MUMBAI: Multi Commodity Exchange of India on Thursday announced its support to an ongoing computer literacy programme of Microsoft and Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals in rural Maharashtra.

This marks the launch of MCX's Corporate Social Responsibility initiative aimed at empowering the youth and women of rural areas of the state with technology skills.

Till now over 15,500 people have been trained and more than 24,000 people are using this service across 16 districts by the means of understanding the futures markets prices of the area specific commodities.

MCX's support will help in increasing deployment of laptop and desktop computers and thereby strengthen the ongoing technology training and adoption efforts through the project.

2nd Annual Cayman Islands Conference: Hedge Fund Best Practices

Marran Ogilvie is a Partner, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Ramius Capital Group, LLC. Ms. Ogilvie is also a member of the Senior Management Committee. Ms. Ogilvie joined Ramius in 1994, was appointed as its General Counsel in 1997 and as its Chief Operating Officer in 2007. She oversees the Firm's infrastructure areas which include legal, compliance, accounting, operations, technology and human resources. She is also involved in the strategic decision-making for Ramius products and its business. Ms. Ogilvie is NASD licensed as a Financial and Operations Principal, General Securities Principal, Municipal Securities Principal, Registered Options Principal, General Securities Representative, Commodity Futures Representative and Registered Equity Trader. In addition, she is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

Transcript: NPR Democratic Candidates' Debate

The moment that declaration was made, oil prices jumped over $18 a barrel. The moment that declaration was made, every one of our friends, from Iraq to Pakistan, felt they had to distance themselves from us because it appears to be a war on Islam.

SEN. OBAMA: There was another problem with the resolution that we haven't spoken about, and that was that it suggested that we should structure in some way our forces in Iraq with the goal of blunting Iranian influence in Iraq.

Fed slashes US rates in emergency action

The DOW gapped down sharply this morning, recovered, and is again falling; because the fundamentals continue to get worse, like SP4's native intellect. The discussion has moved from 'recession' to 'bear market', since there's now a complete lack of confidence in the paper that banks and other institutions hold, and banks do not even lend to each other. The Northern Rock deal in Britain is a saver for them, but the problems are far from over, with many foreclosures due for 2008, and buying power sapped by lower home values and upcoming mortgage rate increases. SP4, just shut up. You're tolerable as the daily jackass in normal times, but now you're just a leaky faucet - drip, drip, drip.

NSE sees futures in NCDEX, may take up anchor investor's role

MUMBAI: A strategic play is underway in the world of commodity futures. The country's largest bourse, National Stock Exchange (NSE), has signalled its interest in raising its shareholding and assume a bigger role in the commex National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX).

Besides the strong synergies between the two institutions, the rapid growth in futures trade and an urgency among corporates to cover commodity price risks may have shaped NSE's plans to play the anchor investor for the new exchange — a concept that has gained currency in recent times.

NSE has held informal meetings to broach the possibility with other NCDEX stakeholders and has sounded out the Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the regulator for commodity markets. Sources familiar with the development said NSE, which owns 15% in NCDEX, is willing to step up its holding by either infusing fresh money or buying out one of the shareholders.

Degree of difficulty about to increase

Just ask my wife, you have to call my name about 10 times to get a response. But to all the Thrashers fans I did get to meet out there, it was a pleasure chatting with you guys. I wish I could have grabbed a beer and hung out instead of actually working the events.

Brendan: You raise a good point and one that has some merit. If the Thrashers decide they have to deal Marian Hossa, don't be surprised if they make another move to bring somebody back in. The Oakland A's are great at that around baseball's deadline. Rather than let someone walk in their contract year, they trade them but also pick up help so they can still contend. I think that's a pretty good strategy. Also, in reading the responses to Mark Bradley, I appreciated your thoughtful response. The same people who get mad about a negative story also get mad when they don't feel like their teams are held accountable.

Windfalls would aid infrastructure, Dion says

I hope the debtors will write off all those debts since it will take Canada almost 100 years to pay off everything. It's like why no spacecraft has ever travelled to Pluto since there's no point and will need to travel faster than the speed of light. Posted 15/02/08 at 9:35 AM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .

Market Watch: Time for soul searching, not witchhunting

When investors lose as much money as they did last week, they feel crushed. What follows that despair is anger. “Someone" has to be responsible for the debacle. Fingers are pointed at the government, at stock exchanges, at the market regulator, at stockbrokers and at the media. Since it is difficult to own up responsibility for a massacre of such proportions, the “system" is blamed. The administration, on its part, perhaps only to duck public ire, often responds by announcing witchhunts. Hunts to identify “who" was behind such a crash. Sadly, such witchhunts always end empty, as they have to. The reality is that those wounds are self-inflicted.

Let's face it: we are a nation of speculators. We love to get carried away. Very few people in this country approach the stock market with a constructive, long term capital building mindset.