Mumbai attacked again ten years after
Mumbai: Two car bombs exploded in the crowded areas of the metropolis in quick succession on Monday, killing 45 people and injuring over 150, in the first such incident after the March 1993 serial blasts which had claimed 257 lives. Immediately after the explosions, the sixth since last December, security forces in Maharashtra and neighbouring Gujarat were put on high alert.

Maharashtra health Minister Digvijay Singh said 28 bodies were brought to JJ hospital, 14 in St George’s and three in GT Hospital. About 85 people were admitted with serious injuries in JJ Hospital, 38 in GT and 28 in St George’s. JJ Hospital witnessed a gory sight with mutiliated bodies and blood splattered all around. The seriously injured were admitted with splinters all over their bodies. City police commissioner RS sharma said the explosions appeared to be the handiwork of terrorists, but so far, no one has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
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SEZ exports cross Rs 10,000 cr-mark
New Delhi: Exports from the functioning special economic zones (SEZs) have crossed the Rs 10,000-crore-mark, touching Rs 10,053 crore during 2002-03, says a commerce ministry release.

Giving the latest factual position, the ministry has said that greenfield SEZs are being set up largely in the private sector in association with the state governments and are in the nature of large infrastructure projects involving investment ranging from about Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 crore with long gestation period. The process of land acquisition itself is quite time-consuming.

Since the announcement of the scheme in April 2000, 21 SEZs have been approved so far in private/joint sector on the basis of proposals received from the state governments/private promoters.
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India to lead Asia to 5.5% growth: Report
Singapore: The Asia-Pacific economies, including India, are expected to grow faster than other regions in the next five years but expansion may be disrupted in the short-term by several risks, including an American slowdown and a resurgence of the SARS epidemic, a report has said. In its latest projections, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has predicted that gross domestic product growth in the Asia-AustralAsia region, excluding Japan, will enjoy the fastest average annual expansion rate of 5.5 per cent during 2003-2007 compared with other areas.
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IRDA sets up two working groups
New Delhi: Two working groups set up by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority will go into the entire gamut of issues relating to health insurance and brokers, chairman CS Rao said here on Monday. While the working group on healthcare will be meeting next week in Hyderabad, that on brokers will be set up by the month-end and would submit its report in two months’ time, Rao told reporters on the sidelines of a Ficci workshop on insurance laws review.
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