Obama: In his final words

Washington, Jan 19: Fresh off a rollicking celebration in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Barack Obama is shaping the final day of his pre-Presidential life around another giant figure, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Obama is taking part in a community renovation project in the Washington area to honour King, the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. Monday is the federal holiday commemorating the birthday of King, who advocated peaceful resistance and equality among all races. He blazed a trail for Obama, soon to be the nation`s first Black President.

The Vice President-elect Joe Biden is also taking part in volunteer service on Monday. His wife, Jill, and Obama`s wife, Michelle, are helping with a service project, too.

Transition aides declined to name the locations or details of the projects.

The run-up to Obama`s inauguration on Tuesday has, like his election itself, been defined by enormous public enthusiasm, carefully choreographed events and a lofty spirit of unity. What awaits, as Obama often reminds the nation, is many months, if not years, of tough work.

The weekend celebrations began on Saturday with Obama`s whistle-stop tour, from Philadelphia to Washington, along the path Abraham Lincoln took in 1861. Then came a roaring celebrity-filled concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, where several hundred thousand people flanked the reflecting pool, hearing actors, singers and then Obama himself rally for national renewal.

Now Obama is asking the nation to honour King`s legacy by making a renewed commitment to service. That has long been the goal of the King holiday, even if many see it as a day off.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has launched a Web site to help people find volunteer opportunities close to their homes.

"I am asking you to make a lasting commitment to make better the lives of your fellow Americans — a commitment that must endure beyond one day, or even one Presidency," Obama said in a YouTube appeal last week. "At this moment of great challenge and great change, I am asking you to play your part; to roll up your sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation."

The President-elect has a busy Monday evening, too.

He is to attend three private dinners to honour the public service of former Secretary of State Colin Powell; Biden, a longtime Senator from Delaware; and Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican Presidential nominee. Those dinners will be held at the Hilton Washington, National Building Museum and Union Station.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, is hosting a children`s evening concert.

Meanwhile, with the nation`s transition of power now just more than a day away, a new hero has been invited to join the inauguration.

US Airways Captain Chesley B "Sully" Sullenberger, who safely crash-landed a failing jetliner in the Hudson River on Thursday, has been invited by the President-elect to attend Tuesday`s inauguration. So has Sullenberger`s crew and his family.

An aide to Obama said the inaugural committee is working on the details.

Satyam saga continues

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday continued interrogation of Vadlamani Srinivas, the former chief financial officer (CFO) of Satyam Computers, in connection with the Rs 70 billion fraud. CID officials said they would produce Srinivas before a magistrate later in the day. Srinivas was arrested by CID on Saturday night after a couple of hours of interrogation at the CID office located in the state police headquarters in Hyderabad.

Srinivas, considered close to the company's tainted founder chairman B Ramalinga Raju, is believed to have been aware of the fraud.

"We are continuing interrogation of Vadlamani Srinivas. He will be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours (from the time of arrest)," Inspector General of Police, CID (Economic Offences Wing) VSK Kaumudi said.

Srinivas is the third person to be arrested in the massive fraud case. Ramalinga Raju and his brother B Rama Raju have been arrested and sent to judicial custody till January 23.

The CID officials have not ruled out more arrests in the case. "We are right now interrogating the former CFO. We are doing one thing at a time," was all Kaumudi said when asked if they would be arresting other former directors of the company.

Srinivas had resigned from the IT bellwether on Thursday, a day after the Raju brothers quit admitting to a massive financial fraud.

Striking Oil PSU Executives

Noida/New Delhi:

The talks between the government and striking oil PSUs failed late Thursday night over the officers' insistence on getting an immediate hike in their wages as the agitation entered the second day threatening a major disruption in supply of petrol across the country.

"We have had some discussions but we are yet to reach a conclusion. We will continue to have discussions," Indian Oil Corporation Chairman Sarthak Behuria told reporters after Petroleum Minister Murli Deora held a two-hour meeting with the striking officers that ended at Noida an hour after midnight. Officials said the striking executives pressed for an immediate in their wages as an interim step before a final settlement is arrived at.

The strike called by oil PSUs showed little signs of ending when talks between striking PSU executives and government failed late on Thursday night.Petroleum Minister Murli Deora held talks with leaders of the agitating employees of public sector oil companies as petrol pumps across the nation began to run out of stocks on the second day of the strike. The striking officers are demanding a wage hike among other things.