Khanaqin. About 70 people are killed.

FORMER PERUVIAN PRESIDENT ARRESTED On Nov. 7, 2005, Alberto Fujimori, who fled Peru in 2000 and has since been living in Japan, is arrested shortly after his plane lands in Chile. He had been planning to return to Peru to run for president, defying a ban on such acts. He was charged with 21 human-rights violations and corruption.

SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS DOZENS IN JORDAN On Nov 10, 2005, three bombs explode simultaneously in three hotels in Amman, killing 57 people and wounding hundreds. The popular hotels are the Days Inn, the Radisson SAS, and the Grand Hyatt. Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, claims responsibility, saying Jordan had been targeted because it was friendly with the United States. On Nov. 13, 2005 Jordanian authorities arrest an Iraqi woman, Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi, who they say intended to be a fourth attacker. Her husband was one of the attackers.

ISRAEL'S LABOR PARTY ELECTS NEW LEADER On Nov. 10, 2005 the trade union leader and member of Parliament Amir Peretz upsets Shimon Peres. He threatens to withdraw Labor from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition.

WOMAN WINS LIBERIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION On Nov. 11, 2005 the Harvard-educated economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf defeats soccer star George Weah in runoff election. She is Africa's first woman head of state.

IRAQ TO INVESTIGATE PRISONER ABUSE Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari announced on Nov 15, 2005 a prompt inquiry into alleged torture of more than 170 prisoners—mostly Sunnis—by Shiite police officers.

RICE BROKERS GAZA TRAVEL DEAL On Nov. 15, 2005, the agreement between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority—mediated in a marathon session by U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice—allows Palestinians to travel in and out of the Gaza Strip with minimal restrictions.

SHARON TO FORM A NEW PARTY On Nov 21, 2005 the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon says he plans to quit as head of the Likud Party, which he founded, to start a new, more centrist organization. He also asks President Moshe Katsav to dissolve parliament and call for early elections. SAARC 2005 The two-day summit of the South Asian regional grouping ended in Dhaka on Nov 13, 2005. Afghanistan has been admitted as a new member of the group. SAARC already brings together seven nations - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, and are expected to sign a declaration to implement a free trade area by the beginning of 2006. Increasing economic ties are seen as crucial to reducing South Asia's crippling poverty but negotiations had stalled over disagreements over which industries would remain protected by high tariffs. There is also likely to be an announcement of a joint approach to tackling terrorism at the summit and a decision on whether to admit Afghanistan as a new member of the regional grouping. During the meet the prime ministers of India and Pakistan held private talks on the sidelines of the summit. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters that he had told Mr Singh that his country was against "all forms of terrorism and is ready to cooperate with any country to combat the menace".

SPORTS NEWS

INDIA – SRI LANKA ODI SERIES India and Sri Lanka come together for the seven match ODI series after their clash in the Indian Oil Cup where the Lankans beat the Indians in all the three matches that they played. India defeated the visotrs comprehensively 6 – 1 to clinch the series. The final results are: Ist ODI (Nagpur): India won by 152 runs; Second ODI (Mohali D/N): India Won by 8 wickets; Third ODI (Jaipur): India won by 6 wickets ; Fourth ODI (Pune): India won by 4 wickets; Fifth ODI (Ahmedabad D/N): Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets; Sixth ODI (Nagpur): India Won by 7 wickets; Seventh ODI (Baroda): India Won by 5 wickets.

INDIA – SOUTH AFRICA ODI SERIES South Africa kept sniping back at regular intervals, but with only 222 needed for victory, India were in the box seat to win the 5th and final ODI played at Mumbai and level the five-match series 2-2. The final result of the series are: 1st ODI – Hyderabad [S. Afric won by 5 wickets]; 2nd ODI - Bangalore (D/N) [India won by 6 wickets]; 3rd ODI – Hyderabad [Match abandoned due to rain]; 4th ODI - Kolkata (D/N) [S. Afric won by 10 wickets]; 5th ODI - Mumbai (D/N) [India won by 5 wickets]. Man of the series: shared by G. Smith (S.Africa) and Yuvraj Singh (India).

BANGLADESH TEAM WIN NEHRU HOCKEY MEET Lyallpur Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar, ran out of luck during the ‘sudden death’ shootout after putting up a fine display in the regulation time to lose by 4-5 to Bangladesh Institution of Sports, Bangladesh in the final of the 34th Nehru Junior Boys Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium here on Oct 31, 2005.

SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY WIN HOCKEY TITLE South Eastern Railway, Kolkata, gave a superb performance to dethrone reigning champions and five-time title holders Northern Railway, Delhi, to emerge champions in the All-India Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal Memorial Women’s Hockey Tournament played at Ludhiana.

GONZALEZ WINS SWISS INDOORS TITLE Fourth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated Cypriot qualifier Marcos Baghdatis 6-7 (8), 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to win the Swiss Indoors title on Oct 31, 2005 and strengthen his chances of qualifying for the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

PETROVA WINS FIRST WTA TITLE Russia’s Nadia Petrova won her first WTA career title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the final of the Generali Ladies tournament on Nov 1, 2005. Petrova, set to rise one spot to 9th in the world rankings, had lost her previous four finals, including two this year. NEWSMAKERS – NATIONAL

Amrita Pritam Doyenne of literature and the first woman recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, Amrita Pritam, died here on Oct 31, 2006. The 86-year-old writer, who had become a household name through her writing, had been ailing for some time.

Mohammad Arif A special court in Delhi awarded death sentence to Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Arif, alias Ashfaq, for the attack on Army installations inside the Red Fort four years ago. Mohammad Arif is escorted by policemen as he walks out after being sentenced to death by a special court in Delhi on Monday. — AFP photo

Dhoni’s Divali blast destroys Lanka M. S. Dhoni waves his bat after hitting the winning shot against Sri Lanka during their third one-day international in Jaipur on Oct 31, 2005. Dhoni smashed 183 not out in 145 balls to power India to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. The win gave India a 3-0 lead in the seven-match series.

K Natwar Singh External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh dug in his heels in the United Nations’ Oil- for-Food Programme scam where he has been named as a non-contractual beneficiary and trashed the Volcker report as having ‘‘as much validity as the report by the CIA Director about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq’’.

Raj Thackeray Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray on Nov 27, 2005 resigned from the party's executive committee and as head of party's students wing.

Ghulam Nabi Azad Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad was sworn in as Jammu and Kashmir Chief succeeding Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as per the agreement between the two main alliance partners, Congress and the PDP, each leading the team for three years. New Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad with a former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, during the oath-taking ceremony.

President K.R Narayanan Former Indian President K.R Narayanan died on Nov 9, 2005 of pneumonia and renal failure, the government said in a statement. He was 85. The scholarly Narayanan was president of the world's second most populous nation from 1997 to 2002. He had been admitted to hospital on Oct. 29 and was put on life support two days later. He was India's first president from the Dalit community or Hinduism's lowest "untouchable" caste. In a country where the president's post is largely ceremonial, Narayanan took a firm stand against the federal government on two occasions when he refused to dismiss opposition-ruled state governments. Narayanan, who often described himself as a "citizen president", worked as a lecturer and a journalist before joining the diplomatic service in 1949. He has served as India's ambassador to Thailand, Turkey and China. Nadia Petrova Nadia Petrova of Russia holds the trophy after winning the WTA Generali Ladies tennis tournament in Linz, Austria, on Oct 31, 2005. Petrova beat Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the final.

Paul A. Volcker Paul A. Volcker is former North American Chairman of The Trilateral Commission. He is former Chairman of Wolfensohn & Co., Inc., as well as Professor Emeritus of International Economic Policy at Princeton University. In April 2004, the United Nations assigned him to research possible corruption in the Iraqi Oil for Food program. In the report summarising the research, Volcker criticized Kojo Annan, son of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and the Swiss company Cotecna Inspection SA, Annan's employer, for trying to conceal their relationship He was in news for his report on the oil-for-food investigation for United Nations.

George Best George Best, was a Northern Irish international footballer, passed away on Nov 25, 2005. He is mainly remembered for his time with Manchester United F.C.. He played for United between 1963 and 1974, helping them to win the Football League Championship in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968. The same year, he was named European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year.

Brian Lara West Indies batsman Brian Lara has become the leading Test run scorer of all time, passing the 11,174 total of former Australian captain Allan Border. The 36-year-old scored his 11,175th run on the second morning of the third Test against Australia in Adelaide. He was eventually bowled by Glenn McGrath for 226 after improving the record to 11,187.

Dravid appointed captain for Sri Lanka Tests Rahul Dravid has been appointed captain of the Indian team for the forthcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The five-man selection panel met in Chennai on Tuesday ahead of India's third ODI against South Africa and made the decision.

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