| |
NEWSNOTES
DESPATCH
TERROR ATTACKS RUB OFF GLITTER
Jaipur: The Pink City's shimmer is fading.
Gopalji ka Rasta in Johari Bazaar, the jewellery market, wears a forlorn
look. After the terrorist attack on the United States, the city's gemstone
industry has all but collapsed. Export orders-most of which were from
New York-have petered out and payments have stopped, says Vivek Kala,
director of the International Coloured Gemstone Association. The annual
exports of coloured gemstones (nearly all from Jaipur) amount to Rs 975
crore. Thirty-five per cent of that is exported between August and October.
This year, if the war ends quickly, the figure might touch Rs 800 crore,
otherwise it will decline further. As a result, many of Jaipur's highly
skilled gemstone workers have been laid off or face wage cuts.
The exporters' hopes rest on a major victory
for the US in the war before Christmas. This, they believe, will induce
big celebrations, and the exchange of gifts. If the gifts include gem-studded
jewellery, the shine in Jaipur's jewels, and in the gem merchants eyes,
may return.
—Rohit Parihar
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
From above Azhar,
Kapil and Wadekar |
VERDICT
K. Madhavan, the Indian cricket board's own private
investigator, has put an end to the speculation over two controversial
matches, which were seen as case studies of match-fixing. The report on
the Kanpur one-dayer against the West Indies in 1996 and the Ahmedabad
Test versus New Zealand in 1999 reaches two contrary conclusions. Madhavan
states that coach Ajit Wadekar and captain Mohammed Azharuddin were "remiss"
in not telling Manoj Prabhakar and Nayan Mongia to step up the scoring
rate, and later suspending them for slow batting. But Kapil Dev and Sachin
Tendulkar, the ex-CBI chief said, had shown "no misconduct"
in choosing not to enforce the follow-on at Ahmedabad. The failure to
win that game, Madhavan said, was proof of the "glorious uncertainties"
of cricket.
—Sharda Ugra
SIGNPOSTS
 RE-ELECTED
M.K. Stalin, as Chennai mayor, though his party, DMK, lost its 41-year
monopoly in the city council. The victory of M. Karunanidhi's son reflects
the public outrage against the DMK chief's arrest.
 DIED
Win Chadha, key accused in the Rs 64-crore Bofors pay-off case, of cardiac
arrest, in Delhi. He was 77. Chadha, a former agent of Swedish arms maker
A.B. Bofors, was chargesheeted by the CBI in 1999.
CHARGE-SHEETED
Sher Singh Rana, along with 10 others, for the murder of MP and former
bandit queen Phoolan Devi on July 25 this year to avenge the Behmai massacre.
The police cited political aspirations as the motive.
LAUNCHED
Splash, a 24-hour channel exclusively for children in the age group of
4-18 years by Chennai-based Intelvision. Several shows will be hosted
by children themselves, even a news programme.
|
|
METRO TODAY
Web
Exclusives
