Dunlop Chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia, asked for 12-year sales tax exemption from the government to save the industry from impact of the global slowdown. The company needs Rs 70 crore to resume operations and it has applied for bank loan which would be sectioned within 2-3 months. Ruia is also meeting the state Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee for seeking tax exemptions to achieve long-term revival plans of the company.

Washington, Nov 25: If reports are to be believed, the Tibetan glaciers are melting faster than anyone thought, putting nearly a billion people living in South Asia in peril of losing their water supply.

Throughout India, China, and Nepal, some 15,000 glaciers speckle the Tibetan Plateau, some of the highest land in the world.

According to a report in Discovery News, though the ice is perched in thin, frigid air up to 7,200 meters (23,622 feet) above sea level, research has shown that it has not been secluded from the effects of global warming.

Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University and a team of researchers traveled to central Himalayas in 2006 to study the Naimona’nyi glacier, expecting to find some melting.

Sydney, Nov 25 : Cricket Australia is investigating into a pub brawl on Sunday night involving all-rounder Andrew Symonds, though the latter has denied the blame on him.

The investigation report is expected to come by Wednesday, and might jeopardize Symonds’ chances of paying in Brisbane Test beginning Friday.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said the investigation would not be rushed or compromised.

Melbourne, Nov. 25 : South Africa’s snarling pacer Dale Steyn is expected to give Australian opener Matthew Hayden a torrid time in next month''s marquee Test series.

Pace ace Dale Steyn, 25, has already passed Allan Donald as the quickest South African to 100 Test wickets with an intoxicating blend of pure pace, aggression and swing.

In 26 Tests, he has 135 wickets at a superstar average of 22.08, having claimed nine, five-wicket hauls and twice finished with 10 wickets for a match.

Australia has never had to confront Steyn and his battle with an out-of-form Hayden who has always tried to impose himself on the new-ball bowlers, regardless of reputation.

Security and Exchange Board of India is closely watching the market conditions and would soon announce fresh steps for the stability of the stock market. It may restrict over-leveraged hedge funds to ensure smooth running of the stock market. SEBI chief, C B Bhave, who was speaking at the HT Leadership Summit expressed his views that Indian Stock markets will be among the first few to recover.

Poor, homeless and unprivileged people of Kerala have a reason to cheer. The state government has launched a Rs 50 billion project to provide homes for the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) category.

Houses would be provided by the end of May 2011 to thousands of poor families as per Kerala chief minister, V .S. Achuthanandan, who was addressing the representatives of 27 organizations, campaigning for the rights of the underprivileged.