NEWS

BY AVINASH PANDIYAN A KARTHIEKKEYAN A M

Stephen Hawking turns 70 with "a brief history of mine"

CAMBRIDGE - The world's best known living scientist, Stephen Hawking, was too ill to attend his 70th birthday celebrations on Sunday but in a recorded speech urged people to "look up at the stars" and be curious about the universe.

PM sees 7 pct economic growth despite global worries

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that the economy would likely withstand an uncertain external environment to grow about 7 percent this fiscal year, lower than a revised forecast of about 7.5 percent growth issued by his government last month.

Rupee seen under pressure on euro zone woes - Mukherjee

NEW DELHI - The rupee will remain under pressure until the euro zone debt problem is resolved, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday.

BSE Sensex falls 0.8 pct; RIL, banks down

MUMBAI - The BSE Sensex fell on Monday on concerns a slowing economy would further dent earnings, which are expected to have been hit in the past quarter due to high interest rates and sluggish consumer spending.

For euro zone, the heat is on again

BERLIN - The euro zone crisis seemed to vanish from the headlines for a brief moment as 2011 ticked over into 2012, but it is about to return with a vengeance.

Rupee down on local shares, global dollar gains

MUMBAI - The rupee fell on Monday, in tandem with weakness in local shares as the economy is expected to slow more than earlier estimated and the dollar continued to strengthen globally, reinforcing its status as a safe-haven currency.

Asian stocks down as debt jitters trump U.S. data

SINGAPORE - The euro sank against the dollar and the yen on Monday and Asian stocks fell as renewed worries about the fallout from the European sovereign debt crisis overshadowed signs of vigour in the U.S. economy.

AV Birla Group eyes Lafarge South Africa arm - report

REUTERS - Aditya Birla Group is evaluating a possible buyout of the South Africa operations of France's Lafarge SA , the world's largest cement company, the Business Standard newspaper reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources

Goodwill Hospital withdraws initial share sale - exchange

MUMBAI - Goodwill Hospital and Research Centre Ltd has called off a 620-million-rupee initial public offer after poor investor response, the National Stock Exchange website showed.

Merkel, Sarkozy to seek growth, jobs for euro zone

BERLIN - The German and French leaders meet on Monday to discuss ways to boost growth in euro zone states struggling to overcome the sovereign debt crisis and rising unemployment, and finalise a deal to increase fiscal coordination within the currency union.

Once struggling U.S. auto market now industry bedrock

DETROIT - Welcome to an unlikely beacon of hope for the global auto industry -- Detroit.

U.S. moves toward legal action against Swiss bank - sources

- U.S. authorities are moving toward taking legal action against Wegelin & Co, which could lead to an indictment of one of Switzerland's last pure private banks, on charges that it enabled wealthy Americans to evade taxes, according to two persons with knowledge of the case.

Europe may avoid recession this year, IMF says - report

JOHANNESBURG - Europe may avoid a recession this year and there were reasons to be more upbeat about prospects for the region, the Business Day newspaper quoted International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Christine Lagarde as saying.

India seen growing 8 to 9 pct over 20 years: Ahluwalia

BHUBANESWAR - India's economy is likely to grow by an average of between 8 and 9 percent a year for the next 20 years, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the planning commission said, dismissing concerns about the current slowdown.

Oil firms' revenue loss at $6.46 bln source

NEW DELHI - India's state-run oil companies reported a revenue loss of 340 billion rupees in the third quarter ending December 31 for selling subsidised fuel, an industry sources said on Monday.

Banks in India raise NRI deposit rates

NEW DELHI - YES Bank and IndusInd Bank will raise interest rates on fixed deposits held by non-resident Indians (NRIs) from December 23, they said in separate statements

How to make the most of your ATMs

ATMs are becoming more powerful than before and banks are consciously driving its usages with the concept of branchless banking. A visit to an ATM today can help you accomplish myriad value-added transaction services like utility payments, pre-paid mobile re-charge, credit card payments, tax payments and much more.

B vitamins may modestly boost memory

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who took vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements for two years had greater improvements on shortand long-term memory tests than adults who did not take the vitamins, according to the results of a new study from Australia.

Analysis: Amid jobs gains, worries persist over Europe

NEW YORK - Friday's stronger-than-expected December U.S. jobs growth figures drew a sharp contrast with European numbers, but staffing executives who track labor demand on both sides of the Atlantic caution Europe's impact on jobs in the United States may yet prove deeper than it has so far.