Total profits up 17 percent for third quarter (AP)

PARIS ? French oil company Total said Friday that soaring crude prices boosted its third-quarter profits despite a weak dollar.

France's largest company by market value saw its net profit rise to euro3.3 billion ($4.6 billion) in the third quarter, up 17 percent from the same period last year. Revenue was euro46.2 billion in July to September, up from euro40.2 billion last year.

Unrest in Libya, which produces the high-quality crude favored by European refineries, has sent brent crude prices up sharply this year. The company noted that, compared to the third quarter in 2010, brent prices were 47 percent higher.

The company said its closely watched adjusted income expressed in dollars was $4 billion, up 24 percent. Because the company books its profits in euros but oil is traded in dollars, the dollar income figure can sometimes give a truer indication of performance.

In that environment, oil giants Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell also reported strong profits this quarter, rising 47 and nearly 49 percent respectively.

Total said it was expecting its solid growth to continue, thanks to the start of production in a new Pazflor offshore field in Angola and several new discoveries in the quarter.

"The successful start-up of Pazflor in Angola, one of the largest deep-offshore oil facilities ever built shows once again Total's expertise in operating technologically complex major projects," said CEO Christophe de Margerie. "Pazflor is the first of many start-ups that will ensure our growth over the coming years."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_france_earns_total

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Palestinian FM arrives in Bosnia to lobby (AP)

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina ? The Palestinian foreign minister arrived in Sarajevo to lobby for the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN Security Council as Israel's foreign minister lobbies against.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki is meeting with Bosnia's three-member Presidency on Friday as Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman went to the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Banja Luka to lobby there.

Bosnia is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council and its leaders are split over the Palestinian issue. The Muslim Bosniak leader supports the Palestinian bid, the Serb member of the country's three member presidency is pro-Israeli and the Croat member not clearly stating his position.

Each of the three members have to support a decision in order for Bosnia to vote, otherwise it will have to abstain.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_eu/eu_bosnia_palestinians

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Afghan suicide bombing, shooting kills at least 6

A NATO helicopter flies above the site of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

A NATO helicopter flies above the site of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

US soliders, right, carry a body from the site of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

US soldiers gather by bodies of victims of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

US soldiers carry a body from the site of a suicide car bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011. A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy on the outskirts of Kabul on Saturday, causing casualties among the NATO service members and Afghan civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said. Afghan officials said three civilians and one policeman were killed. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

(AP) ? A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy in Kabul, killing at least four people, Afghan officials said. In the south, a man wearing an Afghan military uniform turned his weapons on NATO and Afghan troops, killing two NATO service members, the U.S.-led coalition said.

The Taliban promptly claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack, which took place near Darulaman Palace, the bombed-out seat of former Afghan kings on the southwest outskirts of the capital. NATO said there were "several" causalities among its forces and Afghan civilians, but did not provide details.

The attack was the deadliest of three separate incidents Saturday that targeted either the U.S.-led coalition or Afghan government offices in the country.

The Afghan Ministry of Interior said three Afghan civilians and one policeman died in the Kabul attack. The Taliban claim came shortly after the attack in a text message to media outlets.

In the restive south, an area traditionally viewed as the Taliban's stronghold, NATO said a man in an Afghan military uniform turned his weapon on coalition and Afghan forces, killing two. The shooter was killed, the coalition said in the statement that provided no other details.

The bombing on the outskirts of Kabul appeared to target a NATO convoy that included a military bus.

NATO and Afghan forces sealed off the area as rescuers rushed about the attack site, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. Two NATO helicopters landed to airlift casualties while coalition troops using loudspeakers ordered bystanders to evacuate the area. Heavy black smoke poured from the bus, which was engulfed in a fireball.

Later, U.S. troops were seen carrying three black body bags from the bus' burned wreckage, which eyewitnesses said had been sandwiched in the convoy between mine-resistant armored coalition vehicles. The troops also were seen carrying a badly charred body from the bus.

The incident was reminiscent of another similar attack on a NATO convoy in May 2010. In that incident, a suicide bomber struck the convoy, killing 18 people, including five American troops and a Canadian. The Taliban, at the time, said the vehicle was packed with 1,650 pounds (750 kilograms) of explosives.

Earlier Saturday, a female suicide bomber blew herself up as she tried to attack a local government office in the capital of Kunar province, a hotbed of militancy in northeast Afghanistan along the Pakistan border.

Abdul Sabor Allayar, deputy provincial police chief, said the guards outside the government's intelligence office in Asad Abad became suspicious of the woman and started shooting, at which point she detonated her explosives.

There were no other casualties in that attack.

Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces conducted operations earlier this month, killing more than 100 insurgents in an effort to curb violence in rugged areas of Kunar where the coalition and Afghan government have a light footprint.

Farther south along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Afghan and coalition forces captured two leaders of the Haqqani network and two other suspected insurgents in Sarobi district of Paktika province, the coalition said.

Haqqani fighters, who are affiliated with the Taliban and al-Qaida, are heavily rooted in Paktika and neighboring Paktia and Khost provinces.

One of the captured leaders provided insurgent fighters with funding, weapons, supplies and hideouts, and the other coordinated attacks against Afghan forces, the coalition said.

___

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-29-AS-Afghanistan/id-fbecb6f6bcf8489786fe5e46b759d3a3

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'Dark Knight Rises' Won't Occupy Wall Street, 'Arkham City' Sells Huge

Batman protects the 99% from the plentiful crazies Gotham City has to offer, but he won't stand beside them on Wall Street. Despite rumors to the contrary, "The Dark Knight Rises" won't be shooting in New York's Zuccotti Park, so you can kiss those Bruce Wayne-meets-Wall Street protestors mashup fantasies goodbye, unfortunately. Get more of the [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/10/27/dark-knight-rises-occupy-wall-street-arkham-city-sales/

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Astronomers discover complex organic matter in the universe

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Ms Trinni Choy
pychoy@hku.hk
852-285-92606
The University of Hong Kong

In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars.

Prof. Sun Kwok and Dr. Yong Zhang of the University of Hong Kong show that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic (ring-like) and aliphatic (chain-like) components. The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble those of coal and petroleum. Since coal and oil are remnants of ancient life, this type of organic matter was thought to arise only from living organisms. The team's discovery suggests that complex organic compounds can be synthesized in space even when no life forms are present.

The researchers investigated an unsolved phenomenon: a set of infrared emissions detected in stars, interstellar space, and galaxies. These spectral signatures are known as "Unidentified Infrared Emission features". For over two decades, the most commonly accepted theory on the origin of these signatures has been that they come from simple organic molecules made of carbon and hydrogen atoms, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. From observations taken by the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope, Kwok and Zhang showed that the astronomical spectra have features that cannot be explained by PAH molecules. Instead, the team proposes that the substances generating these infrared emissions have chemical structures that are much more complex. By analyzing spectra of star dust formed in exploding stars called novae, they show that stars are making these complex organic compounds on extremely short time scales of weeks.

Not only are stars producing this complex organic matter, they are also ejecting it into the general interstellar space, the region between stars. The work supports an earlier idea proposed by Kwok that old stars are molecular factories capable of manufacturing organic compounds. "Our work has shown that stars have no problem making complex organic compounds under near-vacuum conditions," says Kwok. "Theoretically, this is impossible, but observationally we can see it happening."

Most interestingly, this organic star dust is similar in structure to complex organic compounds found in meteorites. Since meteorites are remnants of the early Solar System, the findings raise the possibility that stars enriched the early Solar System with organic compounds. The early Earth was subjected to severe bombardments by comets and asteroids, which potentially could have carried organic star dust. Whether these delivered organic compounds played any role in the development of life on Earth remains an open question.

###

Prof. Sun Kwok is the Dean of Science and Chair Professor of Physics of the University of Hong Kong. He serves as Vice President of Division VI (interstellar matter) of the International Astronomical Union, and is the incoming Vice President of Commission 51 (bioastronomy) of the International Astronomical Union. He has published many books, including the recent book "Organic Matter in the Universe" (Wiley, 2011).

Dr. Yong Zhang is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.

Prof. Sun Kwok is available for interview. Please contact him via email at sunkwok@hku.hk.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Ms Trinni Choy
pychoy@hku.hk
852-285-92606
The University of Hong Kong

In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars.

Prof. Sun Kwok and Dr. Yong Zhang of the University of Hong Kong show that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic (ring-like) and aliphatic (chain-like) components. The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble those of coal and petroleum. Since coal and oil are remnants of ancient life, this type of organic matter was thought to arise only from living organisms. The team's discovery suggests that complex organic compounds can be synthesized in space even when no life forms are present.

The researchers investigated an unsolved phenomenon: a set of infrared emissions detected in stars, interstellar space, and galaxies. These spectral signatures are known as "Unidentified Infrared Emission features". For over two decades, the most commonly accepted theory on the origin of these signatures has been that they come from simple organic molecules made of carbon and hydrogen atoms, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. From observations taken by the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope, Kwok and Zhang showed that the astronomical spectra have features that cannot be explained by PAH molecules. Instead, the team proposes that the substances generating these infrared emissions have chemical structures that are much more complex. By analyzing spectra of star dust formed in exploding stars called novae, they show that stars are making these complex organic compounds on extremely short time scales of weeks.

Not only are stars producing this complex organic matter, they are also ejecting it into the general interstellar space, the region between stars. The work supports an earlier idea proposed by Kwok that old stars are molecular factories capable of manufacturing organic compounds. "Our work has shown that stars have no problem making complex organic compounds under near-vacuum conditions," says Kwok. "Theoretically, this is impossible, but observationally we can see it happening."

Most interestingly, this organic star dust is similar in structure to complex organic compounds found in meteorites. Since meteorites are remnants of the early Solar System, the findings raise the possibility that stars enriched the early Solar System with organic compounds. The early Earth was subjected to severe bombardments by comets and asteroids, which potentially could have carried organic star dust. Whether these delivered organic compounds played any role in the development of life on Earth remains an open question.

###

Prof. Sun Kwok is the Dean of Science and Chair Professor of Physics of the University of Hong Kong. He serves as Vice President of Division VI (interstellar matter) of the International Astronomical Union, and is the incoming Vice President of Commission 51 (bioastronomy) of the International Astronomical Union. He has published many books, including the recent book "Organic Matter in the Universe" (Wiley, 2011).

Dr. Yong Zhang is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.

Prof. Sun Kwok is available for interview. Please contact him via email at sunkwok@hku.hk.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/tuoh-adc102511.php

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Turkey quake death toll rises to 534

Turkish and Azeri rescuers work to excavate the debris of a collapsed building, where seven people are believed to be trapped, in Ercis, eastern Turkey, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. A 2-week-old baby girl, her mother and grandmother were pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building in a dramatic rescue Tuesday, 48 hours after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled some 2,000 buildings in eastern Turkey. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Turkish and Azeri rescuers work to excavate the debris of a collapsed building, where seven people are believed to be trapped, in Ercis, eastern Turkey, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. A 2-week-old baby girl, her mother and grandmother were pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building in a dramatic rescue Tuesday, 48 hours after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled some 2,000 buildings in eastern Turkey. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Murat Sonmez, a survivor who lost his mother, wife and his four children stands next to t he debris of his destroyed house in Ercis, Van, eastern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. More than 460 people were killed after powerful Sunday quake in eastern Turkey.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Women cry for a quake victim at the cemetery of the town of Ercis in Van province, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Sunday knocked down more than 100 buildings in two cities and mud-brick homes in nearby villages, killing more than 460 people. Some 1,350 people were injured. (AP Photo/Selcan Hacaoglu)

Fake flowers decorate the grave of quake victim Ferhat Oksuz in the town of Ercis in Van province, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Sunday knocked down more than 100 buildings in two cities and mud-brick homes in nearby villages, killing more than 460 people. Some 1,350 people were injured. (AP Photo/Selcan Hacaoglu)

A woman cries for a quake victim at the cemetery in the town of Ercis in Van province, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Sunday knocked down more than 100 buildings in two cities and mud-brick homes in nearby villages, killing more than 460 people. Some 1,350 people were injured. (AP Photo/Selcan Hacaoglu)

(AP) ? Rain and snow on Thursday compounded difficulties for thousands rendered homeless in the powerful earthquake that hit eastern Turkey, and the government said the death toll has gone up to 534.

The prime minister's center for crisis and emergency management said 2,300 people were injured and 185 were rescued from the rubble.

Meanwhile, a moderate earthquake, measuring 5.4 according to Turkey's Kandilli seismology center, hit the neighboring province of Hakkari on Thursday, sending people rushing out of buildings in fear and panic. No damage was reported but NTV television said some people were slightly injured while trying to escape through windows.

That temblor was centered 90 miles (150 kilometers) south of the epicenter of Sunday's devastating quake.

Turkish authorities delivered more tents after acknowledging initial problems in the distribution of aid for survivors of the 7.2-magnitude quake that shattered at least 2,200 buildings on Sunday.

Foreign assistance also began arriving after Turkey said it would accept help to house survivors through the winter. Israel, which has a troubled political relationship with Turkey, sent emergency housing units, blankets and clothing. Germany also dispatched supplies, including tent heating units. Britain said it was dispatching 1,000 tents to shelter some 5,500 people. Russia and Ukraine also contributed.

Some media reports had said rescuers pulled out a 19-year-old alive from the rubble on Thursday, but Mustafa Ozden, the head of the team that brought out the young man, told The Associated Press that he was rescued on Tuesday.

Rain gave way to intermittent snow, deepening the hardship of thousands of people either rendered homeless in the powerful earthquake or too afraid to return indoors amid aftershocks that continued to rattle the area.

In the worst-hit city of Ercis, families who managed to obtain tents shared them with others. Some people spent a fourth night outdoors huddled under blankets in front of campfires, either waiting for news of the missing or keeping watch over damaged homes.

Sermin Yildirim, who was eight months pregnant, was with her twins and husband. They shared a tent with a family of four who were distant relatives. Her apartment in a three-story building was not damaged but the family was reluctant to return.

"It's getting colder, my kids are coughing. I don't know how long we will have to stay here," Yildirim said. "We were not able to get a tent. We are waiting to get our own."

The Red Crescent organization and several pro-Islamic groups set up kitchens and dished out soup or meals of rice and beans.

People were seen gathering pieces of wood to light campfires or stove-heaters.

Muhlise Bakan, 41, was not happy to share her tent with her husband's second wife, Hamide.

"I have four children, she has five," Bakan said. "We were sleeping in separate rooms at our house, and now we are sleeping side by side here."

However, she acknowledged the two women were now "closer" as they struggle together in hard times. Turkish law does not recognize second marriages, but still some men in the country's southeast marry more then one wife in religious ceremonies that are accepted among conservatives.

Health problems increased the hardship for some quake survivors.

"I am very sick, I need medicine," said Kevsel Astan, 40, who had a kidney transplant more than four years ago.

She said she was being treated at the state hospital until the quake struck. The damaged hospital has been evacuated and doctors are focusing on emergency cases.

Burke Cinar, a sociologist with a Turkish foundation, said the group was trying to get tents for the families of 15 children with leukemia in Ercis. She said about 100 leukemia patients live in quake-hit Van province.

Turkey's weather agency predicted intermittent snowfall for the next three days.

More than a dozen television stations organized a joint aid telethon, amassing just under 62 million Turkish Lira ($37 million) in aid for the region.

Searchers sifted through piles of debris, recovering more bodies. They included two dead teenage sisters and their parents who were holding hands, and a mother clutching her baby boy, according to media reports.

Two teachers and a university student were rescued from ruined buildings on Wednesday, but there were no signs of survivors elsewhere and excavators were clearing debris from some collapsed buildings. One of the teachers later died in hospital, NTV reported Thursday.

___

Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-27-EU-Turkey-Quake/id-8de2993a91db4053b3ce0e8e97297fc2

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India's inaugural F1 race -- speeding past the poor (Reuters)

SALARPUR, India (Reuters) ? India will hold its first Grand Prix this weekend - a glitzy coming-out party for an emerging economic juggernaut that is lost on villagers like Meera, standing by a fetid pond near the brand new Formula One race track with a child covered in warts.

"What is this Formula One? I learnt only recently that some of our land was acquired for it," said Meera, a mother of four who goes by one name. The floodlights of the $400 million F1 circuit that can hold 100,000 roaring spectators could be seen in the distance.

For a slideshow on India's inaugural F1 Grand Prix, click http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=INRTR2SSM3

Seen by its supporters as an example of how India's private companies can organise complex, hi-tech and global events, the Grand Prix has re-ignited India's perennial questioning of how far the country should go down the globalisation road.

For critics, it is an example of skewed economic growth, an elitist event where even the cheapest tickets are unaffordable for most people and an event that has no roots among India's 1.2 billion people.

For the moment, that questioning is lost in a media frenzy.

Boosted by Lady Gaga, Bollywood and cricket stars, the Grand Prix may help India regain its self confidence after a scandal-plagued Commonwealth Games sparked headlines mocking the Asian power's arrival on the world stage.

Run by Jaypee Sports International, a subsidiary of the Jaypee Group construction and infrastructure giant, the F1 event has come in on schedule with almost none of the cost overruns, corruption and shoddy construction that plagued the government-run Commonwealth Games last year.

"The world's perception of India is going to change after the Grand Prix and people will forget what happened because of the Commonwealth Games," Jaiprakash Gaur, founding chairman of the Jaypee Group, told local media.

BOOMING MARKETPLACE

The event is also just the latest example of international sports bodies ensuring they get a foot in this booming Asian marketplace with a huge advertising base of millions. India has already attracted the attention of top European football clubs.

Nevertheless, India is playing catch-up with its fellow emerging market rivals. China held a successful Olympics while Brazil will hold the next edition of the football World Cup - and Russia follows four years later. Brazil also has the 2016 Olympics.

But what price this sovereign branding game?

The extravagance of the event and questions about land seizures to make way for the circuit have sparked criticism. Critics have cited it as an example of misplaced priorities in a country where malnutrition rates rival sub-Sarahan Africa.

The cheapest tickets are about 2,500 rupees (about $50) - about half the monthly wage of a cleaner. The most expensive corporate boxes go for about $200,000 - and nearly all have been sold.

When the event was being planned in 2009, then-sports minister M.S. Gill dismissed it as "expensive entertainment."

"In many ways it epitomises what is wrong with this country," said Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a political commentator.

"One section of India would like to tell the rest of the world about how fast growing we are. Just come here and see the inequality and poverty on the ground and you get a reality check."

Situated in Greater Noida, about an hour's drive from New Delhi, the Formula One track is connected by a new highway through the capital's booming outskirts of anonymous office blocks and cement skeletons of soon-to-be-built colleges.

Within the circuit grounds, where shiny Mercedes Benz display cars are parked, poor Indian women used brushes and their hands to sweep dust and stones from an access road, their children playing nearby.

In nearby Salarpur village, Meera, who is illiterate and can only guess her age, held a sick child in her arms. He has suffered malaria twice. Rubbish lay in ponds of stagnant water. A young calf grazed on garbage.

"I don't understand this concept of cars racing for entertainment," she said. "People pay money to watch this? Like a movie?"

Nearby, workers sprayed the manicured lawns around the F1 track with water in last minute preparations. Meera, who has electricity for four hours a day, must walk half an hour to the nearest water pump.

EXTREMES

For the moment, though, the media focus is on speed and glamour, and Force India, India's first Formula One team, which has a slogan of "Raising The Flag."

The 5.14 km track is touted to enable the F1 calendar's second highest average speed after Italy's Monza. Its 1.2 km straight is one of the longest in Formula One, aimed at encouraging high speeds and overtaking.

The grandstand, with seats coloured in the Indian flag colours of saffron, white and green, features an undulating roof that can be seen from miles around.

There is much focus on the track itself, with safety concerns paramount after the deaths of a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and an Italian motorcyclist in races this month.

But a successfully held event would confirm what supporters hope will be an example of India finally showing what it is capable of.

"This comes after a bad year for India," said V. Ravichandar, chairman of Feedback Consulting in Bangalore, which advises multinationals. He was referring to a string of corruption scandals that hit foreign investments into India amid growing instability of the Congress-led coalition government.

"To have an event that goes smoothly will show that the private sector is capable for pulling off events like this."

But controversies may hang over the event even after a successful weekend.

The Grand Prix will take place in U.P. governed by Dalit or "Untouchable" leader called Mayawati. She has raised a storm of criticism for building parks worth tens of millions of dollars in honour of her party. The state is one of the poorest and most corrupt in India.

Questions have been raised about why Mayawati granted organisers exemption from an entertainment tax. Several hundred farmers plan to protest what they say was the seizure of their land at rock bottom prices by the state government.

"This is just another way of India patting itself on the back and saying we have arrived in terms of size and growth." said Suhel Seth, a popular marketing and management expert.

"Will investors get excited? No."

(Additional reporting by Annie Banerji and Amlan Chakraborty; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111025/india_nm/india601052

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