National:

Pir Panjal tunnel ready to link Kashmir Valley Train passengers in the Kashmir Valley can soon travel up to Banihal with railways announcing completion of the key Qazigund-Banihal section which also comprises the longest transportation tunnel in the country built after a seven-year effort. The distance between Banihal and Qazigund, which is also one of the most treacherous stretches in the entire Kashmir rail network project, will reduce from 35 km by road to 17.729 km on train. According to Northern Railway, trial runs have already started in the section, which forms a vital link in the project connecting Udhampur to Baramulla. The tunnel, which also has a service road running parallel to the track is the second longest in Asia, is constructed at a cost of Rs 1300 crore. It took almost seven years to complete the tunnel. About 7,500 metric tonnes of steel, 3,28,000 cubic meters of concrete has been used and 10,00,000 cubic meters of underground excavation has been done to complete the tunnel. Mahabrinda Natyam gets into Guinness Book The Mahabrinda Natyam, a performance by 5,794 artistes, comprising from the tender but nimble-footed three-year-olds to the 65-year-olds, bagged a coveted place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the rd largest Kuchipudi dance in Hyderabad. Organised by Silicon Andhra to mark the close of the 3 International Kuchipudi Dance Convention, it was a tribute to the late Vempati Chinna Satyam, one of the greatest masters. Praveen Patel, adjudicator for Guinness Records, announced that he was delighted to witness the largest Kuchipudi dance and handed over the certificate to SiliconAndhra chairperson, Union Minister D. Purandeswari and State IT Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah. Virbhadra Singh sworn in as CM Pradesh Congress Committee leader Virbhadra Singh was sworn in Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, along with nine other Cabinet Ministers. Governor Urmila Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy on the Ridge Maidan. Atalji Janasnehi Kendras become operational The Atalji Janasnehi Kendras, which are the restructured and upgraded versions of the Nemmadi Kendras (single-window citizen service centres), became operational in the State on the birthday of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. As many as 900 such centres have been set up in the State to provide speedy services by the Revenue Department to citizens. These centres will provide 36 services, including providing caste, income, birth and death certificates besides Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTCs). Oscar-nominated composer Richard Rodney Bennett dies Oscar-nominated composer Richard Rodney Bennett died at the age of 76. Bennett passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve in New York. Born in Kent on March 29, 1936, Bennett was a composer of classical and jazz works in addition to film scores, and regularly performed as a jazz pianist. His score for Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express won a Bafta in 1974, and was also nominated for an Academy Award.

International:
World's longest bullet train service begins in China China started service on the world's longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country's rapid and sometimes troubled super fast rail network. The opening of the new 2,298-kilometre (1,425-mile) line between Beijing and Guangzhou means passengers will be whisked from the capital to the southern commercial hub in less than a third of the 22 hours previously required. Trains will travel at an average speed of 300 kilometres per hour over the line, which includes 35 stops in major cities such as Zhengzhou, Wuhan on the Yangtze River and Changsha.China's high-speed rail network was established in 2007, but has fast become the world's largest with 8,358 kilometres of track at the end of 2010. That is expected to almost double to 16,000 kilometres by 2020.

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Iranian ties put CPCL in a spot after U.S. sanction For standalone refinery Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), the presence of an Iranian stakeholder is turning out to be an issue in the wake of U.S. sanctions against the West Asian country. A group company of Indian Oil Corporation, the refinery, after giving up plans to process Iranian crude in 2012, is now watching the situation as tightening of the sanctions may lead to more, significant repercussions. The 11.5 milliontonne refinery, bulk of whose capacity is in Chennai, was planning to process only 0.5 million tonne Iranian crude.

Business & Economy:

Inmate wins right to get market info from SEBI In a first of its kind order, market regulator SEBI has been asked by an appellate authority to provide various information about stock markets, including study materials free of cost to an under-trial prisoner. The Appellate Authority of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that the appellant is eligible for a fee waiver, as he could be considered a person of below poverty line because of being an under-trial prisoner. Exposure of equity MFs to banks soars The mutual fund industry is betting big on the banking space with investments worth more than Rs.42,000 crore in bank stocks, taking this sectors exposure to the highest level in more than three years. According to the latest data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the industrys investment in bank stocks stood at Rs.42,022 crore at the end of November, which was 20.59 per cent of the industrys total equity assets under management (AUM) of Rs.2.04 lakh crore. Besides banking, the exposure to none of the sectors is in double digits, with software being the second-best with an 8.7 per cent exposure. Essar Ports commissions terminal at Paradip Essar Ports has announced the commissioning of its 16 million metric tonnes per annum dry bulk terminal at Paradip in Odisha, taking the aggregate handling capacity of the company to 104 million tonnes. This is Essar Port's first project on the east coast and is a modern facility with best-in-class capabilities. The project involved upgradation and mechanisation of the existing 230 meter-long CQ3 berth at Paradip with installation of a fully mechanised ship loading system with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per hour.

Sport:
Rathore clinches the double trap gold Athens Games silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore shot 190 and won the double trap gold, with a three-point margin over Mohd. Asab, in the Sahara National shooting championship. Asian Games champion Ronjan Sodhi had to settle for the bronze despite shooting the best in the final, with a round of 48, as Asab capitalised on his three-point lead. Rathore shot a world record 148 out of 150 in the Asian shotgun championship in Kuala Lumpur in 2011.

Page 2 of 2 26th December 2012