Washington House for Rs 375 crore Lodha Group buys

Mumbai: Nearly two years after the sale of the property after it learned in the U.S. consulate Finally, Altamount Road, Washington House, 375 crore in Lodha Group on the sale of a three-storey house. Urban real estate developer for a nominal fee of Rs 50 and Rs Embassy is. Tata real estate and other fixed and that the bidders Lincoln House, breach of candy for sale in the U.S. consul general office and place of residence is located.

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Washington three-story house across 2702 square meters. It is listed Grade III resources and control over the coastal areas. Property rate of 60,000 R and RS-70,000 sq ft. Lodha Group of current ranges to be destroyed and replaced him with a luxury residential tower.

This is a source said, have reached an agreement about a month ago, but more from the State and the Central Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of ink does not get along with.

Abhishek Lodha, Lodha Group managing director, said, "We have not entered into an agreement'' Anshul Jain, chief executive officer DTZ'z, global real estate transaction, has refused to comment on the consultant ..

Bidding memorandum said that the U.S. government has received the approval letter from the tenderer distance of 90-180 days of the sale of MEA and state and local government should be achieved. However, if the clearance to come through this period, the memo said, the U.S. government has chosen to transfer money back to the estate and the stock or mutual bidder to extend the deadline for approval of the MEA.

Property sources said Lodha bid to the reserve price to Rs 350 crore, in line with the current market conditions. Altamount Road, the property is expected to be received three offers. "The appetite for these assets until the position is always to be,'' said Anshuman Magazine CBRE, the global property consultant, Managing Director.

Off Pedder Road, Altamount Road by air and 10 of the world's most expensive street (2010, assets Bulletin) as the rate. Breach Candy, Carmicheal Road, Altamount Road and has always Nepeansea Road in South Mumbai, where real estate prices that start from 45,000 and 85,000 per sq ft in a prime residential location

Fight rages in Aleppo, forces bombard Damascus

The BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces bombarded parts of Damascus with helicopter gunships on Sunday, witnesses talk, clawing back territory from the rebels a week previus the fighters launched what they called a final battle for the capital.

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In a further escalation of a conflict that emboldened opponents of President Bashar al-Assad have turned into all-out civil war, fighting raged around the intelligence headquarters in the biggest city Aleppo and in Deir al-Zor in the east.

Syrian forces regained control of one of two border crossings seized by rebels on the frontier with Iraq, Iraqi officials said, but rebels said they had captured a third border crossing with Turkey, Bab al-Salam north of Aleppo.

"Seizing the border crossings does not have strategic importance but it has a psychological impact because it demoralizes Assad's force," a senior Syrian army defector in Turkey, Staff Brigadier Faiz Amr, told Reuters by phone.
"It's a show of progress for the revolutionaries, despite the superior firepower of Assad's troops."

Bombardments in Damascus and Deir al-Zor were some of the fiercest yet and showed Assad's determination to avenge a bomb on Wednesday that killed four members of his high command.

It was the gravest thro in a 16-month-old uprising that has turned into an armed revolt against four decades of Assad rule.

Rebels were driven from Mezzeh, the diplomatic district of Damascus, residents and opposition activists said, and more than 1,000 government troops and allied militiamen, backed by armored vehicles, tanks and bulldozers entered the area.

Three people were killed and fifty others, mostly civilians, were wounded in the early morning bombardment, said Thabet, a Mezzeh resident. "The district is besieged and the wounded are without medical care," he talk.

"I saw men stripped to their underwear. Three buses took detainees from al-Farouk, including women and whole families. Several houses have been set on fire."

Neighborhood of Barzeh, one of three northern areas hit by helicopter fire, was also under siege, by troops from the elite fourth division.

Division is run by Assad's younger brother, Maher al-Assad, 41, who is widely seen as the muscle maintaining the Assad family's Alawite minority rule.

His role has become more crucial since Assad's defense and intelligence ministers, a top general and his powerful brother-in-law were killed by the bomb on Wednesday, part of a "Damascus volcano" by rebels seeking to turn the tables in a revolt inspired by Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

Assad has not spoken in telecast since the bombing. Diplomats and opposition sources talk government forces were focusing on strategic centers, with one Western diplomat comparing Assad to a doctor "abandoning the patient's limbs to save the organs".

FIGHTING IN ALEPPO

Syrian state television quoted a media source denying that helicopters had targate on the capital. "The situation in Damascus is normal, but the security forces are pursuing the remnants of the terrorists in some streets," it talk.

Assad's forces, who also pushed into a rebel-held district in the northerly commercial hub of Aleppo on Saturday, targeted pockets of lightly armed rebels, who moved about the streets on foot, attacking security installations and roadblocks.

The Other opposition and rebel sources say the guerrilla fighters in the capital may lack the supply lines to remain there for long and may have to stage ‘tactical withdrawals'.

Residents talk the sound of shelling was so intense at dusk that they were unable to distinguish it from the traditional cannon blast marking the end of the daily fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Opposition activists talk late on Saturday that helicopters had fired rockets into a neighborhood near the southerly Sayida Zeinab district, causing dozens of casualties.

International Committee of the Red Cross said people were scrambling for safety. "Humanitarian needs are growing as the situation in the city worsens and as large numbers of people flee their neighborhoods in search of safe haven," it said.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 1,261 people had been killed across Syria since last Sunday when the fighting escalated in Damascus, including 299 of Assad's forces, making it by far the bloodiest week in an uprising that has claimed the lives of 18,000 people

total of 180 people, including 48 troops, died on Saturday alone, many them in Homs province, epicenter of the revolt.

Most shops in Damascus were closed and there was only light traffic - although more than in the past few days. Some police checkpoints, abandoned earlier in the week, were manned again.

Many petrol stations were closed, having run out of fuel, and those that were open had huge lines of cars waiting to fill up. Residents reported long queues at bakeries.

FLIGHT FROM ALEPPO

A bloody crackdown on what began as a peaceful revolt has increasingly become an armed conflict between an establishment dominated by Assad's Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and rebels drawn largely from the Sunni majority.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon talk he was sending his peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous and top military adviser General Babacar Gaye to Syria to assess the situation.

The Opposition activists in Aleppo talk hundreds of families were fleeing residential areas on Saturday after the military swept into the Saladin district, which had been in rebel hands for two days. Fighting was also reported in the densely-populated, poor neighborhood of al-Sakhour.

"For the first time we feel Aleppo has turned into a battle zone," a woman, who declined to be named, talk by phone from the city.

REBEL BORDER CROSSING RAID

On the Iraqi-Syrian border, Iraqi security and border officials talk Syrian forces had reasserted control over the Yarubiya crossing point on the Syrian talk of the frontier, briefly seized by rebels on Saturday.

Syrian opposition activists said several towns in Syria's Kurdish northeast had passed without a fight into local hands in recent days as central authority eroded.

Surge in violence has trapped millions of Syrians, turned sections of Damascus into ghost areas, and sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring Lebanon.

U.N. Security Council has approved a 30-day extension for a ceasefire observer mission, but Ban has recommended changing its focus to pursuing prospects for a political solution - effectively accepting there is no truce to monitor.

Diplomats said only half of the 300 unarmed observers would be needed for Ban's suggested plan, and several monitors were seen departing from Damascus on Saturday.

Speaking two days previus Russia and China vetoed a resolution to impose U.N. sanctions on Assad's government, Ban called on he Security Council to "redouble efforts to forge a united way forward and exercise its collective responsibility".

Regional and Western powers have voiced concern the conflict might become a full-blown sectarian war that could spill across borders. But Assad's opponents remain outgunned and divided.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speaking after contacts with the head of the Arab League and Qatar's prime minister, said all three agreed that it was time for Syria's fractured opposition to prepare to take charge of the country.

"We would like to see the rapid formation of a provisional government representing the diversity of Syrian society," said Fabius. Syria's main political opposition group, the Syrian National Council, operating in exile, has so far failed to unite Assad's disparate foes on a united political platform.

Making SpaceX capsule-NASA chief views history

--> A McGREGOR, Texas—Marred by just a few scorch marks from its re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere,world's first commercial supply spacecraft to visit the International Space Station weathered its maiden voyage well, NASA and SpaceX officials talk Wednesday.
"almost untouched," SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said as he looked at the Dragon capsule, which was on display at the company's rocket factory in McGregor.large, bell-shaped craft is more than 14 feet high and 12 feet in diameter.
Last month,unmanned SpaceX Dragon delivered 1,000 pounds of provisions—mostly food—to the space station and returned with nearly 1,400 pounds of old equipment and a handful of experiments. Because it was a nine-day test flight, NASA did not load it with anything valuable.

California-based SpaceX—formally named Space Exploration Technologies Corp.—is the first private business to send a cargo ship to the space station.company hopes to launch another capsule in September.
Musk talk that a site near Brownsville in South Texas is the leading candidate for SpaceX's latest spaceport. He and Texas Gov. Rick Perry met later Wednesday to discuss incentives and other issues.
Musk talk other launch sites under consideration—in Florida and Puerto Rico—had made stronger cases than Texas, "but that may be replace."
Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said the meeting went well. Perry and Musk discussed Texas' interest in the project and commitment to working with SpaceX to find a good location for the spaceport in the state, Nashed talk.
"Locating this new facility in Texas would be a natural fit," Nashed talk in a statement.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden praised SpaceX and the Dragon, saying last month's flight was a success that had taken much time and hard work. Bolden said the capsule was "beaten up" during re-entry but is robust.

"A Sometimes, something bad is going to happen, but when it does ... they will bounce back," Bolden talk, referring to SpaceX. "NASA is with you."
The President Barack Obama is leading the move to commercial spaceflight. He wants routine orbital flights turned over to private businesses so the federal space agency can work on sending astronauts to Mars and asteroids.
NASA has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in seed money to vying companies, including SpaceX. It received nearly $400 million as part of its contract with NASA to develop the capability to carry cargo to the space station and back, including the recently completed Dragon flight, said company spokeswoman Kirstin Brost Grantham.

Democracy, Religion, Violence:Hamas in Politics

Key player in the politics of the Middle East, Hamas is renowned for its contradictory targat.Group uses terror tactics against Israel's civilians and military, yet runs on a law and order ticket in Palestinian elections; it pursues an Islamic state, yet holds internal elections; it campaigns for shari'ah law, yet its leaders are predominantly secular professionals; and it calls for the destruction of Israel, yet has reluctantly agreed to honor previously established peace agreements.

Hamas in Politics, Jeroen Gunning launches a probing study of the movement's passes in the political arena, showing that religion, violence, and democracy are not necessarily incompatible. Many of Hamas's apparent contradictions flow from the relationship between the organization's ideology, local constituency, and the nature of politics in Israel and Palestine. Gunning conducts interviews with members of Hamas as well as the group's critics and draws on a decade of close observation of the organization. He illuminates Hamas's understanding of its ideology and explores the tension between its dual commitment to "God" and "the people." Examining the group's political practice and what it says about the group's attitude towards democracy, religion, and violence, Gunning provides a unique window into Hamas's internal syntex, revealing its process of choosing leaders and determining policy.

First Bollywood's superstar, Rajesh Khanna, dies

NEW DELHI (AP) — Rajesh Khanna, whose success as a romantic lead in scores of Indian movies made him Bollywood’s first superstar, died Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 69.

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His wife, actress Dimple Kapadia, and two daughters were at his bedside when he died at his home in Mumbai, said his son-in-law, actor Akshay Kumar.

Khanna began his career in the mid-1960s in romantic films that were hugely popular. He played the lead role in some 120 of the 170 movies in which he appeared and won scores of awards.

His enormous success was a new phenomenon in India. Screaming fans surrounded him whenever he appeared in public. Women married his photograph and wrote him letters in their blood proposing marriage.

He was born Jatin Khanna on Dec. 29, 1942, in the northern Indian town of Amritsar. He took to acting while in school and adopted the name Rajesh Khanna when he began his career in films.

After his early success he became a favorite with film directors wanting a sure box-office winner. During the 1970s, he had 15 consecutive movies that set new sales records. He was feted as the king of romance and mobbed by hysterical fans, who kissed his car when they couldn’t get near him.

‘‘Khanna witnessed unbelievable popularity, such that no one had ever seen or imagined. In fact from 1969 to 1973, it was a one-horse race,’’ said Javed Akhtar, a screenwriter and poet.

Khanna debuted in 1965 with ‘‘Akhri Khath,’’ or ‘‘The Last Letter.’’ A few films followed where the young handsome actor was noticed and gained fame. Then in 1969, came the romantic drama ‘‘Aradhana,’’ or ‘‘Worship.’’ The film was a runaway success and Khanna’s career saw a meteoric rise.

In 1973, Khanna surprised his millions of fans by marrying Kapadia, a young and upcoming actress. The couple had two daughters, but they soon separated. Kapadia complained of his mood swings and bad temper when she moved out with her daughters. However, she returned to take care of Khanna after he fell sick two months ago.

After a nearly three-decade reign in Bollywood, Khanna saw his popularity dim when action films became the rage and younger stars rose to the top. His fall was swift as Khanna turned to alcohol and for the last few years of his life, he became almost a recluse.

As his film career faded, he shifted to politics and was elected to Parliament in 1992 and served there until 1996.

In Mumbai, large crowds of people gathered outside his house to mourn. As news of his passing became known, the crowds swelled and police had to push back the throng. Film stars and directors visited his home to offer condolences. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also conveyed his wishes to Khanna’s family and fans in a Twitter message.

Khanna’s funeral will take place in Mumbai on Thursday, family sources told Press Trust of India.

‘‘It’s a terrible day for all of us in the industry,’’ said Saira Banu, who acted in nearly a dozen films with Khanna. ‘‘He was a very humble person despite his superstar status.’’

By panel London Olympics security contractor called 'incompetent'

A private contractor's planning for security at the Summer Olympics in London was "incompetent,"chairman of a British Parliament committee said Tuesday.

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As athletes streamed into Heathrow Airport for next week's begain of the Games, lawmakers quizzed G4S security's Chief Executive Nick Buckles over his company’s last-minute failure to provide over 10,000 extra staff to police venues.

With controversy raging between government and disgruntled army and police officers called up to cover for the lack of trained staff which G4S was unable to provide, lawmakers asked Buckles to explain his company’s shortfall.

At a times appearing uncertain and unprepared, Buckles told the committee he was “deeply disappointed” and “embarrassed” about his firm's inability to deliver on the contract. Buckles said he only became aware of the shortage of security personnel on July 3 while he was on vacation in the United States.

Ian Horseman Sewell, G4S account manager for the Olympics, appeared beside Buckles and said he was unaware of any problem until last week.

A When pressed as to how many of the 10,400 staff called for last year he could provide, Buckles said it was his “expectation” that they could deliver 7,000. According to Parliament's website, G4S has a $443-million contract with the government to provide security guards, but only 4,000 guards were trained and ready as of Tuesday.

“A Ten days before the Olympics you aren’t able to give a better answer?” queried committee Chairman Keith Vaz. The G4S performance was judged by the committee to be “unacceptable, incompetent and amateurish,” said Vaz.

Committee cited other recent sporting events in Britain during which many G4S security staff had failed to turn up, forcing police to cover at the last minute.

Army troops have been recruited to provide 3,500 security staff to safeguard the Games, which begin July 27. Buckles confirmed that his company would reimburse both forces and provide bonuses and accommodation expenses for military personnel who filled the gap caused by the G4S debacle.

“We clearly regret signing the contract, but now we have to deliver,” said an unhappy Buckles, who together with Horseman Sewell also told the committee G4S would forfeit its $75-million fee for failing to provide full security but would not forgo its management fee of about $85.5 million.

Olympics contract was “a very specific massive events contract” outside its normal style of work providing private police and prison security, Buckles said. But G4S would not be bidding for future events, such as the upcoming World Cup and Olympics in Brazil.

The Olympic Games Chairman Sebastian Coe assured reporters Tuesday, according the Press Assn., that his organization was up to the challenge.

“It’s really simply about the mix of security on the park. ... This is not a failure in numbers, we've got the numbers there. There's no compromise on security.”

Pakistan might become home for India cricket

Pakistan might see much more of India , especially on the cricket field, in the coming soon. In search of secure real estate to play the game, Pakistan has proposed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Mohali, adjoining Chandigarh, be one of two stadia in India where it can play home matches in the future.

"We are thinking about it," said a BCCI source. The immediate proposal is to have the Australia-Pakistan home series match in Mohali, because no team is ready to go to Pakistan after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team at Lahore in 2009.

Pakistan, therefore, has no real estate where it can play international matches, unless it plays on neutral ground. Also, it has been forced to host all its home series abroad.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) cites this as a major reason for its deficit budgets for the last two financial years. Australia has not played in Pakistan after 1998 due to security issues.

The Initially, Dubai was considered, for a series of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) between Australia and Pakistan, from August 27.

the Australian Cricket Association is faced with a near-mutiny from its players, who have demurred at playing in Dubai's August heat. Pakistan considers Mohali relatively safer because the Punjabi network and sentiment is strong. More, Lahore is literally minutes away by road.

Singapore, Malaysia and other venues have been considered. But these, cricket organisers say, are not so attractive, considering the television earn. Pakistan, which is understandably anxious to play the matches, was supposed to play three ODIs and three Twenty20 [ Images ] Internationals in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai from August 27 to September 10.

These could all now be played at Mohali.

The Negotiations are on for the second stadium that the Pakistan Cricket Board wants to lease to hold matches. PCB has left the choice of the venue to BCCI.

If the Mohali matches are a success, India could become a frequent venue for cricket matches to be played between Pakistan and other countries, leading to a further deepening of understanding and empathy between the two countries.