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Re hits all-time low of 52.73
New Delhi/Hyderabad, Nov 22
The rupee today slipped to an all-time low of Rs 52.73 to a dollar in the morning before recovering somewhat to close at Rs 52.30. On the first day of August, Indian importers paid Rs 44 for every dollar. In September, they paid Rs 49 and now in November it breached the Rs 52 mark. The demand for dollars is weakening the rupee further and making imports, specially oil imports, costlier. The value of the rupee has fallen by over 16 per cent during the last four months, the fastest slide in history, said former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
  Nation page: Govt hopes inflation will dip to 6% by March-end

Parliament adjourned amid uproar
Day 1: Interruptions over inflation, P Chidambaram’s alleged role in Spectrum scam
New Delhi, November 22
Ignoring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s appeal to allow Parliament to run smoothly, the Opposition wrecked proceedings on Day 1 of the winter session, raising a range of issues.

PM Manmohan Singh after his arrival for the winter session. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aaggarwal

Memogate
Pak envoy to US quits
Kabul, November 22
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States resigned today, days after a Pakistani-American businessman said the envoy was behind a controversial memo that accused the Pakistani military of plotting a coup in May.
                                          Husain Haqqani

Pakistan raising green wall along border to blind BSF
Chicken Neck (Kanachak), November 22
While continuing making concrete bunkers along the international border in the Jammu area, Pakistan is erecting a wall of trees to block the view of the BSF.


A BSF jawan patrols along the India-Pakistan border with saplings planted in the background on the Pakistan side

Centre allows 1 million tonne sugar export
New Delhi, November 22
Conceding to the long-pending demand of the industry, the government today allowed export of one million tonnes of sugar, a decision the industry said would help improve cash flow and enable them to make timely payment to cane growers.

Ishrat Case
Family demands CBI investigation
Thane, November 22
Demanding a CBI probe into the case, Ishrat Jehan’s family today said the SIT’s finding on the 2004 police encounter has vindicated their stand that she was innocent. “I have been always saying that my daughter is not at fault and this has been proved by the SIT report. Our demand for CBI probe into the killing is still pending,” Ishrat’s mother Shamima Kausar told a news conference here.

Public property
SC for special courts for cases of violent agitations
New Delhi, November 22
The Supreme Court today said it intended to order the setting up of special courts for disposal of cases involving damage to public property within three months. A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhya also expressed its desire to direct mandatory prosecution of those giving calls for blocking rail and road traffic as part of measures to prevent losses running into several crores of rupees.