POPE STRICTURES ON SEXUAL ABUSE

Pope Francis today urged Vatican disciplinarians to act "with determination" against sexual abuse committed by members of the Catholic clergy, in his first public pronouncement on the issue. "The Holy Father in particular asked that the congregation ... act with determination in cases of sexual abuse," the Vatican said in a statement, referring to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles such cases, after the pope met with its director. The statement noted that the policy followed "the line established" by Francis' predecessor Benedict XVI. The Argentine pope, elected last month, asked for "stepped-up measures to protect minors and help those who were subjected to such violence in the past". Also in line with his predecessor, Francis asked for a continuation of "procedures against the guilty and the commitment of bishops' conferences (national churches) to formulate and implement the necessary directives in this area." The scourge of abusive priests burst into the spotlight more than a decade ago with a cascade of scandals rocking the Church worldwide, from Ireland to the United States, from Australia to Benedict's native Germany. The Vatican says it continues to receive around 600 claims against abusive priests every year, many of them dating back to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Sexual abuse by priests has often been coupled with cover-ups by their superiors, typically by transferring them to other parishes.

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WORLD'S OLDEST WOMAN

Misao Okawa celebrates her 115th birthday in Osaka, western Japan on March 5, 2013. Okawa was formally recognized as the world's oldest woman.

SINGER MANNA DEY IS NO MORE

Legendary playback singer Manna Dey, who mesmerised generations of listeners with his inimitable voice for over five decades with hits like 'ay mere pyara watan', 'laaga chunri me daag' and 'poocho na kaise', died at a hospital here today at the age of 94 after prolonged illness. Dey, who was in and out of Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in the last five months for respiratory and renal problems, died of cardiac arrest with his daughter Shumita Deb and son-in-law Jnanranjan Deb by his bedside when the end came at 3.50 AM. The condition of Dey, who had made Bangalore his home for the last many years, deteriorated since yesterday afternoon, hospital spokesman Vasuki said. With the demise of Dey, the void has become complete in the famous quartet of singers Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar, who dominated the Hindi music industry from 1950s to 1970s. The mortal remains of Dey, whose unique voice lent a rare dimension to his persona, were cremate...

WILL NIFTY FALL BELOW 2000?

Correlating the ups and down in the Indian rupee with the stock market, Vijay Bhambwani, CEO, bsplindia.com, suggests that if the rupee continues with its downward fall, the Indian stock market may fall breach October lows and fall further. “If the rupee falls below the 53.0-53.50 mark vis-a-vis the USD, expect a mini meltdown atleast in the equity markets. In that case, the 2250 level (on Nifty) will be breached easily to form a new low. The possibility of that low being below the 2000 levels on the Nifty spot is fairly high,” he says. Bhambwani supports his outlook by comparing the value of rupee at the time of October lows. “The October 2008 lows were made with the INR at 51.20 - 51.40 band. The rupee has breached the 52 level since then. Clearly the nation’s ‘share price’ (currency) indicates weakness. The curency market is a far more accurate barometer of the nation’s health compared to the equity indices. Whether you like it or not, we are under siege. Had it not been March (NAV ...

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