India bribed 72 Commonwealth countries $100,000 each to secure the rights to host the 2019 Commonwealth Games, while Australia received a $125,000 kickback. India's larger bribes helped it win the hosting rights over a bid from Canada's Hamilton, which offered $70,000 to each country. Tata Motors will launch its new crossover vehicle Aria within a month, aiming to compete with Toyota and Mahindra models in the lucrative segment.

1. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

2. India bribed 72 Commonwealth countries $100,000 each to get the hosting rights for the scandal-hit 19th edition of the Games which will start in Delhi . The report also said that Australia received a kickback of $125,000 from India. Delhi sealed the right to host the Games when their delegates emerged at the final presentation in Jamaica and offered all 72 nations $100,000 (then about $140,000) each for athlete training schemes if they were the successful bidders. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

3. Contd…….. The money, subsequently paid to all nations, was not significant to Australia because it had already decided to vote for India and the payment was not an exceptionally large one. But for small nations who have minimal interest in the Games, it clinched their vote and India went on to beat Canadian city Hamilton 46-22 in the final poll. Hamilton had offered the nations about $70,000 each," a newspaper of Melbourne stated. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

4. Tata Motors will launch Aria a cross-over between a multi-utility and sports utility vehicle within a month. Unveiled at the Auto Expo and billed as a four-wheeler built for Indians by Indian engineers, Aria will compete with Toyota Innova and M&M's Xylo. Sources say that the car is expected to be priced at about Rs 10 lakh. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

5. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

6. Contd……. When contacted a representative of Tata Motors said that the Aria would be launched within a month and the company is keen on cashing in on the festive season. Tata Motors says that since it is going to be packed with features, they will really declare the price on the date of the launch. Tata Motors' current line up of SUVs and MUVs include Safari and Sumo Grande. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

7. The bid by Indian public sector PNB's joint venture in Nepal, Everest Bank Ltd (EBL), to merge with another Nepali bank thus creating one of the biggest financial institutions in the Himalayan republic has bounced due to stiff opposition by shareholders. Hum Nath Gurung, assistant general manager of Everest Bank Ltd (EBL), confirmed to IANS that the bank's annual general meeting, which concluded Thursday, decided not to merge with NIBL. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

8. Contd……….. "One of the biggest concerns expressed by both (EBL and NIBL) boards was over the hefty tax that would be levied by the government once the merger came through," Gurung told IANS. "Though Nepal Rastra Bank (the banking regulator) says it encourages mergers, still, the Income Tax act seeks to levy a whopping 30 percent on the capital gain that results after the union." Habetween banks in Nepal's financial historyd the bid succeeded, it would have been the first merger. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

9. Consumer durables firm Panasonic said it is looking at expanding its recycling programmes for other products, besides television in India in line with its global strategy to be a complete green company by 2018. "Going forward, we plan to start for other products as well. This initiative is part of our aim to become a green company by 2018," Panasonic India Director Arjun Balakrishnan told reporters here. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

10. Contd…… As part of the programme in India, the company has tied up with the Bangalore-based E-Parisaraa Pvt Ltd for recycling its products while Panasonic exclusive outlets have been used as collecting points for old televisions. The company said it is planning to launch of series of awareness programmes across the country and has roped in Bollywood actress Dia Mirza particularly for it. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

11. Contd…… Besides, the company said it is looking expanding its product range from Sanyo in the country, as it plans to tap the volume segment and achieve a turnover of Rs 3,200 crore by this fiscal. At present, Panasoinc sells batteries, projectors and solar lanterns from the Sanyo brand. The company had bought out the Sanyo Corp in a USD nine billion deal last year. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

12. Munni is no longer a headache for Emami. After reaching an out-of-court settlement with Arbaaz Khan Production for the use of words Zandu Balm in its chartbuster Munni badnaam hui, Emami is now ready to cash in on the popularity of the Dabangg song with a new TV commercial to be aired within two days. Emami is also planning to rope in Malaika Arora Khan, who played Munni, as brand ambassador for Zandu Balm, said a senior company official. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

13. Contd…….. The makers of brands such as Fair & Handsome, Boroplus and Navratna are keen to use the opportunity to pep up brand Zandu and target a younger audience. Ad guru and Genesis Film Production managing director Prahlad Kakkar acted as a mediator between Arbaaz Khan Production and Emami. "Following the settlement, the two will now have an opportunity to cross promote each other. Zandu is an old brand and used by people over a certain age group. The song has pitched it into a younger arena," said Mr Kakkar. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

14. The government has asked cellphone companies to exempt alerts from services, such as banks and airlines, from an extended ban on bulk text messages as it looks to limit inconvenience to users, but operators have expressed their inability to comply with the request. The telecom department clarified that the ban aimed at preventing cellphones from being used to spread rumours, distribute objectionable content and create panic during the days leading to a possible verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute will not cover financial services. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

15. Contd……….. “ Telcos have told the government that it is impossible to selectively allow bank-related bulk SMSes while stopping all others,” said Cellular Operators Association of India director-general Rajan Mathews. The ban has affected a host of services, including alerts from banks, brokerages, radio taxis, entertainment portals and multiplex chains that confirm transactions and bookings through text messages. Likewise, airlines are unable to alert customers about delays, cancellations and rescheduling of flights. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

16. The country's leading entertainment conglomerate, Viacom 18 Media has announced the launch of its flagship channel Colors in the Middle East. The channel will be broadcasted via direct-to-home platform through Arab Digital Distribution Company (ADD), a leading DTH player in the Middle East and the North African region. The channel is an equal joint venture between Viacom Inc and Network18 and has already been launched in the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

17. Contd……. The endeavour is to capture the local Arab and Arab expatriate audience, particularly the young generation familiar with Bollywood. The launch is part of Viacom18's aggressive growth plans to extend our flagship brand outside India. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

18. Steel major Jindal Steel & Power Limited was the highest advance tax-payer in the North West Region (NWR) in the September quarter, as per Income Tax Department data. Hisar-based Jindal Steel paid Rs 140 crore as advance tax up to September 15, 55 per cent more than what it paid in the corresponding period of the previous year, as per data provided by the Income Tax Department. Notably, the latest advance tax payment by Jindal Steel is also much higher than the first advance tax installment it paid in June this year. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

19. Contd……… The NWR comprises Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir. Power major NHPC Limited occupied the second slot among the five highest taxpayers in the NWR, paying Rs 125 crore as advance tax against Rs 81 crore in the previous fiscal. State Bank of Patiala and J&K Bank were at third and fourth position, paying advance tax to the tune of Rs 90 crore and Rs 75 crore, respectively. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma

20. Contd…………. Satluj Jal Vidyut Limited was at fifth position, having paid advance tax amounting to Rs 57.40 crore, as against Rs 51 crore last year. Overall corporate tax collection in the NWR showed robust growth of 42 per cent to Rs 3,242 crore between April 1 and September 18, as against Rs 2,280 crore in the corresponding period of the last fiscal. The Income Tax Department is eyeing a total tax revenue of Rs 13,165 crore from both corporate and non-corporate sources in 2010-11, 10 per cent higher than its collection of Rs 11,926 crore in 2009-10. 09/25/10 By: Priyanka Sharma