Today in Pictures: Nov. 28, 2012

Today in Pictures: Nov. 28, 2012

Indian villagers watch stunt men ride their cars during the annual Jhiri Fair at Kanachack village on the outskirts of Jammu, India, Nov. 28, 2012. According to legend, the fair is held in memory of Baba Jitu, an honest farmer who killed himself since he was not prepared to submit to the unjust demands of a landlord who wanted him to part with his crop. (Channi Anand/AP Photo)

Fiscal Talks Turn as Tax Pledge Questioned

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speak to the media at the White House on November 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Roger Wollenberg/Getty Images)

Nov. 26, 2012

The two-party tango that is negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" took a turn Monday as two more Republican lawmakers expressed willingness to break with a long-standing anti-tax pledge and the White House revealed that President Obama made fresh overtures to congressional leaders on both sides.
Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both indicated today that they feel no attachment to a pledge -- drafted by Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform -- to not raise tax revenue one cent. The pledge has long been viewed as a barrier to a "balanced" debt and deficit reduction deal.
On "World News" Monday, Norquist told ABC's Jonathan Karl the pledge - even if a politician signed it 18 years ago like House Speaker John Boehner - should be like a wedding vow.
Nearly every Republican in Congress has signed the pledge at some point in their career. But a growing number -- now five in the Senate and one in the House -- have said they would violate that pledge, so long as Democrats agree to changes in entitlement programs.
Meanwhile, the White House said Obama called House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over the holiday weekend to discuss nascent negotiations over how to avoid the "fiscal cliff," a sweeping array of automatic tax hikes and deep cuts to government spending come Jan. 1.
For all the buzz about the "fiscal cliff" talks -- and optimism from both sides about reaching an agreement in the next 36 days -- negotiations have not gone very far even as officials close to the process say it's not that hard to strike a deal.
"We remain hopeful and optimistic that we can achieve a deal," White House spokesman Jay Carney said today when asked whether talks had reached an impasse. But he added, "I think that there are issues that need to be resolved."
Obama, Boehner, Reid, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have no plans to meet in person this week, officials said. They first and last met at the White House on Nov. 16.
Democrats and Republicans have agreed in principal to increased tax revenue as part of a deal -- with some Republicans now willing to violate Norquist's pledge -- but one of the stickiest points of disagreement remains how to raise the revenue and from whom.
Obama insists income tax rates should rise on individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and families making more than $250,000 -- the top 2 percent of Americans. Republicans remain staunchly opposed.
Boehner and other party leaders have said the same amount of revenue can be raised by closing loopholes and capping deductions, targeting higher-income earners, as a product of economic growth while decreasing net tax rates themselves.
"As we've seen in recent days, the American people support an approach that involves both major spending cuts and additional revenue via tax reform with lower tax rates," Boehner said in a statement citing public opinion data from a Republican pollster that found a majority support the elimination of loopholes and deductions to raise revenue over increasing rates.
Both sides are relying on teams of negotiators to work behind the scenes to find common ground.
Obama has tapped Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner as lead negotiator in the talks to avoid going over the "fiscal cliff," sources told ABC News. Other members of the White House economic team are said to play "leading roles," including chief of staff Jack Lew, National Economic Council director Gene Sperling and legislative affairs director Rob Nabors.
Republicans have not publicly designated a team of negotiators. But Boehner has begun meeting daily with key players in approving any future fiscal legislation -- Rep. Dave Camp who chairs the powerful Ways and Means Committee; Rep. Fred Upton who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee; and Rep. Paul Ryan, the former vice presidential nominee who chairs the Budget Committee.
"We know what the parameters of a deal look like," Carney said. "We know what the substance beneath the parameters of the deal look like. And we are working, as we speak, with our counterparts on Capitol Hill to try to reach that goal."
Some Republican lawmakers echoed that sentiment today, arguing that the negotiations at hand are not as complicated or as nuanced as they may seem. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

FBI to Fill Vacancy on Top 'Ten Most Wanted' List Following Arrest of Murder Suspect in Mexico

Jose Luis Saenz was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on Nov. 22, 2012, and is expected to be arraigned on murder charges (FBI/AP)

Nov. 26, 2012

Applications will pour in from across the country. Murderers, rapists, child predators and swindlers.
Who should replace Jose "Joe" Luis Saenz on the FBI's 'Ten Most Wanted' List?
Los Angeles FBI officials with help from Mexican authorities arrested Saenz late in the day on Thanksgiving, leaving an opening on the FBI's list of the most dangerous criminals in America.
Saenz was wanted for allegedly killing two rival gang members as well as allegedly kidnapping, raping and killing his girlfriend 14 years ago. He joined the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list along with Mexican drug lordEduardo Ravelo and Russian mobster Semion Mogilevich in October 2009, after three other accused criminals were apprehended that year.
Read top ten facts about the FBI's Top Ten list here.
Special Agent Scott Garriola who was part of the Los Angeles team that helped take down Saenz said "there's always a sense of accomplishment" in bringing in someone from the most wanted list.
"But just personally there's no real time to just sit back and relax," Garriola said. "We've all got a busy case load. It's on to the next case."
FBI officials will soon be considering a fresh batch of the accused. They don't keep a pool of potential additions in mind, so they had no names to offer Monday.

FBI/AP

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To pick America's next most wanted criminal, the FBI accepts submissions from all 56 field offices.
According to the FBI, today's top offenders make the list for "violent crimes, cyber crimes, drug trafficking, crimes against children and international money laundering schemes," as opposed to the 1960's, when "destruction of government property, sabotage, and kidnapping" were the most popular. There is no "number one" top tenner, as each person on the list is considered equally dangerous in the eyes of the FBI.
America's most wanted crimes are most likely to come out of New York, a state with 32 claims on the list. Hawaii, Alaska, Rhode Island and North Dakota are the least likely, having hosted none of them.
The FBI has named 497 suspects as most wanted since a reporter first asked for a list of their "toughest guys" in 1950, according to their records. Eight of those wanted - less than 2 percent - have been women.
Accused child pornographer Eric Toth, kidnapper Adam Mayes and murder suspect Fidel Urbina all made the list this year. Toth replaced Osama bin Laden on the list. Mayes shot himself when officials found him and the two young girls he abducted one day after he was added to the list.
The Most Wanted list is a way for the FBI to crowdsource the American public, giving the names of dangerous criminals attention they might not otherwise receive to help track them down.
More than a quarter of criminals on the list were captured thanks to media promotions. Only two captures came from the Internet so far.
READ: Most Wanted Fugitive Jason Brown Could be Hiding Among Mormons
But America's most wanted are not branded for life in all cases. Members of this most dangerous band of criminals can be captured, killed or turn themselves in; the charges against them can be dropped; or the FBI could classify them as less dangerous than previously thought, all of which would get them a one-way ticket off the list.
No suspect on the list has had their charges dropped in 26 years. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

Arrest in Death of Ark. Girl in Prior Abuse Case

BENTONVILLE, Ark. November 27, 2012 (AP)

A 6-year-old girl who was at the center of a high-profile child abuse case that sent her father and stepmother to prison was killed last week by neighbor, Bentonville police said Monday evening.
Jersey Bridgeman was reported missing the morning of Nov. 20. Minutes after a search for her began, Jersey's body was discovered in an abandoned house two doors from her home.
Zachary Holly, 28, who lives next door to where Jersey was staying, is being held in the Benton County Jail on charges of capital murder, kidnapping and residential burglary, police Chief John Simpson said Monday night.
Simpson said Holly will have a bail and probable cause hearing Wednesday, during which a probable cause affidavit will be released.
"Many questions related to this investigation and arrest will be answered by the affidavit of probable cause, which will be released on Wednesday," said the chief, who did not take questions from reporters.

AP

This booking photo provided by the Benton... View Full Caption

Simpson said work by the State Crime Lab helped speed the arrest but did not say how Jersey was killed or release other details about her death or what led police to Holly.
The chief said the girl's family had been notified about the arrest. A funeral for Jersey funeral is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Rogers Funeral Home in Rogers.
Jersey's death came about a year after abuse allegations were leveled against her father and stepmother in nearby Rogers.
Court records show David Bridgeman told an investigator he cut a belt to fit around his daughter's ankle and chained her to the dresser because she got into medication and other things around the house. He and Jersey's stepmother, Jana Bridgeman, pleaded guilty in June to false imprisonment, permitting abuse of a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Jana Bridgeman is serving a 12-year prison sentence, plus three years for a probation revocation. David Bridgeman is serving an 18-year prison sentence.
Police revealed little about the homicide investigation, but police Capt. Justin Thompson said earlier that there was "no reason ... for the community to be worried at this point."
Thompson said the girl died sometime the morning her body was found — between midnight and 6:53 a.m. He would not reveal who called 911 to report her missing.
After Jersey's body was found, investigators searched the home where she lived and the house where her body was found, as well as the homes in between. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

DWI Suspect Who Drove With Man Impaled on Car Is Drug Counselor

Torrance Police Department

A woman accused of driving drunk when she hit a pedestrian and who allegedly kept going for more than two miles while he was stuck to her car is a substance abuse counselor, officials said today.
Sherri Wilkins, 51, is accused of hitting Phillip Moreno, 35,  with her Mitsubishi Eclipse, causing him to roll onto the car’s hood and then through the windshield. Moreno became embedded through the windshield as she continued driving for 2.3 miles, according to Torrance police.
Bystanders who saw Moreno on the hood of the car called police and eventually forced Wilkins to come to a stop.
Wilkins told police she “panicked” when she hit Moreno Saturday night around 11:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Robert Watt of the Torrance police department. Her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when she was tested after the accident, Watt said.
Wilkins, a recovering addict, was working as a “chemical dependency counselor” at Twin Town Treatment Center, the company’s president David Lisonbee told ABCNews.com. He said that many counselors are recovering addicts. Lisonbee called the situation “tragic” and noted that Wilkins had not worked at the treatment center in the days leading up to the accident.
Moreno, who remained alive while embedded in the window, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. He had been crossing the street when he was struck. Moreno’s family declined to comment about the accident.
Wilkins was charged with driving under the influence, felony hit and run, and manslaughter. She is being held on $100,000 bond and awaiting her arraignment, Watt said.
Lisonbee said that the situation highlights the need for counselors to prioritize their own recovery.
A similar case occurred in 2003 when Chante J. Mallard, who was 27 at the time, had been drunk and high on marijuana and Ecstasy when she hit Gregory Biggs. Biggs was partially thrown through the windshield. Mallard drove with him to her house, afraid to call police while she was intoxicated. She parked her car in her garage, apologized to Biggs and left him. She and a friend later dumped Biggs’ body in a park.
Mallard was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

Most Wanted Fugitive Jason Brown Could Be Hiding Among Mormons

FBI's Most Wanted Fugitive Could Be Hiding Among Mormons

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Nov. 26, 2012

One of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted fugitives may have avoided detection for the last eight years by blending into the Mormon community, an FBI spokesperson said.
Jason Derek Brown, 43, who is on the FBI's most wanted list, is accused of shooting Robert Keith Palomares, an armored truck driver, on Nov. 29, 2004 outside a Phoenix movie theater.
Brown allegedly stole $56,000 and made his getaway on a bicycle before switching to his BMW, which was parked nearby.
Brown's surfer boy looks, master's degree in international business and hobbies, which include skiing and visiting nightclubs, are all characteristics the FBI believes may help the fugitive blend in, said Special Agent Manuel Johnson.

FBI

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However, his familiarity with the Mormon church could be a biggest asset. Brown, who once lived in Salt Lake City, served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in France and is a French speaker.
The FBI believes that Brown, using an alias, may be hiding among Mormons.
"It's a possibility because of Jason's familiarity with the Mormon church," Johnson told ABCNews.com. "Prior to the shooting he was involved in different types of fraud, so he's not who he claims to be and we could see him taking advantage of people."
The last confirmed sighting of Brown was in Salt Lake City in August 2008 when a friend saw him pull up to a stoplight, according to the FBI.
Brown is described as an avid golfer, snowboarder, skier and dirt biker, according to his FBI most wanted flyer.
"Brown enjoys being the center of attention and has been known to frequent nightclubs where he enjoys showing off his high-priced vehicles, boats and other toys," the flyer says.
He has ties to California, Arizona and Utah. Brown is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to his arrest. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

Whistle-Blower: For-Profit College Operator Allegedly Inflates Job Placement Rates

Former admissions supervisor Jason Sobek filed a lawsuit against EDMC, alleging the company deceives prospective students in its marketing materials. (edmc.edu)

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Nov. 26, 2012

Jason Sobek says he left his job as admissions supervisor at the nation's second-largest operator of for-profit colleges -- the Education Management Corp., or EDMC -- on good terms. But after he quit, Sobek filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against this provider of post-secondary education, alleging its marketing materials deceived prospective students by falsely inflating job placement statistics at its many campuses around the country.
"They manipulated the job placement rates by counting students working in a job that they did not need the degree for," Sobek told ABC News. "In my opinion, it's a wretched fraud."
Before he left EDMC, a publicly traded for-profit corporation that operates such colleges as the Art Institutes, Brown Mackie College, Argosy University and South University Online, Sobek downloaded a trove of data and documents, which, he alleges, support his claims.

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Sobek gave ABC News an exclusive look at one of the internal nationwide job placement databases at EDMC, which shows the degrees students received upon graduation and what jobs (if any) they obtained. Sobek says the database also stated whether the job could be counted as "related" to their degree for the purpose of marketing job placement success rates to potential students.
Sobek claims the data reveal a pattern of fraudulently counting students as landing great jobs to create a false impression for future students.
"It is intentional. It's the business model," he says.
Sarah Fisher, a graduate of EDMC's business management program at Brown Mackie College in South Bend, Ind., says she believes the school made her false promises.
"They told me I'd be making $35,000 to $40,000 a year," she says.
To help pay her way through school, Fisher, a single mother, took a job at Walmart making $16,000 a year. She took the job long before she graduated, but Brown Mackie College still counted that customer service job as "related" to her business management degree. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

Missing Boy's Mother Suspects Ex-Husband in Son's Disappearance

IGNACIO, Colo. Nov. 26, 2012

The mother of 13-year-old boy Dylan Redwine, who disappeared a week ago during a court ordered visit to his father, fears that the dad may have done something to "remove Dylan from the situation."
Dylan Redwine was last seen at the home of his father, Mark Redwine, when he vanished seven days ago.
"I was married to Mark for a lot of years, and I know the way he reacts to things," Elaine Redwine told ABC News. "If Dylan maybe did or said something that wasn't what Mark wanted to hear, I'm just afraid of how Mark would have reacted."
Elaine and Mark were divorced and live about five hours away from each other, ABC News affiliate KMGH reports. Dylan was staying at his father's home because of a court order granting his father visitation rights for Thanksgiving.
Elaine Redwine told ABC News she believes her ex-husband was upset that she was the court-mandated primary custodian of their son.
"I don't think Mark treats him very well," Elaine Redwine said. "I would not put it past Mark to have done something to remove Dylan from the situation. You know, like 'if I can't have him, nobody will.'"
Dylan had been with his dad in Vallecito, Colo., for just one day before he went missing. Mark Redwine told police that his son was in his home when he left to run some errands at 7:30 a.m. When he returned four hours later, the boy was missing.

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Elaine Redwine told ABC News she was having a difficult time getting in touch with her ex-husband about their son.
"He hasn't had any contact with us. [My older son] tried to get a hold of him by texting him, and he wouldn't respond," she said. "I just find it odd that at a time like this, he would be so evasive."
Mark Redwine declined to speak to ABC News.
Police say they are considering a number of possibilities, including abduction and the possibility that Dylan ran away.
"Foul play is definitely something we are looking at, but we're hoping it's a runaway case and that Dylan will show up and will be fine," La Plata Sheriff's Office spokesman Dan Bender said. "Because we don't have any clues that point in any particular direction, we have to consider every possibility."
Dylan's mother and older brother both insist Dylan wouldn't run away without contacting them, or if he did run away from his dad's home, he would have gone to them.
"When he was afraid in any situation, he knew he could call me and I would drop everything and go out there, first thing," Dylan's brother, Cory Redwine, 21, told ABC News. "He knew that me, my mom, my step-dad, any of us, if he called us and said, 'I need your help,' he knew we'd be there."
Hundreds of people have turned up to help search for Dylan, but so far police say they are no closer to finding him.
"We had people in the air, on horseback, on ATVs, search dogs, and we got no clues from any of that," Bender said.
Dive teams are searching nearby Vallecito Lake using a high-powered sonar gun, after searches this weekend revealed nothing, according to KMGH. Search teams are also combing the shoreline around the lake.
Elaine Redwine told ABC News she thinks somebody must know something, and she hopes they come forward.
"Vallecito is a small community. If anybody has seen anything or knows anything, no matter how big or small it seems, please tell us," Redwine said. "Everything right now is crucial to bringing my little boy home."
Redwine is described as 5 feet tall, 105 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. He was last seen wearing a black Nike shirt, black basketball nylon shorts, black Jordan tennis shoes and a two-tone blue and white Duke Blue Devils baseball hat. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

FDA Closes Peanut Butter Plant Linked to Salmonella

The Food and Drug Administration today shut down the country’s largest organic peanut butter processor following a salmonella outbreak that sickened scores of people nationwide.

For the first time the FDA has utilized new power granted by the 2011 food safety law and shut down Sunland Inc.’s New Mexico processing plant.
In a statement on their website, the FDA said that the link between the company and the salmonella outbreak that sickened 41 people in 20 states along with “Sunland’s history of violations led FDA to make the decision to suspend the company’s registration.”
Between June 2000 and September 2012 eleven product lots of nut butter tested positive for presence of Salmonella. And, according to the FDA, between March 2010 and September 2012, Sunland Inc. distributed at least a portion of eight product lots after they had tested positive.
The FDA also found the presence of Salmonella in 28 environmental samples during a September and October 2012 inspection.  FDA inspectors reported that employees of Sunland Inc. failed to wash hands, improperly handled equipment used to process food as well as providing  ”no records” to document cleaning of equipment. Additionally, the building housing the production and packaging had no hand-washing sinks even though employees had “bare-handed contact” with the product.
“The super-sized bags used by the firm to store peanuts were not cleaned despite being used for both raw and roasted peanuts.  There was a leaking sink in a washroom which resulted in water accumulating on the floor, and the plant is not built to allow floors, walls and ceilings to be adequately cleaned.
Finally, investigators found that raw materials were exposed to potential contamination.  Raw, in-shell peanuts were found outside the plant in uncovered trailers. Birds were observed landing in the trailers and the peanuts were exposed to rain, which provides a growth environment for Salmonella and other bacteria.  Inside the warehouse, facility doors were open to the outside, which could allow pests to enter.”
In a November 15 statement the president and CEO of Sunland, Jimmie Shearer, emphasized that at “no time” did the company distribute products they knew to be contaminated. The company has submitted a response to the FDA outlining their response to the recall and contaminated product testing.
“We believe that drawing any inferences much less conclusions about the Company’s practices based solely on the observations as set forth in the Form 483 without considering the Company’s response would be wholly premature and unduly prejudicial to Sunland.”
Food Safety Modernization Act, which the FDA acted under to shut down the plant, grants the agency the authority to suspend manufacturing when there is “reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals, and other conditions are met.”
Sunland Inc., can request an informal hearing to lift the suspension.  However the 24-year-old company will only have its registration returned after the FDA decides the company has safe manufacturing practices.

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Grapefruit, Medicine Interaction Warning Expanded

It has long been known that grapefruit juice can pose dangerous — and even deadly — risks when taken along with certain medications. Now, experts warn the list of medications that can result in these interactions is longer than many may have believed.

Check below to see whether your medication appears on the list.
In a new report released Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers at the University of Western Ontario said that while 17 drugs were identified in 2008 as having the potential to cause serious problems when taken with grapefruit, this number has now grown to 43.
“The frequency of these reactions may be small, but the risks are not worth it, especially for drugs which could cause sudden death,” said lead study author David Bailey, a professor of pharmacology and one of the first to report the interactions between grapefruit juice and certain medications 20 years ago. “Physicians need to know that this affects a number of new drugs and apply this information to their practice and patients.”
So how does a common breakfast fruit cause these problems? Grapefruits contain chemicals called furanocoumarins that interfere with how your body breaks down drugs before they enter the bloodstream. By preventing this normal breakdown of a drug, these chemicals in grapefruit can effectively cause a drug overdose and more severe side-effects.
Among the side effects sometimes seen with grapefruit-induced overdoses are heart rhythm problems, kidney failure, muscle breakdown, difficulty with breathing and blood clots. Atorvastatin — commonly known by the brand name Lipitor and taken by millions of Americans — is one of the drugs that have been linked to serious cases of drug toxicity when combined with grapefruit products. Other common heart medications — including verapamil and amiodarone — have also led to serious interactions when consumed with grapefruit or grapefruit juice.
While there have been many reported cases of serious side effects attributable to this problem, the total number of Americans who have been affected is not known.
As little as one grapefruit or one 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice can cause an effect that may last more than 24 hours.  Other fruits including Seville oranges, limes, and pomelos can have the same effect, although sweet orange varieties do not produce this interaction.

“People know that drugs react with drugs, but fewer are aware of drug-food interactions,” said Professor Paul Doering of the University of Florida Pharmacy Department. “Health professionals need to learn as much as they can about this.  Undetected there are very serious adverse effects.”
For consumers, the best advice may be to ask a doctor or pharmacist when they are prescribed a new drug whether there are foods or other medicines that they should avoid.

A-C
Alfentanil (oral)
Amiodarone
Apixaban
Atorvastatin
Buspirone
Clopidogrel
Crizotinib
Cyclosporine
D-F
Darifenacin
Dasatinib
Dextromethorphan
Domperidone
Dronedarone
Eplerenone
Erlotinib
Erythromycin
Everolimus
Felodipine
Fentanyl (oral)
Fesoterodine
H-P
Halofantrine
Ketamine (oral)
Latatinib
Lovastatin
Lurasidone
Maraviroc
Nifedipine
Nilotinib
Oxycodone
P-Z
Pazopanib
Pimozide
Primaquine
Quinine
Quetiapine
Quinidine
Rilpivirine
Rivaroxaban
Silodosin
Simvastatin
Sirolimus
Solifenacin
Sunitinib
Tacrolimus
Tamsulosin
Ticagrelor
Triazolam
Vandetanib
Venurafenib
Verapamil
Ziprasidone

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European Union officials reach deal to reduce Greek debt

BRUSSELS: A European Union official tells The Associated Press that a deal has been reached under which Greece's debt would be reduced to 124% of GDP by 2020.

The original goal had been 120% of GDP.

The agreement would pave the way for indebted Greece to receive the next installment of its much-needed bailout loans.

Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, welcomed the agreement.

"It will certainly reduce the uncertainty and strengthen confidence in Europe and in Greece," Draghi said.

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Court to decide on Morsi power grab

CAIRO: An Egyptian court will next week examine the legality of a decree by which President Mohamed Morsi granted himself sweeping powers, a move that triggered deadly unrest, an official said on Monday. Abdel Meguid al-Moqannen, the deputy chief of the State Council, Egypt's highest administrative body, said more than 12 lawsuits had been filed against the decree , the official MENA news agency reported. The case would be heard on December 4.

The announcement came as Morsi met with senior judges for talks in a bid to defuse the crisis that erupted after he assumed sweeping new powers last Thursday. The talks, on the eve of rival rallies which threaten to deepen the country's divisions, come a day after a member of his party was killed in clashes outside its offices in the Nile Delta town of Damanhour.

Several offices belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) have also been torched.

In the Nile Delta city of Damanhour , hundreds turned out for the burial of Muslim Brotherhood member Islam Fathi Mohammed who was killed in clashes outside the Islamist movement's offices.

In Cairo, thousands marched at the funeral procession of Gaber Salah, a member of the April 6 movement known by his nickname "Jika" , who was critically injured in clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square last week and died overnight.

Morsi's declaration — which allows him to issue decisions and laws unchallenged on a temporary basis — sparked a wave of nationwide demonstrations. Some courts have suspended work in protest, while the journalists' union has decided in principle to go on strike. A sit-in by Morsi opponents is being held in the iconic Tahrir Square at the heart of last's year Arab Spring uprising that ousted the regime of veteran dictator Hosni Mubarak. Small groups of protesters spent Sunday night in the square, where they have erected 30 tents since Friday. "Muslim Brotherhood , keep out," reads a banner strung up nearby.

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Satellite photo shows increased activity at North Korean launch site

WASHINGTON: A new satellite image shows a marked increase in activity at a North Korean missile launch site, pointing to a possible long-range ballistic missile test by Pyongyang in the next three weeks, according to satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc.

The imagery was released days after a Japanese newspaper, the Asahi Shimbun, reported that US intelligence analysts had detected moves that were seen as preparation by North Korea for a long-range missile launch as early as this month.

DigitalGlobe, which provides commercial satellite imagery to the US government and foreign governments, on Monday released a new image that it said showed increased activity at North Korea's Sohae (West Sea) Satellite Launch Station.

It said the imagery showed more people, trucks and other equipment at the site, a level of activity that was consistent with preparations seen before North Korea's failed April 13 rocket launch.

"Given the observed level of activity noted of a new tent, trucks, people and numerous portable fuel/oxidizer tanks, should North Korea desire, it could possibly conduct its fifth satellite launch event during the next three weeks," DigitalGlobe said in a statement accompanying the image.

A Pentagon spokeswoman declined to comment on the reported satellite images, but said the Defense Department's position on North Korea's missile development efforts had not changed.

She urged North Korea to comply with UN Security Council resolutions that "require Pyongyang to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner, and re-establish its moratorium on missile launching."

North Korea, which carried out nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 and is under heavy UN sanctions for its atomic weapons program, has tried for years to influence major events in South Korea by waging propaganda or armed attacks. South Korea is gearing up for a presidential election on December 19.

North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and regional powers have for years been trying to rein in the North's nuclear program.

North Korea is believed to be developing a long-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 4,200 miles aimed at hitting the continental United States but the last two rocket test launches failed.

In April, under its new leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea launched a rocket that flew just a few minutes covering a little over 60 miles before crashing into the sea between South Korea and China.

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Pakistan judge makes official stand up for hours as punishment

LAHORE: In an action reminiscent of that of a school teacher punishing an errant student, a Pakistani judge made a government official stand up for hours in his courtroom for telling a lie.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court asked Muzaffarul Haq, a section officer of the Faisalabad district government, to stand in his courtroom for lying and for concealing facts about the appointment of a peon.

Petitioner Muhammad Irfan contended that he had applied for the post of peon in the city district government and only his name had appeared on the merit list issued by authorities.

However, officials ignored the merit list and appointed another person who had not even applied for the post, Irfan said.

At a previous hearing, Haq had told the judge that the name of the appointed person too was on the merit list.

During a hearing yesterday, the judge snubbed Haq for concealing facts and punished him for misleading the court.

The judge directed Haq to appear in court again on December 6 with the records of the case.

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Yasser Arafat's tomb dug up

Palestinian engineers on Tuesday dug up the tomb of late leader Yasser Arafat to take samples from his remains for poison tests, sources said.

RAMALLAH: Palestinian engineers on Tuesday dug up the tomb of late leader Yasser Arafat to take samples from his remains for poison tests, sources said.

The head of the Palestinian committee investigating Arafat's death, Tawfiq Tirawi, was present during the digging beside investigators and experts from Switzerland, France and Russia, Xinhua quoted sources as saying.

Arafat's remains are still in the tomb, the sources said, adding that they will be exhumed and moved to a mosque near the tomb in the Palestinian presidency's Ramallah headquarters.

Tight security measures were taken to ensure the secrecy of the process.

The investigation aims to find out if Arafat's death in a French hospital Nov 11, 2004, resulted from poisoning. The Palestinians suspect that Israel had poisoned Arafat when he was besieged in his Ramallah headquarters before falling ill.

Earlier this year, Swiss experts tested Arafat's personal belongings as part of a documentary aired by Al-Jazeera, the Doha-based TV channel. The report cited the Institute of Radiation Physics as saying that traces of radioactive polonium-210 were found on Arafat's underwear and toothbrush.

Arafa's widow, Suha, filed a civil lawsuit at a French hospital asking for a murder investigation into her husband's death. The Palestinian leadership also decided to bring in the Russians for more credible inquiry.

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Why not levy 25% green tax on diesel cars, Supreme Court asks

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response to a radical plea for collection of 25% of the cost of a diesel car or SUV sold in the National Capital Region as green tax at the time of its purchase to deter people from buying more polluting personal vehicles and help fight the growing levels of pollution in Delhi.

The court also sought the Union government's response to another suggestion - imposition of an annual levy of 2% of cost of existing petrol cars and 4% of diesel cars to persuade people to rely more on public transport rather than buying cars.

Amicus curiae and senior advocate Harish Salve, who has been assisting the forest bench of the Supreme Court for nearly a decade, lamented that the benefits of switching the entire public transport system in Delhi to CNG was lost as more and more diesel cars were added every year because of the price differential between petrol and diesel.

"Delhi has already exhausted all soft options," warned Salve before arguing before a bench of Justices Aftab Alam, K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar that "the solution must be to restrain the growth of personal vehicle usage, particularly diesel vehicles, and this is only possible through a highly augmented transport system in Delhi and the region".

Justifying harsher levy for diesel cars, Salve said in his application, "The market share of diesel cars is more than 50% of sales. This is because of the growing differential between petrol and diesel. The emission norms for diesel cars legally allow higher limits for NOx and particulate matters as compared to petrol cars."

The former solicitor general, while advocating imposition of 25% of cost of all new diesel cars as green tax, suggested levy of an environmental compensation charge on existing personal vehicles -- ranging from 2% (petrol) to 4% (diesel) of the vehicle's cost every year.

For old cars, the levy would be collected annually by the insurance companies along with the premium amount, he suggested, and said the insurance companies must ensure that the vehicle had valid pollution under control certificate at the time of annual renewal of policy.

If Salve's suggestions are to be implemented, then a person purchasing a diesel car costing Rs 6 lakh would pay a green tax of Rs 1.5 lakh. If the cost of an SUV is Rs 16 lakh, then the buyer would have to pay Rs 4 lakh extra.

How does it work out for existing petrol and diesel cars? If a person owns a small petrol car which cost him Rs 3 lakh, then he pays Rs 6,000 every year as environmental compensation charge along with the insurance premium amount.

If the petrol car was priced at Rs 25 lakh, then the owner's share of annual tax would be Rs 50,000. One who owns a Rs 6 lakh diesel car would pay Rs 24,000 annually while a person owning a Rs 16 lakh diesel car would pay an annual green fee of Rs 64,000.

Salve said the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had been suggesting measures through the years but little was achieved on the ground because of poor implementation of these suggestions. "The city needs emergency level action to reduce the growing load of pollution in its air."

He said pollution levels were increasing alarmingly every year in Delhi making the air more toxic and unhealthy to breathe, an issue which TOI focused yet again this year through a series of reports highlighting increase in toxicity of air because of pollution.

Salve said, "Today Delhi alone adds roughly 1,400 new personal vehicles a day, more than double of what was added in the pre-CNG period. Therefore, even as each new generation vehicles and fuel has become cleaner, the gain is lost because of the number of vehicles that are being added to the road."

In addition, the entry of large number of trucks into Delhi for inter-state passage had created an urgent need to expeditiously complete the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, work on which has been stalled for years despite monitoring by the Supreme Court, Salve said.

"By 2010, there were 12 lakh vehicles entering and leaving Delhi every day and over 70% of these were cars. In the NCR region, Gurgaon, Faridabad and other satellite towns have grown to be important commercial hubs but have completely inadequate public transport connectivity. This is a phenomenal growth and has greatly contributed to the congestion and pollution in the city and the NCR region," he said and requested the court to direct private contractors to complete work on these two expressways by May 31 next year.

Salve said the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which was scheduled for completion in June 2009, has achieved "virtually no progress on the Kundli-Manesar segment, which is vital to decongest Delhi and reduce pollution considerably".

"This expressway, once commissioned, will ensure that goods traffic emanating from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh bound to Jaipur, Maharashtra and Gujarat will have easy and faster access without using Delhi as corridor. The delay in completion of this expressway has a considerable negative impact on ambient air quality of Delhi. State of Delhi is suffering despite paying the cost of land acquisition in the ratio 50:25:25 between Delhi, Haryana and UP as approved by the apex court," he said.

On EPE, Salve said though National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has completed land acquisition for the expressway, the work has not been awarded. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

Man featured in Aamir Khan's show on honour killing murdered

UP honour killing: Woman alleges husband gunned down by her family

NEW DELHI: Five months after a young couple appeared on Aamir Khan's television show, Satyamev Jayate, and talked about the threat to their lives because they had married without their parents' consent, the man was shot dead near his village in western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday evening, allegedly by his wife's brothers.

Abdul Hakim, 28, and his 26-year-old wife Mehwish, both Muslims hailing from families with different social standing, had been living under the protection of an NGO in Delhi since May last year. About 15 days ago, Hakim and his wife, who is nine months pregnant, went to meet his ailing mother near Adoli village in Bulandshahr district. He was shot there, while on his way home from the local police station.

The couple, who were neighbours at Adoli, ran away together two years ago after marrying secretly in June 2009. According to Mehwish, her family was opposed to the match because Hakim was poor and belonged to the 'lower' Fakir community. Hakim's father was earlier allegedly killed by Mehwish's family in the village, although it was shown as suicide in police records.

"They would not let us live in peace and now they have taken their revenge," she said on Monday.

"The couple was scared even before coming to the show," Aamir Khan told reporters in Jaipur. "We didn't force anyone to come to the show. The incident is highly unfortunate and shameful."

UP police, meanwhile, have spun an elaborate theory saying the killing was an act of "personal enmity" going back to the time when the couple was in Delhi. But Mehwish and her Delhi-based shelter-providers, Love Commandos, said it was a clear case of murder involving her brothers.

Bulandshahr circle officer Lal S Yadav said Hakim was a victim of a family feud that had its roots in Delhi. "The girl's family had come to accept the marriage. Nothing indicates this murder is linked to the couple's marriage," he claimed.

Yadav added that Hakim's nephew, Salman, had entered into a brawl on June 6 and the alleged killers wanted him to take back the police case lodged against them. "Hakim's death was a result of this feud," said Yadav.

The couple, after a 12-year courtship, had secretly married on June 5, 2009. They kept living with their respective parents till Mehwish's family fixed her marriage for November 11, 2010. The couple then eloped on October 29. Till then, exchanging letters across a brick wall was the only source of communication between the two.

Mehwish's family then announced a bounty on the couple's capture. In May 2011, the pair started living in a shelter in Delhi provided by Love Commandos, an organization that works to eradicate 'honour killings'. This was the first time they had returned to their village, where Hakim also had a police case lodged against him of kidnapping Mehwish.

The nation became aware of the couple's struggles when they were featured in Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate on June 3.

"On June 30, the National Commission for Women ordered UP police to protect the two. But this directive was ignored. They asked Hakim to come down to Bulandshahr to record his statement. When he refused, they never contacted him again," Sanjoy Sachdev, chairman of Love Commando, said. The area SSP, however, offered to review his security.

Meanwhile, a girl was born to the couple bringing fresh hope that relations between the two families would normalize. But that was not to be.

"I didn't know people of my own village had arranged for weapons to kill us. I am the next target," a shocked Mehwish said.

Hakim's family had moved to Bhargardi village, 2km away from Adoli. But his father, Abdul Hafiz, refused to leave his ancestral house and stayed back. On July 6, 2011 Hakim's nephew Salman visited an ailing Hafiz to know about his well-being and on his way home, he was allegedly assaulted by Mehwish's relatives. When Salman reported the matter to the police, a non-cognizable report was lodged.

Enraged over the police case, the accused allegedly reached the house of an ailing Abul Hafiz, hanged him upside from a tree right outside his house and assaulted him in full public view. When Abdul Hafiz's wife Shahooran, who had come to stay with her ailing husband, intervened, she too was assaulted. Hafiz died hanging from the tree. The police, however, saw the incident as suicide.

The couple was on the run when Mehwish gave birth to a baby girl who was now a year-and-a-half. In August 2012, when Mehwish got pregnant for the second time, she reached Bhargardi village to stay with Hakim's family for the delivery. Hakim used to visit her once or twice a week. On November 20, Hakim visited Mehwish when he was informed that people were on the lookout for him.

Hakim lodged a complaint with the local police the same day but no action followed. On Noveber 22, he was walking back after buying medicines for his wife when he was intercepted by three persons who shot him dead in public view around 4.30pm.

Aamir Khan said he is aware of the incident and would speak to the authorities to ensure the safety of the rest of the family. He described the murder as "disturbing and unfortunate". "I will speak to government authorities in UP to help and ensure the family is safe. The culprits must be brought to book. The case must be registered on basis of facts," the actor said.

Times View

The frequency with which 'honour' killings are taking place in various parts of the country, particularly in the north, is a testament to the inability of the state to act decisively in this matter. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that at least some of this inability is rooted in an unwillingness to act. This could either be because the values reflected by these killings are shared by those supposed to enforce the law or because it is considered politically costly to take them on. This must change. Our elected representatives and civil servants are sworn to uphold the values enshrined in the constitution and they must do so. If perpetrators of this kind of medieval 'justice' are swiftly brought to justice, others who share their mindsets might think twice before acting on their impulses.

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Aid pours in for Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party on debut

NEW DELHI: After over a year of campaigning, dozens of protests and exposes against ministers, Arvind Kejriwal officially entered the political arena on Monday. Negating the perception that only big parties can draw hefty funds, the newly launched Aam Aadmi Party collected more than 1.10 crore on the day of the launch, with former law minister Shanti Bhushan alone donating Rs 1 crore.

Day one also saw supporters pitching in to keep the machinery running with collection of over Rs 1.6 lakh. Besides, many people across the country requested Team Kejriwal to open party offices in their states.

"Rahul from Toronto has offered space owned by him to open a party office. A similar request was made by a farmer in Odisha, who is ready to give up a considerable chunk of land so that we can open a party office," a member of the party said. Party leaders said they had received at least 300 requests from various parts of the country asking them to open offices on land owned by them.

Kejriwal promised to take on established parties like the Congress and BJP. Now, the fight will be between the "common man and the netas", Kejriwal told the crowd of around 2,000 people from various states.

"We are here to destabilize the corrupt government and take back power. Now netas will on one side and the aam aadmi on the other. Netas will be thrown out soon and the common man will sit in Parliament," he said.

Kejriwal also mocked the current state of politics saying he had Congressmen come and give him proof against their own men. "After the Cabinet reshuffle, a new minister from Congress called me to say I was doing a good job. He also said I shouldn't let Robert Vadra escape. Imagine the condition of these parties," he added.

Reading out from the constitution, Kejriwal underlined the tenets of his party. He said it was time the rules of the game changed. "Now netas and bureaucrats have to report to people. The constitution gives prime importance to the people of India and that should be implemented," he added. He called the people 'first class citizens' who are victims of 'third class governance'.

A feisty Kejriwal also threw in some economics about inflation into his speech, which appealed to the gathering. "People think inflation happens on its own. Very few know that inflation is a result of corruption. Gas rates are so high because the government gave away natural gas reserves to Reliance. When Reliance doubled the rates of gas, the government should have cancelled their licence," he added.

Kejriwal claimed the government waived taxes worth Rs 5 lakh crore every year on various companies but did not reduce the tax burden on common man. "If the taxes are reduced, the price of petrol would come down to Rs 50 and diesel to Rs 40." He also brought up pet issues like nursery admissions for which people pay up to Rs 50,000 as donation and the sky rocketing rates in 'five star hospitals.'

Kejriwal also spoke of the plight of farmers - sugarcane farmers who are getting a low price for their crop because of alleged involvement of ministers who own sugar mills in Maharashtra. He quoted a Swaminathan report that shows that paddy farmers are paid far less for their crop than they spend on production.

Apart from Kejriwal, one of the key speakers on Monday to strike a chord with the people was ex-NSG commando Surender Singh. He drew people's attention to the symbolism of the date '26/11.' Surender said that while on the same day in 1949, the Indian constitution was enacted, ironically it's also the day when India faced a massive terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2009.

"Today is also 26/11. It's a very important date and is symbolic of India's journey. I am glad that the AAP is being launched on this date," he said.

Surender is hearing impaired from a hand grenade explosion during the operation. He again accused the government of misuse of funds and demanded an audit of the donations received by the government for the welfare of soldiers.

Wooing people toward his 'anti-corruption' party, Kejriwal spelt out four vows for his party. "We vow that we will neither give nor accept bribes. We vow to get voter identity cards made and go and cast our vote. We vow to not take money, alcohol or any other form of bribe to cast our vote. And we vow not to cast our vote based on caste or religion." The crowd repeated the vows after him. He also vowed to send corrupt ministers to jail within six months of his party being voted to power. He said Jan Lokpal will be passed in Parliament within 15 days of the AAP coming to power.

The party has appointed an internal Lokpal that will investigate graft charges against party workers. The party named 23 members in its national executive, including Manish Sisodia and lawyer Prashant Bhushan. Kejriwal will be the national convener, Pankaj Gupta the national secretary and Krishna Kanth the national treasurer, it was announced.
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Jethmalani launches Massive Attack on BJP leadership

NEW DELHI: Terming his suspension from the BJP as "ultravires, Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday mounted a fresh attack on the party leadership accusing Nitin Gadkari of treading on the path of suicide and dragging the party with him.

In a strongly worded letter to Gadkari, Jethmalani also alluded to the alleged role played by Arun Jaitley in the CBI director appointment row.

"Your order of suspension is ultravires and usurpation of the power of the Parliamentary Board. Besides no situation had arisen in which you should have proceeded without speaking to me and complying with ordinary decencies of a quasi-judicial office which you hold," the suspended party MP said.

He maintained that he is "totally indifferent" to the step taken by Gadkari as his standing in the legal profession and in politics as well as the affection and respect that he enjoys from sections of the people of India does not depend on his membership of Parliament.

Making a scathing comment, Jethmalani said in his letter, "I am convinced that you are firmly set on the path of suicide and you are determined to drag the whole party with you. 'Vinash kal Vipreet Buddhi (when one is set to be doomed he loses his mind)' is an old maxim."

He also said he suspects Gadkari is prejudiced against him and hence took this action of suspending him.

Levelling charges against other senior party leaders, Jethmalani has said Gadkari has suspended him on the advice of leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaitley.

Jethmalani has also referred to the controversy over the appointment of Ranjit Sinha as the new CBI director and alluded to the alleged role of Jaitley in the litigation filed by his rival and Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar.

"The litigation instituted by Mr Sinha's rival is too notorious a fact not to be known to our party leaders," Jethmalani said.

He claimed that the advocates appearing for the rival officer have been virtually Jaitley's "juniors."

"It is very improbable that the litigation before CAT was not known to him and I presume that you (Gadkari) have also acted on advice of Mr Arun Jaitley," he charged.

"I did not know until I learnt from the press that the appointment of the new incumbent (to the post of CBI director) was opposed by our leaders on some different grounds," Jethmalani said.

He also complained to Gadkari that though he is a senior Rajya Sabha member and a founder of the BJP, Jaitley and leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj did not discuss the Lokpal Bill with him. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News

India keep faith in under-performing stars for 3rd Test against England

MUMBAI: Unfazed by the humiliating defeat in the second Test against England, the national selectors on Tuesday persisted with the same squad giving under-fire star players another chance to prove their worth in the third match starting December 5 in Kolkata.

The selectors refrained from making major changes to the team barring the inclusion of pacer Ashok Dinda for an injured Umesh Yadav. Dinda had been called as a cover for Ishant Sharma in the first Test and Yadav in the second Test though he did not get to play.

The selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil was to announce the team for the remaining two Test matches but did so only for the Kolkata match in a clear perform-or-perish message for some of the under-performing players.

"The teams for the fourth Test and the T20 International series, will be picked later," BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.

India lost the Mumbai Test by 10 wickets inside four days and there was intense speculation a leg-spinner would be drafted into the squad to bring more variety in the spin department.

But the selectors reposed faith on the spin trio of R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh despite their failure to exploit the pitch in Mumbai which was tailormade to suit India's demands.

Harbhajan retained his place in the squad despite picking up two wickets in the Mumbai Test where he bowled just 23 overs unlike Ashwin and Ojha who sent down nearly 45 overs each.

Also retained was senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who has been going through a prolonged form slump, his last 10 innings yielding just 153 runs at an average of 15.3, the lowest by an Indian top-order batsman in the corresponding period.

In the current series he has scored merely 13, 8 and 8 and has looked clearly out of sorts.

Opener Gautam Gambhir, who has also been out of form, did well in the second innings of the Mumbai match to hang on to his spot in the side.

The third Test will be played at Eden Gardens, which has been the venue of some of India's historic triumphs, while Nagpur will stage the fourth and final Test from December 13 to 17.

The two Twenty20 Internationals after the Test series will be played in Pune and Mumbai on December 20 and 22 respectively.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Zaheer Khan. sports,Politics,World,Celebrities,Industry,college,Legal,Economy,Markets,India News,World News,Business, basketball,Weird News