Tata to launch Nano in Africa........

Tata Motors don’t intend to buy Ford Credit ........

India ahead of others Asian countries: WB........

Food prices to remain high for now, more riots feared: FAO.........

German Catholics used 6,000 forced workers in Nazi era

BERLIN, Apr 9: Germany's Roman Catholic Church exploited nearly 6,000 forced labourers in the Nazi era, it said in a report today detailing a dark chapter in its history.

The Church had in 2000 acknowledged its use of forced labour under Hitler and has paid 1.5 millions euros in compensation to foreign workers, but the report ''Forced Labour and the Catholic Church 1939-1945'' is the most thorough look at the issue so far.

The 703-page official report documents the fate of 1,075 prisoners of war and 4,829 civilians who were forced to work for the Nazis in nearly 800 Catholic institutions -- mainly hospitals, homes and monastery gardens to boost the war effort.

The Church, which has financed over 200 ''reconciliation'' projects, said final numbers will never be known.

''It should not be concealed that the Catholic Church was blind for too long to the fate and suffering of men, women and children from the whole of Europe who were carted off to Germany as forced labourers,'' Karl Lehmann, the country's top Catholic prelate until mid-February, said at the book's presentation yesterday.

Catholics and Protestants were subject to oppression under the Nazis but aside from some notable figures from both churches who voiced opposition, they broadly went along with the regime.

Hitler's feared SS expropriated more than 300 monasteries and Catholic institutions between 1940 and 1942 and thousands of Catholics were sent to concentration camps, said Karl-Joseph Hummel, co-author of the book.

He told a televised news conference in the western city of Mainz the term ''cooperative antagonism'' summed up the Church's strategy at the time.

The report said a large proportion of the workers -- mostly from Poland, Ukraine and the then Soviet Union -- were forced to help the Nazi war effort in military hospitals which would not have kept going without their labour.

NAZI REGIME

Forced labour was an important tool for the Nazi regime during World War Two.

Nazis shipped millions of people from conquered territories, especially in eastern Europe, to toil for the war economy in poor conditions. Towards the end of the war, forced labour is estimated to have made up about a quarter of the work force.

Lehmann noted that the number of forced labourers for the church was a fraction of the estimated total of 13 million victims compelled to work for the Nazis.

And the conditions were not as bad as at some other rganisations, noted Hummel. A programme of ''annihilation through work'', for example, was not used, he said.

The revelations from the Catholic Church are the latest in a series of reports commissioned by firms, including Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen and Siemens, to expose their past.

The Protestant Church, roughly equal in size to the Catholic Church, has also acknowledged it used forced labour.

However, the Church stressed that the new book did not draw a line under the grim period.

''This documentation, which scientifically works through this forgotten chapter of Church history ... Can and should not be understood as a final balance sheet,'' Lehmann said. (AGENCIES)_

Kalaunji price eases on better supply

NEW DELHI, Apr 9:

In an otherwise steady kirana market, prices of kalaunji dropped due to increased arrivals from producing centres against poor offtake.

Kalaunji drifted by Rs 500 to finish at Rs 8500-9500 per quintal.

Following were today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):

Ajwain 4,200-8,000 Black pepper common 14,900-15,000 Betelnut (kg) 95-120, cardamom brown (Jhundiwali) 15,700-15,800 and cardamom brown (Kanchicut) 17,500-20,500.

Cardamom small (kg): Chitridar 430-510, cardamom (colour robin) 500-510, cardamom bold 510-525, cardamom extra (bold) 570-590 and cloves (kg) 235-290.

Chirounji (new) (kg) 200-250

Dry mango 5,500-26,000

Dhania 6,200-8,900

Dry ginger 9,000-11,500

Kalaunji 8,500-9,500

Mace-Red (kg) 470-490

Mace-Yellow (kg) 470-475

Methiseed 3,800-4,900

Makhana (per kg) 170-215

Nutmeg 330-340

Poppyseed (KG Turkey) 465

Poppseed (KG MP-RAJ) 475-575

Poppyseed (KG U.P.) 415-425

Red chillies 2,800-7,500

Soya bari pariwar (20 kg) 350-400

Saffron (kg) Irani 105000-107000

Saffron (kg) Kashmiri 124000-132000

Soanf 3,500-8,500

Turmeric 3,800-4,800

Tamarind 1,000-1,500

Tamarind without seed 1,800-3,200

Tea (kg) 65-120

Watermelon kernel 8,200-8,300

Jeera common 9,000-9,300

Jeera dollar 9,300-9,400. (PTI)

Prices rule steady; arrivals touch 265.90 lakh bales

COIMBATORE, Apr 9: Cotton lint prices in the country continued its steady trend, according to data available up to the second fortnight of March.

However, average daily arrivals came down in all markets, though total arrivals this season touched 265.90 lakh bales up to March 28 as against 230.50 lakh bales in 2006-07 season, South India Cotton Association (SICA) in its market report for the period said.

Prices continued to be steady in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan with Bengal Desh quoting Rs.1,800 to Rs.1,910 and J.34 saw ginned at Rs.2,090 to Rs.2,270 per maund. The arrival continued around 2500 bales daily.

With Shankar-6 being quoted at Rs.21,200 to Rs.22,500 and v.797 at Rs.17,200 to Rs.17,400 per candy, prices maintained steady in Gujarat while Mech1 H4 quoted at Rs.20,500 to Rs.21,200 per candy spot in Madhya Pradesh.

While arrivals have come down to around 20,000 bales daily in Gujarat, it was about 1,500 bales in Madhya Pradesh.

Prices ranged from Rs.20,000 to Rs.21,200 per candy depending on staple of 28mm to 31mm in Maharashtra where arrivals were reported at 12,000 bales daily.

Mcu5 quoting between Rs.21,400 and Rs.22,000 per candy spot prices ruled steady in Andhra Pradesh with arrivals continuing around 10,000 bales daily.

With DCH 32 being quoted At Rs.30,000 to Rs.30,500 per candy prices ruled steady in Karnataka, while in Tamil Nadu where mill demand was in slow phase prices witnessed a steady trend, SICA said. (PTI)

Tata to launch Nano in Africa

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: Tata Motors today said it plans to launch the Nano in African counries.

"We will be pleased to have the Nano in many African countries," Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant told reporters here.

The company is also planning to start SKD (semi-knocked down) operations of pickup trucks in the Senbus facility in Senegal.

Feasibilty studies will also be undertaken by other Tata Group companies to start their operations in Senegal, he added.

The company had recently acquired the manufacturing facilities of Nissan in South Africa and the facility planning has been completed while project execution will commence shortly.

Tata Motors is also conducting a feasibilty study to start SKD operations in Congo and CKD (completely knocked down) operations in Kenya.(UNI)

Tata Motors don’t intend to buy Ford Credit

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: Ending speculation, Tata Motors today said it is not looking at buying Ford Credit.

"We have just bought Jaguar and Land Rover, and do not intend to buy Ford Credit, " company Managing Director Ravi Kant told reporters here.

After the JLR deal, there were speculations that Tata Motors would have to buy Ford Credit to sell these cars.

Ford Credit owns the finance company which feeds the dealerships for JLR and for buying this, the Tatas have only one year as per the original acquisition agreement.

Ford Motor Credit company operates in 36 countries and has receivables of over 145 billion dollars. (UNI)

India ahead of others Asian countries: WB

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: A new World Bank-IMF Report today complimented India for achieving significant levels of poverty reduction as a result of high GDP growth of about nine per cent, but regretted serious shortfalls in achieving other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) like child nutrition and health.

"India is ahead of other South Asian nations in achieving reduction in poverty levels. This is a result of high growth. Pakistan has not done as well on poverty reduction as growth performance has been less constitent," Mr Zia Qureshi, lead author of the World Bank’s ‘Global Monitoring Report 2008’ said in a video- conference here.

The Video conference with experts in Washinton-the headquarters of the World Bank-was with journalists from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as part of the Global launch of the Report.

Mr Qureshi was joined by Mr Kirk Hamilton, lead environmental economist of the Bank. Entitled ‘Global Monitoring Report 2008,’ the Report has its theme ‘MDGs and the Environment-Agenda for inclusive and sustainable development.’

"India has posted for past several years stellar economic performance, but has not done well on Human Development Index. Child malnutrition rate in India is double that of Africa, which itself is very high," Mr Qureshi said.

The Report warns that most countries in South Asia, including India, will fall short of the MDGs, a set of eight globally agreed development goals with a due date of 2015.

The prospects are gravest for the goals of reducing child and maternal mortality, with serious shortfalls also likely in primary school completion, nutrition and sanitation goals, the Report says.

Mr Qureshi said India along with China continues to lead regional growth in Asia. As a consequence what they do on the front of MDGs will impact on the levels to which the MDGs are achieved globally. (UNI)

Food prices to remain high for now, more riots feared: FAO

NEW DELHI, Apr 9: The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation today said global commodity prices were far from easing in the short term owing to tight supply- demand situation and warned of flare ups over food shortage.

"The rise in prices of food commodities all over the world, is not going to ease in the short term in view of supply-demand situation," FAO Director General Jacques Diouf told reporters after meeting Food Minister Sharad Pawar.

The UN FAO Director General said the world has 4-5 million tons (MT) of cereals stocks that can feed the global population for only 8-12 weeks.

"The world food situation is very serious today with food riots reported from many countries like Egypt, Cameroon, Haiti, Burkina Faso and Senegal. We fear that this may spread to other countries," he added.

Diouf noted that people in the developing countries spend 50-60 per cent of their income on food and therefore any rise in the food prices affects them.

He attributed increasing demand from the developing countries, particularly in China and India, and diversion of food grains towards production of bio-fuels for rising commodity prices across the world.

However, Pawar expressed confidence that India’s food situation is comfortable with sufficient stock.

"We have over half a million tons of food grain surplus than the buffer norms as on April 1 this year," Pawar said.

According to Food Corporation of India, the wheat stock as on April 1 is 5.5 MT against the buffer norm of 4 MT.

Diouf informed that FAO has called an emergency meeting of head of states during June 3-5, 2008 to discuss the overall situation including impact of climate change. (PTI)