Kolkata, Nov. 26 (ANI): Kolkata''s jewellers are all smiles despite the global slowdown being suffered by markets across the world. The goldsmiths here didn’t shift to machine-made jewellery but adhered to their handmade process.

This decision, which was once believed as the main reason for their backwardness by several people, is today reaping them rich dividends.

When the US market was booming, jewellers in other parts of India and the world started mass production of low-carat gold jewellery, which was the craze in the United States. But now with the recession in the US there are no takers for that.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora’s announcement to cut fuel prices has created poll row between the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging violation of election code.

The BJP leaders Mukhtaar Abbas Naqvi and Ravi Shankar Prasad approached the Election Commission on Wednesday demanding action against the Petroleum Minister.

Deora had announced on Tuesday a probable cut in fuel prices towards the end of December.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : Accused of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts Abu Salem was produced in a court in New Delhi on Wednesday in connection with an alleged extortion call made by him to a businessman.

The court has allowed him to return to Mumbai for appearing before various courts in connection with other cases.

Salem is required to give a written undertaking that he would be present in New Delhi on December 12 for the next hearing in connection with the extortion case.

New Delhi, Nov 26 : A man from the Xiaguan district in the Sichuan province called up the police 16 times for assistance after his wife locked him in their house to stop him from meeting his mistress.

The police had received the first call at 7:40 pm on November 13, and they came over to his house to see what the problem was.

The man told them at the time that he needed to meet a friend but was stopped by his wife, the China Daily reports.

When the cops came to know the wife’s side of the story, they decided that it was a domestic dispute and not a kidnapping and that they were powerless to do anything and left.

But the man did not leave things alone and kept on calling the police, and they came after his 16th call.

New Delhi, Nov. 26 : The Indian Navy has defended its action in sinking a pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden waters near Somalia.

The pirate ship was originally a Thai fishing boat.

The Ekawat Nava 5 was captured by pirates on November 18 and the crew was tied up, the BBC quoted officials of the International Maritime Bureau, as saying.

The Indian Navy claimed that the ship was a pirate vessel in "description and intent" and it had opened fire first on the INS Tabar .

At least one crewperson was discovered alive after remaining adrift for six days. Fourteen others are still missing.

New Delhi - At least 28 people have died in four days of torrential rains in India's southern Tamil Nadu state, news reports said Wednesday.

Most of the deaths occurred due to wall collapses, electrocution and drowning in the seven coastal districts since Sunday, PTI and IANS news agencies reported.

The heavy rains and strong winds were being caused by a depression over the Bay of Bengal between the Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coasts, PTI reported.

The local weather office predicted heavy showers over the next 24 hours.

Tamil Nadu capital Chennai was also affected. Schools and colleges shut down as most streets remained waterlogged.