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from India Insight:
Elsewhere in India: Maria Sharapova wins hearts, minds of cameramen
Here's some more news that we found in the Indian press over the weekend and would like to share with you. Rather than present stories of great national importance, we would like to highlight some of the items that you are less likely to see in world news reports. Any opinions that the author might express are surely beneath contempt, and are not necessarily those of Thomson Reuters.
Tennis pro Maria Sharapova visited India. Gushing ensued. "The 25-year-old, here to announce her partnership with UK-based real estate company Homestead, sported an infectious smile throughout the interaction even though the lensmen could not get to focus enough of capturing the blonde beauty. 'Well, it is just the hair and make-up you know. I don't wake up looking like this,' quipped Sharapova when a scribe called her pretty. Here only for a day, Sharapova said food and culture was something she would take back from India. 'I arrived last night and asked the chef what should I try of the Indian food. I had a dosa which tasted really nice. I wanted to have this great Indian experience. There is so much energy in the city, I have been in some quiet areas recently, resting. I really like the culture and people. You all have been really welcoming.'" Final score: love-love. (NDTV)
Mulayam Singh Yadav's interests spread wider than wrestling or politics. He is also a lover of poetry. "For more than 35 minutes, Mulayam Yadav analysed the content of the book, 'Yatharth ke Aas Pas', written by a Congress leader, Chandra Prakash Rai. “This collection of poems on some very sensitive issues like girls, female foeticide, loneliness, loss of faith and other human emotions must be read by everyone,” he said. (The Indian Express)
Starbucks pays its workers a mere 25 pence an hour at its new India stores, below the country's official living wage, according to The Mirror. "Under Indian law, restaurant, hotel and cafe owners are only required to pay their staff 17p an hour, or £6 a month. But the Indian “living wage” – the amount people need to eat, drink and pay the bills – is set at 67p an hour. When our investigators visited the Mumbai Starbucks they found cleaners were earning just 25p an hour – about £2 a day. And even the baristas who serve coffee were being paid only 56p an hour, less than £5 for a day’s work." Starbucks declined to comment. (The Mirror)
from Expert Zone:
India Market Weekahead: Trading subdued but markets back on track
(The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent those of Reuters)
Last week was a volatile one with the stock market poised for a surge but the Nifty eventually closed in the red with a loss of 0.20 percent at 5686.
from MacroScope:
Resurging inflation to put a dampener on India’s festive spend
A perfect storm may be gathering over India's economy, brought on by a peak in inflation just as the country's festive season, which is critical to consumer demand, gets under way.
Purse strings are loosened most in India during this season, which began with Navratri on Oct. 15 and will linger on with the festival of lights, Diwali, in a couple of weeks and culminate with Christmas.
from UK News:
Best of Britain: War and peace
Two events highlighted the past week's Best of Britain photos: Remembrance Day and the protests that made their way inside the Conservative Party headquarters. In a simultaneous mirror of war and peace, there were the somber Remembrance Day vigils honoring those who'd given their lives in war, contrasted with the chaos of student protesters, angry at the Conservative Party's plans for higher tuition fees and cuts to education.
Also included are photos of a girl celebrating Diwali and a scientist showing a new high tech material that can manipulate visible light.
from FaithWorld:
October a busy month for Indian religious festivals
October is a busy month for Indian religious festivals in India. Here are Reuters videos from three of them.
Diwali, the five-day festival of lights, was celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the country with fireworks and prayers. It marks the return of Lord Raama to his kingdom Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, in the ancient epic Ramayana.
from India Masala:
All the Best: Adding that Diwali sparkle
Watching three films in the space of 18 hours isn't easy, especially when the first two are films like "Blue" and "Main Aur Mrs Khanna".
When I settled into my seat to watch Rohit Shetty's "All the Best", I was really hoping for some laughs. Thankfully, I got my share of them.
from India Insight:
Days of darkness during Diwali?
Diwali, the festival of lights, is here but do we see a pall of gloom with the BSE Sensex crashing more than 50 percent since January 2008?
Things have come to such a pass that some people have simply stopped looking at their portfolios. They think it's too late now to cut losses.
