250,000 open World Cup celebrations in Berlin and Hanover

Berlin/Hanover, June 8 (DPA) Germany kicked off a month of street parties with 250,000 fans from around the world attending opening World Cup celebrations in Berlin and Hanover.

Fans gathered Wednesday under Berlin's famed Brandenburg Gate, where football legends Pele of Brazil and Sir Bobby Charlton of Britain's 1966 winning team addressed the enthusiastic crowds.

"This is a fantastic start to the World Cup," said Charlton.

In Hanover, 35,000 people gathered for the celebrations, where Christian Wulff, the governor of the province Niedersachsen, implored the crowd to be optimistic about Germany's chances.

"We are the world champions of pessimism," he told the German supporters. "That is something we could now give up."

But fans of other countries also attended the Hanover parties, where British and Dutch football chants could be heard among the crowd. In Berlin, a group of Paraguayan fans made a splash wearing traditional Indian dress.

The crowds in Berlin were also treated to music performances from a stage erected under the Brandenburg Gate.

Pop and classic groups "Simple Minds", "Andrea Bocelli", "Nelly Furtado" and the "Berlin Philharmonic" were among the acts that serenaded the crowds.

34 injured in Assam serial blasts

Guwahati, June 8 (IANS) At least 34 people were wounded in a string of powerful grenade explosions in Assam Thursday night, officials said.

In the most severe of the four explosions, militants lobbed a grenade at a crowded market in the heart of Mangaldai town, about 90 km east of Assam's main city of Guwahati, around 8.30 p.m., injuring 21 people.

Around the same time, there were two explosions in the western district of Dhubri wounding eight people.

The first took place in the heart of Dhubri town where four people were wounded. In the second incident, four people were injured in another blast in the sub-divisional town of Golokganj.

"This is the handiwork of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). We have prior intelligence inputs that the ULFA was going to create some trouble," said Khagen Sharma, Assam's inspector general of police.

Earlier, unidentified militants riding on a motorcycle lobbed a grenade at a security patrol vehicle parked near a crowded street in Nagaon district, about 130 km east of Guwahati. Five people were injured in the incident that took place around 7.15 p.m.

"Four civilians, most of them evening shoppers, and a policeman were wounded in the explosion that was of a very high intensity," police official M. Bora said over phone from Nagaon.

The injured were shifted to a local hospital with multiple injuries.

However, no militant group, including the ULFA, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The ULFA has not carried out any violent acts since January. Representatives of the rebel group are holding peace talks with New Delhi.

Ahmadinejad visit to Germany would be 'great honour'

Friedrichshafen (Germany), June 8 (DPA) Iranian midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia said that it would be a "great honour" if the country's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to Germany to watch the team play at the World Cup.

Mahdavikia made his comments at a press conference after a training session Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad, who has sparked controversy with comments denying the Holocaust and Israel's right to exist, said he would come watch his team if they qualified for the second round, sparking calls for his visit to be denied in Germany.

Police are concerned by threats from neo-Nazi groups in Germany to hold rallies in support of Ahmadinejad's policies.

But Iran's presence in Friedrichshafen has so far passed without any sign of trouble, with the local population welcoming the squad to their town on Lake Constance.

Mahdavikia said the arrival of Ahmadinejad would be welcomed. "I think it would be a great honour," he said.

Iran's coach Branko Ivankovic said the arrival of the president would be nothing out of the ordinary.

"If we qualify for the second stage I think it would be normal for somebody to come and watch us play the second stage," he said.

"It's normal, it is like (Jacques) Chirac coming out (to watch France)," he said.

The German government said that Iranian Vice President Mohammad Aliabadi is due to attend the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich Friday.

Ivankovic said the players were still managing to keep their minds focused on their job at the World Cup and not letting political arguments get in the way.

"We don't feel any pressure from the government or anybody about results," he said.

"They (the Iranian people) just want the players to put their hearts on the field, to be really honest, to make them proud of the team and to make one good example for the young people in Iran," the Iranian coach said.

Ahmadinejad: Forwarding letters to heads of states to continue Tehran

June 8, IRNA,Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, referring to his letter to US President George W. Bush, said here on Wednesday, "As new letters with different contents get ready, process of sending letters to heads of states would continue.

According to Public Relations of the Presidential office, the President made the comment in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Channel One, in which he focused on most significant moves of his government during the course of the past 45 days.

He said, "Those were among the toughest days of my cabinet." Ahmadinejad said that his government was quite determined to solve the problem of youth unemployment in the country, particularly in more deprived parts of Iran.

The President invited the Iranian and foreign investors to take full advantage of the investment opportunities in Iran, stressing, that two thirds of the country's banks' assets are allocated to be spent in large industries and other macro-scale economic investments." Evaluating the general process of making foreign investments in the country's steel, aluminum, oil, gas, and mine sectors as "satisfactory", Ahmadinejad said, "The government is determined to limit state investments and therefore, the Iranian and foreign investors have a very good chance to invest calmly and contribute to Iran's advancement and development."
Emphasizing his government's strong determination to reform the administrative apparatus of the country and to launch a campaign against financial frauds, or at least to lower their level, he said, "The government is obliged to block the path for dodging laws and tries to severe the hands of those that take illegal advantage of public funds."
He added, "In doing so we are in dire need of the people's cooperation, support, and guidance."

Al-Zarqawi: Insurgent figurehead

Cairo, June 8 (DPA) Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the most wanted terrorist in Iraq, a shadowy figure who for years eluded coalition and Iraqi forces and whose very existence was at times called into question.

The 39-year-old Sunni was the public face of the Iraqi insurgency. His followers and loyalists are responsible for hundreds of the bloodiest attacks since the 2003 US-led invasion, among them suicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.

Al-Zarqawi, who had a $25 million bounty on his head, had taunted authorities in various audio and video messages broadcast on the internet and in Arab media, including one in which he is believed to have personally beheaded US hostage Nicholas Berg.

Analysts say his death, while unlikely to end the insurgent violence, will nonetheless be seen as a significant advance for the US-led coalition in the country and for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government.

Al-Zarqawi was born Ahmed Khalayleh to Palestinian refugee parents in Zarqa, Jordan, later taking his nom de guerre from his place of birth.

In 1989, he joined the mujahideen opposition groups fighting the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. Back in Jordan, he was jailed in 1995 for joining an anti-government Islamic group.

After being pardoned as part of a general amnesty by the late Jordanian King Hussein, he returned to Afghanistan in 1999 where he ran a terrorist training camp in Herat and met Osama bin Laden.

The camp was destroyed following the Sep 11, 2001 terror attacks and al-Zarqawi travelled to Iraq, reportedly via Iranian territory.

After the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Zarqawi rose as leader of the al-Tawhid al-Jihad (Islamic Unity and Holy War) group, widely believed to be affiliated to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda. In October 2004, he declared his loyalty to Osama bin Laden and renamed his group "Al Qaeda in Iraq."

Al-Zarqawi and his followers were believed to have been behind scores of fatal car and suicide bombings targeting Iraqi Shiites, police and security forces as well as US troops. His group was blamed for abductions of Westerners in Iraq as well as of Iraqi citizens.

His network also carried out the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 people including the UN envoy to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello.

He has been sentenced to death four times in absentia by Jordan's State Security Court (SSC) for plots and attacks against US and Israeli targets in Jordan as well as for the 2002 assassination of US diplomat Laurence Foley.

His group claimed responsibility for the Nov 9, 2005 suicide bombings at three Amman hotels that killed 60 civilians and wounded more than 90.

Al-Zarqawi was also on trial for the August 2005 attack on a US warship that was docking at Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba.

The attack missed the warship but hit a Jordanian army warehouse killing one soldier.

Unlike Osama bin Laden, al-Zarqawi did not seek to portray himself as a spiritual leader, but rather as a frontline warrior in the war against the infidels.

The soft spoken, bearded terror leader had in a remarkable video broadcast aired in April exhorted his followers to more violence.

BJP wants Nepal to retain its Hindu identity

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in Indian parliament, wants Nepal to maintain its Hindu identity under the new democratic regime.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh Thursday met Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in New Delhi and reportedly told him that the changes being contemplated in Nepal should not result in any dilution of its unique cultural identity.

"The BJP president expressed his concern about the recent changes in Nepal with particular reference to participation of Maoists in mainstream politics and role of monarch as a ceremonial entity," a BJP statement said.

"In response, Koirala said that Nepal was always secular in its approach and being a Hindu Kingdom never prevented the country from practicing a secular approach. Hindu values will continue to guide the people of Nepal."

"Some anti-India forces, which are intending to use Nepal as their platform, should be discouraged," Singh told Koirala.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "The BJP has always stood for close relation between India and Nepal and improving the age old cultural ties between the people of the two countries, and the BJP president conveyed to the Nepalese prime minister the desire of our party to promote these bonds further," Prasad added.

China to build commercial fast reactor by 2035

Beijing, June 8 (Xinhua) Fast reactors are expected to enter the Chinese nuclear power market by 2035, a leading scientist has said.

Wang Naiyan, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and director of the CAS Atomic Energy Institute, said Wednesday at an annual national conference of the academy that China would develop commercial fast reactors in about 30 years.

Wang said that fast reactors are expected to develop steadily by 2050 and become a major force in nuclear energy.

"Thanks to advanced technology, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster won't happen again," Wang said.

"While upgrading our thermal reactor technology, we should take every opportunity to develop the fast reactor technology, known as an industry for tomorrow," he added.

He said the fast reactor system included a series of complicated technological and engineering issues as mixed oxide fuel (MOX) technology and fast reactor fuel fabrication.

"The fast reactor and the nuclear fuel closed cycle technologies will enable the natural uranium to be used for thousands of years," Wang acknowledged.

"China has not yet started research and development of the fast reactor fuel closed cycle because it is a very difficult. China should learn from foreign experience and develop our own scheme," the director said.

Court nod for case against Apollo, doctors

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) A Delhi court Thursday allowed a plea by Delhi Police to register a case against the doctors who treated Rahul Mahajan and the Apollo hospital management for giving false information in the drug abuse case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kamini Lau allowed the Sarita Vihar police in south Delhi to register the case under Section 182 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Apollo authorities and doctors have been accused of giving false information about Rahul, 31, who was admitted in the hospital June 2 for suspected drug overdose at a party the previous night. The hospital had initially given him a clean chit, but the forensic report said otherwise.

Rahul, the son of late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, has now been sent to judicial custody.

EU beckons Indian scientists for research projects

Bangalore, June 8 (IANS) The European Union (EU) Thursday invited Indian scientists and researchers to participate in its seventh EU research framework programme (FP7), beginning next year.

European Commission minister counsellor Andrew Sora told reporters here at the on-going Bangalore Bio summit that with a budget of euro 55 billion ($70 billion) for the seven-year programme, Indian scientists would have a great opportunity to undertake research in diverse areas such as health, bio-technology, food safety and agriculture.

"As the largest research and development programme the world over, FP7 will have a wide range of activities, including collaborative research, investigator driven research and fellowship," Sora said.

Sora, who is heading a EU delegation to India, Bhutan and Nepal said India and the EU share a proud tradition of scientific excellence and strong commitment to the growth of science and technology for economic growth as well as for society needs.

"The EU will look forward for participation by Indian researchers and research institutions in FP7, in collaboration with scientists and institutions in Europe. We fund their applications based on independent peer review of proposals for joint research projects or for fellowships," Sora said.

The FP7 will build upon the current FP6 programme that began in 2002. About 75 Indian scientists are participating in 50 collaborative research projects.

Among the institutes participating in FP6 are the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, Indian Institutes of Technology in Mumbai, New Delhi and Roorkee, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Energy & Resource Institute, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Tata Consultancy Services, Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing and Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

Gopalaswami is India's new chief election commissioner

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Election Commission member N. Gopalaswami will be the new Chief Election Commissioner of India after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam gave his assent to the appointment, it was announced Thursday.

Gopalaswami will take over June 30 on the retirement of present incumbent B.B. Tandon.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier cleared Gopalaswami's name for the post.

Gopalaswami, who has served in a number of senior posts, was home secretary in 2004.

A gold medallist in chemistry from Delhi University, Gopalaswami joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1966 in the Gujarat cadre.

He will remain in the post for nearly three years, with his term due to end in 2009.

The chief election commissioner serves for six years or till the age of 65, whichever is earlier.

Henin-Hardenne to meet Kuznetsova in French Open final

Paris, June 8 (DPA) Two-time champion Justine Henin-Hardenne stormed into her third final at the French Open Thursday, defeating long-time rival Kim Clijsters 6-3, 6-2.

The all-Belgian battle levelled the long series at 10 wins apiece, with Clijsters winning their last meeting in a Canadian final last summer.

Henin-Hardenne will play for a trophy hat-trick at Roland Garros against Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open winner, who beat Czech Nicole Vaidisova 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Clijsters failed on two first-set break points and was never really in the brief contest.

A weak return to the net handed over two match points, with Henin-Hardenne producing a service winner to end it.

"I tried to be on form from the start," said the 2003 and 2005 champion at Roland Garros. "I served well, that was very important."

--DPA

India join 100 million mobile users' club

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) India has become the fifth country to have a base of 100 million mobile phone subscribers, Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran said Thursday.

The milestone has been the result of continuously dropping tariff, affordability of mobile phone handsets and constant improvement in the quality of service, Maran said at a function here to mark the landmark.

Only China, US, Japan and Russia have a larger mobile phone subscriber base.

Officials pointed out that just two years ago, India's telephone subscriber base - both landlines and mobile phones - was only 75 million with a tele-density of a mere 7.08 percent.

Thanks to the unprecedented growth in mobile telephony in the country, the tele-density has ballooned to 13.54 percent, with a total phone base of 150 million.

Of the 100 million mobile phone users - 75.3 million use the Global Standard for Mobile telephony, better known as GSM, while 25.3 million use the code division multiple access technology (CDMA).

Indian shares crash for fourth successive day

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Bears appeared to be in full control of Indian equities market Wednesday as a key market index crashed for the fourth straight day by as much as 4.72 percent, or 460.95 points, on heavy selling by investors.

Within an hour of the trading, the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which had opened at 9,664.90 points as against Wednesday's close of 9,756.76 points, dipped to the day's low of 9,200.80 points.

At that level, the barometer index was down 555.66 points, or 5.69 percent, over the previous day's close.

Then began a long bout of volatile trading as the markets tried to gain some lost ground, but never really managed to make a meaningful recovery. The Sensex finally ended at 9,295.81 points with a loss of 460.95 points, or 4.72 percent.

Each of the 30 scrips that go into the basket of Sensex shares ended in the red.

The index lost 200.56 points or 2.01 percent Wednesday, 256.16 points or 2.5 percent Tuesday and 237.85 points or 2.28 percent the day before.

It has dipped 775.61 points, or 7.7 percent, over the past week and a whopping 3,166.68 points or 25.41 percent in the past month, statistics with the exchange showed. Moreover, the index is ruling sharply lower than an all-time high of 12,671.11 points reached May 11.

"There is a general weakness in the global equities market and the situation in India has been no different," said an analyst with the leading brokerage here.

"But the extent of fall here has been rather sharp and prolonged because of some redemption pressures on mutual funds and fears over inflation and interest rates due to the recent hike in fuel prices," the analyst added.

The fall for the fourth straight day occurred despite foreign funds emerging net sellers on all the three days of the week for which data is available with the markets watchdog.

Foreign institutional investors bought net equities worth $142.5 million Monday, $127 million Tuesday and $18.9 million Wednesday, data with the Securities and Exchange Board of India showed.

In the current month, foreign funds have been net buyers of equities worth $40.4 million, but were net sellers of $1.63 billion in May.

The losers among Sensex shares included Bajaj Auto, down 8.43 percent at Rs.2,320.10, Tata Power, down 7.65 percent at Rs.426.50, Tata Steel, down 7.64 percent at Rs.425.60 and Reliance Industries, down 7.45 percent at Rs.825.25.

Iranian officials' statements on nuclear proposal reduce oil prices

June 8, IRNA,Statements made by some officials regarding the decision by the Iranian government to review the proposals by the Five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany on Iran's nuclear program led to a reduction of crude prices in international markets on Tuesday, Central Bank of Iran (CBI) said in a report issued here Wednesday.

"The step also mitigated the concerns on supply shortage in world oil markets," it added.

The London Brent prices and US crude Benchmark index with 65 cents and 10 cents drop stood at dlrs 70.81 and dlrs 72.50 per barrel, respectively, Tuesday.

Secretary of Iran Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has expressed hope that after studying the details of the proposals the two sides will resume talks to reach a "logical" and "moderate" phase.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has also expressed optimism on paving the ground for nuclear talks while preserving Iran's legitimate rights.

But, on Tuesday given the expectation of inventory increases of US crude supplies in the week ending June 2, the purchases of dealers to cover shortage prevented the prices from plummeting, the report added.

Meanwhile, a solution to Iran's nuclear stand-off with the West would be a great benefit for everybody, said Austrian economy minister Dr Martin Bartenstein whose country holds the current EU Presidency.

"It would certainly mean one geo-political risk related to oil price less, and I would expect clearly a stabilizing effect, and I mean downwards not upwards,'' Bartenstein told a join press conference with OPEC official in Brussels Wednesday afternoon.

For his part, Dr Edmund Daukoru, OPEC President and Nigerian oil minister said the solution should remove one of the major factors creating uncertainty on the oil market.

"One would hope that reason will prevail among all parties concerned. There should be a basis for mutual solution to be found." "We have to cool the market,'' he added.

The third meeting of the EU-OPEC Energy Dialogue took place in Brussels Wednesday

Islamic Court in control of Mogadishu

WASHINGTON, June 8 (NNN-ZANIS) The takeover of Mogadishu this week by Islamic militias marks a major defeat for the administration of US President George W. Bush, which had secretly backed a coalition of warlords.

The victors, the Union of Islamic Courts, have sought to assure the international community that they have no intention of setting up a Taliban-style fundamentalist state.

But US officials have expressed strong concerns. They say their biggest fear is that the UIC will offer safe haven to Al Qaeda and other radical Islamists as the Taliban did after it took control of Afghanistan.

However, some independent analysts believe the outcome could actually contribute to Somalia's stabilisation and even make way for the transitional national government, based in Baidoa since it was formed in 2004.

Somalia has been without a central government since dictator, Mohammed Siad Barre, was deposed in 1991. Various parts of the country are ruled by warlords.

In Nairobi, meanwhile, the Kenyan Foreign Ministry has announced a total ban on Somalia warlords responsible for the latest vicious fighting in Mogadishu from entering Kenya, accusing them of undermining Nairobi's peace efforts in Somalia.

"The government of Kenya, has with immediate effect, imposed a total ban on all forms of travel into Kenya by Somalia warlords and their associates," said the statement issued on Tuesday.

The ban came a week after the United Nations decried violation of human rights, following a militia take-over of a hospital in Mogadishu as clashes raged in the Horn of African nation which has been struggling to bring sanity and the rule of law.

Kenya chairs the seven-nation regional peace mediation grouping, the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Kenyan officials say the ban covers the warlords, some of whom are serving ministers in the Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and their associates.

"We would not allow our territory to be used by individuals who are destabilising their country thus undermining ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the lawless Horn of African nation," said the statement.

"The government would like to reiterate its previously stated positions that it will not permit its territory to be used by those who persist in destabilising Somalia and undermine our ongoing efforts to restore peace and security in that country," it added.

The statement did not name the warlords or associates affected by the ban, but Kenyan authorities said it targeted members of the US-supported Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter- Terrorism (ARPCT) who were sacked by Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi last Sunday.

They include National Security Minister Mohamed Afrah Qanyare, Commerce Minister Musa Sudi Yalahow, Militia Rehabilitation Minister Issa Botan Alin and Religious Affairs Minister, Omar Muhamoud 'Finnish.'

The transitional government, which was formed in Kenya, is based in Baidoa, 250 km southwest of Mogadishu, and has been working with IGAD, the African Union and the international community to develop a national security and stabilisation plan for Somalia.

Kenya hosted the peace talks that led the creation of the transitional government in 2004 and was its home in exile for a year.

The drastic step comes in the wake of claims by the Somali Islamic Courts that they had won the battle for Mogadishu against s a US-backed Somali warlord alliance, which vowed to resist Islamist militias that claimed to have seized control of Mogadishu on Monday.

It also came as UN top envoy in Somalia called on Islamic forces, to enter into talks with all parties in an effort to bring stability to a country that has been torn by factional fighting for the past 15 years.

The Islamic militia is gaining ground just as the UN-backed interim government struggles to assert control outside its base in Baidoa. The militia is the first group to consolidate control over all of Mogadishu's neighbourhoods since the last government collapsed in 1991 and warlords took over, dividing this impoverished country of 8 million people into rival fiefdoms.

Somali warlords, who have ruled much of the lawless African nation since it plunged into chaos with the ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, own property neighbouring Kenya or have assets and investments here.

Kalam flies half-hour sortie in SU-30 combat jet

Pune, June 8 (IANS) President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam created history Thursday by becoming the first supreme commander of the Indian armed forces to fly in a SU-30 MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The half-hour sortie in an SU-30 of the 20 Squadron, during which the aircraft soared to 25,000 feet, took place at the premier IAF base of Lohegaon here.

Wing Commander Ajay Rathore piloted the aircraft and demonstrated the entire gamut of the Su-30's capabilities, IAF officials said.

The 20 Squadron, also known as the Lightnings, celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday.

IAF vice chief Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, air officer commanding-in-chief South Western Air Command Air Marshal P.K. Mehra and Lohegaon commander Air Commodore Madhusudan Banerjee received the president on his arrival at the airbase Thursday morning.

After a ceremonial guard of honour was presented, Kalam received a pre-flight briefing before boarding the aircraft.

The 20 Squadron has the rare distinction of being awarded the President's Colours. It operates the oldest - MiG 21 - and the newest - Su-30 MKI - fighters in the IAF fleet.

The squadron had shot into prominence in the 1980s when it operated as the Thunderbolts aerobatic team - the first time the IAF created such a team. The six-aircraft Thunderbolts have now graduated to the nine-aircraft Surya Kiran team.

Kalam had in April become the first Indian president to undertake a voyage in a submarine.

Kalam's query on office of profit misplaced: CPI-M

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has said that President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's move to return the controversial office of profit bill citing "lack of uniformity" was "misplaced" as "it goes against the federal arrangement."

Reiterating that only parliament has the right to make a law to exempt MPs from disqualification for holding offices of profit, an editorial in the CPI-M mouthpiece "People's Democracy" said: "It is true that the constitution does not define what is an office of profit, but what is clear is that only parliament has the right to make a law to exempt MPs from disqualification for holding an office of profit.

"That is why the CPI-M wants parliament to set up a committee to consider the matter in depth and come out with recommendations which can be the basis for a legislation on the matter. Till then, the only recourse is for parliament to amend the Prevention of Disqualification Act which provides list of the exempted offices," it said.

Kalam has returned for reconsideration by both houses of parliament the bill seeking to exempt 46 positions from being classified as offices of profit.

The bill was passed by parliament during the budget session last month. The president questioned the criteria for exempting various posts and said such exemption should be fair, reasonable and transparent.

Taking strong exception to the president questioning the criteria, the journal said: "There can be no uniformity between the parliament and the state legislatures as the state legislatures are empowered to legislate on the subject concerning its members.

"The president's query in this regard seems misplaced as this goes against the federal arrangement," the article said.

The government has announced that it would present the bill again to parliament during its monsoon session.

The CPI-M, which along with three other Left parties props up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government, also criticised the Election Commission for handling a "false complaint" from its West Bengal rival Trinamool Congress against Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

"Instead of dismissing the complaint in limine (at the start), the commission has taken the unprecedented step of asking the complainant to provide additional information to substantiate his complaint," it said.

This, it said, was "in line with how the commission gave preferential treatment to each and every complaint by the Trinamool Congress during the West Bengal assembly elections.

"The CPI-M is not apologetic about its criticism of the Election Commission," the editorial said.

Kill militants, take reward: BJP tells Kashmiris

Jammu, June 8 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday announced a reward of Rs.100,000 for civilians who kill militants in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that some fear could spread communal disharmony.

The party also said that it would make an ex-gratia payment of Rs.200,000 for any civilian who achieves "martyrdom" while fighting terrorists.

Former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma and Vinay Katiyar - two top leaders of the BJP - said the rewards were for people other than those working in the security forces.

Katiyar said the party would pay Rs.100,000 to any civilian who killed a militant. "The reward money will multiply in equal denomination for the number of militants killed," he said.

He alleged that the Congress-led governments in New Delhi and in Jammu and Kashmir had failed to control terrorism.

"That is what has prompted the party to go in for this announcement," Katiyar told over 2,000 party activists at Parade Ground.

Referring to the Doda and Udhampur killings over a month ago which claimed the lives of 32 Hindus, Verma said the party could not remain a silent spectator to the incidents.

"The reward will be given to all civilians, irrespective of their political affiliation and faith," he said. "They could be Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, anyone."

The family of those getting killed in such encounters would get a reward of Rs.200,000 for "martyrdom", Verma said.

Political circles as well as common people are worried over the likely impact of the BJP's statement. Some said it would vitiate the communal atmosphere in the state and in Doda region in particular.

Leveraging Madrasas for secondary education of Muslims

By Kashif-ul-huda

It has long been established that Muslims are the most backward Indian community when it comes to education. Their literacy rate for both male and female is well below the national average. About 40-45% Indian Muslims see their educational path come to a halt at the primary or middle school level, very few Muslims end up finishing secondary schools and even less go on to be graduates or hold higher qualifications. Therefore it comes as no surprise that Muslim representation in different branches of the government and professions is miniscule. To ensure adequate representation, we first need to ensure that more Muslims are able to go to college which essentially means that more should be finishing their primary and secondary schooling. In this scenario, Madrasas could be an excellent tool in helping to raise the education level of Muslims in India.

Madrasas are ubiquitous in Indian Muslim communities. Most of these are attached to the local Masjid where the Imam doubles up as the teacher. Of course there are some larger residential Madrasas where students come from different parts of India or even overseas to study hifz or doing aalim and faazil courses. In this article we will focus our attention on the small local madrasas and see how they can be utilized to raise the education level of Muslims.

These smaller madrasas offer basic teachings of Islam to the children of the community. They teach them how to read Quran, how to offer namaz and help them memorize duas. Some of these madrasas offer Urdu learning as well. Classes are held in the morning, afternoon or evening depending on the community's needs. Where this is the only education that the children receive, classes are held in the mid-morning. For school going children classes are organized after fajr or after school hours which is usually after asr.

Most of these madrasas do not have a separate building and classes are held within the Masjid premises either in the courtyard or in the Musalla area. At other times, when one of the five prayers are not offered Masjid building is vacant and remains unused.

So two valuable resources of our community remain unused for the greater part of the day. In this article we will propose few steps to attempt to remedy the dismal status of Muslims in secondary and post-secondary education by utilizing the vast network of Madrasas. When a Madrasa is not in session, its premises can be used for the regular schooling of children who are not enrolled in a school offering general education. The Government of India has launched several schemes where it is possible for students to learn at their own pace and appear for final examinations to get the certification they need.

The "National Open School" (http://www.nos.org) is one such initiative that may be utilized for teaching Madrasa students general subjects without the need for elaborate infrastructure. NOS also known by its other acronym NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) is a means to study a regular syllabus from the equivalent of class I to class XII education in non-formal setting. The Secondary or Senior Secondary certificate of NIOS has same recognition as any other National or State board. Its courses and textbooks are considered better than many state boards and are available in English, Hindi or Urdu. Thus, it is an excellent source of quality education and a ward's parent may choose the study medium.

Open school programs provide education material and study centers to help students learn, but our Madrasas can provide daily tutoring to assist students further. For this purpose a few graduates may be hired. These could be individuals who are unemployed, or preparing for a competitive exam. I envision this employment to be part-time and therefore the tutors' salary could easily be raised from the community itself. Tuition or enrollment fees for all students could also be raised in one juma. In this way the program could be made self sufficient at the community level with no need to plead with wealthy individuals or overseas organizations.

Non-governmental organizations could also get involved in helping establish schools where the community is larger and needs full-time staff and greater infrastructure. However, for thousands of small mohallas and their attached Masajids in villages and small towns this approach could certainly yield some measure of success in raising the next generation of Indian Muslims, informed and educated individuals brimming with self confidence. Truly development and progress from the grass roots.

[Kashif is editor of IndianMuslims.info]

Madhya Pradesh official fined under Right to Information Act

Bhopal, June 8 (IANS) A child development officer in Madhya Pradesh has been fined Rs.18,000 for failing to provide information and not abiding by the appellate officer's order under the Right to Information Act (RTI) of 2005.

Chief information commissioner (CIC) of Madhya Pradesh T.N. Shrivastava imposed the fine on Sajan Aluna, who is posted in Morena district.

Aluna was earlier served a showcase notice on an appeal by Balwant Singh Haihayavanshi, who had sought certain information from the department on Dec 31 last year.

Last month, sub-district official R.S. Chauhan of Gyaraspur in Vidisha district was fined Rs.25,000 under the Act for refusing to provide copies of a land transfer deed.

A crucial law for the promotion of transparency and accountability from the government, the RTI Act allows citizens to demand information (in the form of records, documents, samples, orders etc) from the government regarding any government department or office.

The provision of a penalty clause also reduces the chances of denial of granting information or giving incomplete information on part of government officials.

Central intelligence and security agencies are exempted from the purview of this Act.

Mahajan's money not 'parked' in SpiceJet: former aide

By Murali Krishnan,
New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) A former aide of Pramod Mahajan has repudiated reports that the late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader helped in funding SpiceJet or that his money was "parked in the airline".

Ajay Singh, former officer on special duty (OSD) to Mahajan when he was minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and currently director of India's newest start-up private airline SpiceJet, sought to set the record straight in an exclusive interview with IANS following allegations that he had a bitter falling out with Mahajan.

Just back from a trip to London, Singh said: "That is not true, I just charted my own course of action. Once the general election was over in 2004, I realised there was no role for me. There was pressure on me to get back to business and I helped start up the airline.

"The airline is a public listed company and the investors are well known. As for me, my personal investment in the airline amounts to Rs.100 million," he said.

"SpiceJet was promoted by the UK-based Kansangra family, businessman Sanjay Malhotra and I and began its services in May 2005."

However, Singh, once part of Mahajan's close circle, did not inform the BJP leader of his future plans.

"It is a whole lot of rubbish that Pramod Mahajan's money is parked in the airline and I was his point man. You can check the account books, the shareholders are listed," Singh emphasised to IANS.

Singh asserted he had neither talked to nor met Mahajan in the last two years.

"It just did not happen. But I went to Mumbai once I got to know that he was shot by his brother Pravin and also visited the hospital. I saw his family members.

"Though I have met one brother, Prakash, several times at Mahajan's Safdarjung Road residence, I have never met Pravin," he says.

In fact, Singh said, he made a clean break with all of Mahajan's associates after the BJP was ousted from power in the last elections.

"I may have received one call from Bibek Moitra (Mahajan's secretary who died last week) in the last two years, a chance encounter with additional private secretary Harish Sharma in a restaurant and perhaps one call from businessman Sudhanshu Mittal."

Elaborating on rumours again that he dashed off to London once he heard about the death of Bibek Moitra after a drinks-and-drug bout, Singh said he was there much before the incident.

"I was in London for a business meeting almost 36 hours before the incident. I got to know of the incident when a friend messaged on my mobile phone."

Singh said he had "nothing to hide" and was more than willing to cooperate in any police investigation if the occasion arose.

Make Waqf-like board for Hindu religious bodies: HC to Centre

Allahabad, June 07(IMI)The Allahabad High Court today asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh to prepare a scheme for constitution of a board for Hindu religious organisations on the pattern of the UP Muslim Waqf Board.

Passing the order, Justice S N Srivastava said the board so constituted shall be an autonomous body and it will register all such religious and charitable establishments and endowments according to the norms represented by mutts, monastries, temples and religious and charitable trusts or societies, as the case may be, through their heads this was reported on Zee News.

The Centre as well as the state government may also frame schemes for providing minimum wages and other welfare measures for those working in temples, the court added.

The judgment was passed on a writ petition filed by Shree Satya Narain Tulsi Manas Mandir at Varanasi.

The court said that the schemes so framed may be placed before the court on September 9.

Most wanted insurgent Zarqawi killed in Iraq

Baghdad, June 8 (Xinhua) Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Thursday that the most wanted Al Qaeda insurgent in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been killed.

Maliki made the announcement at a press conference in Baghdad with top US commander in Iraq General George Casey.

He said that Zarqawi and seven of his top aides were killed in a US raid on an area north of Baquba, some 65 km north east of Baghdad, Wednesday evening.

The prime minister, a prominent Shiite leader, also vowed to further efforts in the fight against insurgents in order to restore safety and order in Iraq, while pledging to strengthen national unity.

Narmada Dam should help tribals: B.G. Verghese

Ahmedabad, June 8 (IANS) Senior journalist B.G. Verghese here Thursday suggested that a section of income from the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river be allocated to tribals. Else, Maoist violence will erupt.

"The rehabilitated tribals were uplifted in a single stroke from rain-fed subsistence level farming to the irrigated one, but those unaffected by the project witness no change," ardent supporter of dam Verghese said in his lecture on "Narmada, displacement and tribals" here.

"To eradicate the economic disparity among tribals caused by the dam, mainly among Bhils inhabiting the area above the dam, the government should initiate development measures by allocating a chunk of resources gained. Else, the Naxal (Maoist) violence might grip this part of the country too," he said citing an example of a dam in Ghana, where resources are allocated to project affected area and not to affected families only.

Verghese advised that institutions should be set up in Kevadia, Gujarat where the dam is situated, to ensure the development of tribals.

"Establish a university and name it after some social worker like Thakkar Bapa or any of the Bhil leaders," he said.

Narmada dam found itself in a storm of controversy after the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) allowed increasing its height from 110.64 to 121.92 metres a few months ago.

New drug blocks the spread of HIV

New York, June 8 (IANS) A new revolutionary drug manufactured by a US biotechnology company could block the spread of HIV, say scientists after finding its benefits in a small-scale human trial.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) steadily weakens the body's immune system until it can no longer fight off infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, tumours and other illnesses.

Unable to fight back, most people die within three years of the first signs of the disease. Most of all HIV infections have been transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is already infected with the disease.

Panacos Pharmaceuticals in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which is developing PA-457, hopes now to begin trials this month to test how well the drug works in patients whose existing drug regimes are failing, reported the science portal EurekAlert.

About 80 percent of people being treated for HIV show resistance to one or more of their drugs, a spokesman for Panacos said. There are several existing ways of tackling HIV.

Many medications work by blocking reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that enables HIV to replicate within a cell. Others disable protease, which helps to assemble the virus into particles to infect other cells.

The new drug, a derivative of betulinic acid, is a cheap by-product of the paper industry and one of a new class of drugs called maturation inhibitors.

It works by interfering with the production of the capsid protein, a conical "shield" which protects the genetic material of HIV inside it.

The drug is still in its early stages, and will not be generally available for at least three years, he said.

The small human trial of the drug reported that, given on its own, it rapidly clears most HIV from the blood, the study published in the Journal of Virology claimed.

Worldwide, over 36 million people were infected at the end of 2000 with HIV, the most dangerous sexually transmitted infection, with 95 percent of them in developing countries.

New governors' list may come out next week

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Much-awaited gubernatorial postings are expected to take place next week as Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have finalised a list, sources say.

According to official sources, the list of seven appointees finalised by Gandhi in consultation with Manmohan Singh is with the home ministry and an official announcement is likely to take place next week.

The names of party secretary Margaret Alva, Gandhi family loyalist M.L. Fotedar, senior Congress leader from Kerala K. Sankaranarayanan, Tamil Nadu Congress leader Arul Anbarasu and party secretary Major Ved Prakash are in the list, sources said.

The government is believed to be seriously considering senior bureaucrat Reva Nayyar's name for the gubernatorial post.

Nayyar, the secretary in department of women and child development and the senior-most serving bureaucrat of the 1968 batch, had earlier been tipped to be the new cabinet secretary to replace B.K. Chaturvedi, who was to retire this month. However, the government decided to extend Chaturvedi's tenure by one year.

Sources, however, said that Nayyar's name had also been suggested for the Election Commission. A post will fall vacant in the three-member poll panel with Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon is retiring this month.

The states that need governors immediately are Andhra Pradesh, where the post has been lying vacant since Sushilkumar Shinde became a minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet; and Bihar, where Buta Singh was recalled in January this year.

Other states that will require new Raj Bhavan appointments in the near future are Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttaranchal.

Sources also said that the Congress president may pay heed to Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna's long time plea to bring him back to active politics. "That makes one more governor's post vacant," said the source.

While Sankaranarayanan is expected to take over as Karnataka governor to succeed T.N. Chaturvedi who is due to retire, Anbarasu, a senior party leader and a long time loyalist of the Gandhi family, would be given "the responsibility of a sensitive state", the source said.

"Like Alva, who is still reluctant to accept the gubernatorial post, Anbarasu also wanted to work in the party. But the Congress leadership felt that senior and experienced leaders should be given such responsibilities," the source added.

Vakkom Purushotaman, former Kerala assembly speaker and former finance minister, whose name had been proposed for a governor's post, is likely to be appointed to a diplomatic position.

The Congress party may also keep some gubernatorial posts for its allies in the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition.

NRIs back Beckham with Hindi melody

By Prasun Sonwalkar,
London, June 8 (IANS) Britons of Indian origin have composed a lilting song in Hindi in support of David Beckham and the England football team - egging the players on to bring the World Cup home.

Radio presenter Sunny Kapoor hit upon the idea during his show on Kismat Radio, a popular radio station for south Asians here.

Kapoor, who is also known for his singing talents, wrote the lyrics and contacted music producers Devinder Sudera and Ashvinder Mann. The song was composed soon after and recorded within a day.

The song, which has a duration of little over three minutes, is interspersed with extracts from commentary of football matches and a passage in rap.

It has backing vocals by Nisha Sharma, and begins thus:

"Khelo khelo, josh mein khelo
Germany se World Cup lelo
World Cup hamara hai
Beckham ka sahara hai
Ao dikhaye jeet ke hum
Kismat ka ishara hai"

Reports say that over 100 songs have been composed recently in support of the England team. This is the first song to be composed in Hindi or any Asian language, and is already a hit with listeners on Kismat Radio.

"It all began with a laugh during the show. I said to my co-presenter we must have a Hindi song and before the show ended we had the opening lines ready," Kapoor told the newly launched website www.nrifm.com.

As a singer, Kapoor has performed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall and Shaftesbury Theatre.

"We are getting a very positive feedback and lot of people are downloading it from our website and we are having a lot of response from India through our website," Kapoor said.

Conventional wisdom says that Britain's Asian community is more interested in cricket than football, but Kapoor says this is not true.

"Speak to an average Asian on the street and they are always talking about their favourite club such as Arsenal or Chelsea," he said.

"And because India and Pakistan are not in the World Cup their natural loyalty lies with the English team," he added.

PACE committee: Europe involved in US led clandestine ‘spider’s web’ of detentio

Strasbourg, 07 June(IMI) – The United States has progressively woven a clandestine “spider’s web� of disappearances, secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers – spun with the collaboration or tolerance of Council of Europe member states, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) said today.

In a draft resolution adopted at a meeting in Paris, based on a report by Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE), the committee said hundreds of persons had become entrapped in this web – in some cases when they were merely suspected of sympathising with a presumed terrorist organisation.

The parliamentarians said this knowing collusion of member states took several different forms, including secretly detaining a person on European territory, capturing a person and handing them over to the US or permitting unlawful “renditions� through their airspace or across their territory.

“It has now been demonstrated incontestably, by numerous well-documented and convergent facts, that secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers involving European countries have taken place, such as to require in-depth inquiries and urgent responses by the executive and legislative branches of all the countries concerned,� the committee said.

The committee called on Council of Europe member states to review bilateral agreements signed with the United States, particularly those on the status of US forces stationed in Europe, to ensure they conformed fully to international human rights norms.

The report is due for debate by the plenary Assembly – which brings together 630 parliamentarians from the 46 Council of Europe member states – in Strasbourg on 27 June 2006.

Full report: http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/APFeaturesManager/defaultArtSiteView.asp?Art...

Riyazuddin Qureshi captain of Indian basketball team

New Delhi, June 8 (IndianMuslims.info)After Cricket and Tennis it is turn of the Indian basketball team to get some Muslim representation.

Riyazuddin Qureshi is the captain of the Indian basketball team that played in the the men’s 17th FIBA-ASIA Champions Cup in Kuwait. Unfortunately the team lost all their matches to finish last in the 8 countries tournament.

Born in 1981, Riyaz has captained the junior national team in the past and was vice-captain in the recently held Commonwealth Games. His performance has drawn the attention of the critics and is seen as a pivotal player for the future Basketball team of India.

Other members of the team are:
Team: Sambhaji Kadam, Anoop Mukkanniyil, Talwinderjit Singh, Rajanna Sanjay Raj, Daman Deep Singh, Shiv Kumar, Lokesh Yadav, Yadwinder Singh, Trideep Rai, Riyazuddin Qureshi, S Sridhar, Jagdeep Singh. Coach: Mr KK Chansoria; Assistant coach: Mr SK Raja.

[photo and additional reporting : indianmuslims.in

Sehwag fined for 'dissent'

Rodney Bay (St. Lucia), June 8 (IANS) You can get away with murder but not illegal parking or shoplifting. That seems to be International Cricket Council's (ICC) philosophy when it comes to applying its rules for dissent.

Brian Lara, the West Indian captain, was an obvious candidate for censure by match referee Jeff Crowe after the way he behaved during the controversy following Darren Ganga's catch to "dismiss" Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the fourth of the drawn first Test.

At one stage, with tempers running high, he snatched the ball away from umpire Asad Rauf and went about setting the field to resume play. But everything was sorted out amicably later that day, after a meeting between captains, umpires and match referee.

Since the incident raised so many unpleasant questions, about the role of the third umpire, about the inadequacy of television replays, about the spirit of the game, it was much simpler for the authorities to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend it never happened.

So much simpler it was to show how much they value discipline by throwing the book at Virender Sehwag.

The Indian opener has been fined 20 percent of his match fee for violating ICC's code of conduct.

Bowling his off-spinners, Sehwag got rid of Dwayne Bravo just after tea, a vital wicket as India chased victory. In his exuberance, he ran down the wicket celebrating, instead of turning towards the umpire and appealing.

No doubt, Sehwag's action violated the code of conduct and the ruling cannot be disputed. But it smacks of double standards.

Singing Vande Mataram Against Shariah

Hyderabad, June 7(IMI) Several Hyderabad--based muftis issued a fatwa on Tuesday asking Muslims not to admit their children in schools where Vande Mataram is sung every morning. Children who are already studying in such institutions must be immediately shifted to other schools, the fatwa ordered.

Time of India reported that Muftis, including All India Sunni Ulema Board president Moulana Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani, Moulana Mohammed Hasnuddin, Moulana Mohammed Mastan Ali, Nazima Aziz and Rizwana Zarreen of Jamiat--ul--Mominath, jointly issued the fatwa when some parents approached them seeking a shariah ruling on Vande Mataram. Several schools in the city start their day with a recital of the national song.

“Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. It emphasises that Indians treat their land as God. Ours is a secular country. Asking Muslims to do something like this cannot be advocated,� Moulana Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani told TOI after issuing the fatwa.

Even if these institutions offer quality education, they cannot force students to violate the shariah norms. Muslims cannot compromise on Kalma-e-Tayyaba, the basic pillar of Islam which says there is only one God and Mohammed is the Prophet, he added.

Even Supreme Court has ruled against the forcing people to recite 'vande mataram'. Muslims of always protested against this song, even before the independence. This song first appeared in the novel 'Anand-math' which is famous for its anti-Muslim story.

Parents sending their children to such schools are committing the 'Gunaah-e-Kabira'. Hence, stay away from schools which are not secular, advised Mastan Ali. According to Islam, there is only one God.

The moment one starts believing in more than one God, it is treated as Shirk, said Moulana Mufti Hasnuddin. School authorities should not force Muslim children to either recite Vande Mataram or any other rendition which is prohibited in Islam, Mastan Ali added.

Links:
Times of India

How secular is Vande Mataram? : By A. G. Noorani

Technology links planned to empower remote areas

New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) The Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous society under India's rural development ministry, is planning technology intervention to empower people in remote areas.

The Planning Commission has estimated that most backward or remote areas are located in around 200 districts - some in the midst of otherwise rich farm belts - that need focus for improving livelihood and sustainable human development, director general of CAPART V.S. Rao said.

"We have drafted a new policy with greater focus on integrated development of remote and backward areas through technology intervention. Water harvesting and appropriate sanitation will be essential programmes of the integrated package," Rao told reporters here Thursday.

"Through appointment of leading NGOs for providing technical intervention, we will strive to impart income generation skills and economic empowerment for sustainable human development."

As a major funding agency, CAPART has now decided to have more regular monitoring of its funds utilisation by NGOs and other project implementing bodies. For 2006-07, CAPART has been allocated Rs.700 million for its programme.

In place of monitoring by independent agencies, CAPART will now accept only action taken reports from recognised state institutions, said Rao.

These new steps are being undertaken to stem some of the past corrupt practices which saw millions of rupees being wasted or unaccounted for, admitted CAPART officials.

Data collected by CAPART reveals that around 2,900 NGOs and voluntary organisations in the country have been put on blacklist or under funding restrictions. These include 900 blacklisted by other government agencies apart from CAPART, 907 defaulters, 281 doubtful cases and 1,314 put under funding restrictions.

Of the 362 NGOs blacklisted by CAPART, millions of rupees are unaccounted for out of Rs.123 million allocated to them for various projects.

"Around Rs.4.87 million has been misused by these 362 NGOs. So far only Rs.2.2 million has been recovered from them," Rao said.

The largest number of blacklisted NGOs is from Bihar (113), followed by Uttar Pradesh (57) and Andhra Pradesh (35). Among the states that have shown commendable results are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

"So far 362 NGOs have been blacklisted out of around 10,000 registered NGOs in the country. Through fortnightly review we are monitoring their work and streamlining guidelines and tightening the process of blacklisting, making it shorter and more stringent," said Rao.

"If the existing provisions are implemented strictly, many more NGOs may be blacklisted. We have sent letters to around 500-600 NGOs and expect the reply within one month, after which we will blacklist those that don't respond," he added.

She admitted that many NGOs operated only for profit and switched names and places of operation to avoid accountability.

CAPART rates its disability action - to provide vocational skills to the disabled - and scheme for young professionals - to employ post-graduates in social sciences for development work in rural areas - as the most rewarding.

The scheme for professionals is now being extended to encompass two youngsters each from identified remote villages to be trained as resource persons.

Simultaneously, plans are afoot to set up village knowledge centres to teach modern farming technologies besides imparting health and market information to remote areas through Internet links.

The first of the resource centres is planned at Vaishali in Bihar by upgrading an existing technology institution, revealed Rao.

Two suspected militants arrested in Maharashtra

Mumbai, June 8 (IANS) Two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants have been arrested in Beed district of Maharashtra in connection with the large haul of explosives and related arrests in different parts of the state recently.

The arrests come within days of a daring attack by suspected LeT militants on the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, which was ultimately foiled by the police.

The state also witnessed a series of arrests of suspected militants, shootouts and seizures of explosive material from terrorists in the Aurangabad and Nashik in May.

US-India nuke deal wins support from key Congressman

Washington, June 8 (IANS) The US-India nuclear deal has won critical support from a key Congressman, Henry Hyde, chairman of the International Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives.

Hyde announced his decision to support the US-India civil nuclear agreement at a meeting Tuesday with US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), one of several Indian-American political groups that are working on the issue.

Hyde said he is "confident the bill will pass and is willing to push it through," according to a USINPAC press release. He plans on scheduling the committee mark up on or before June 21.

"I am for stronger US-India relations, and I understand that India is in a very dangerous neighbourhood and energy self-sufficiency is very important," Hyde was quoted as saying about the agreement.

"I appreciate the support USINPAC has given me including the information they provided on this issue. I look forward to working with them," he said Hyde's support is considered critical to the successful passage of the deal.

"No one is more important to the passage of this agreement than the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee," said USINPAC chairman, Sanjay Puri, who is an information technology executive.

Hyde joins a growing list of supporters for the agreement. Last month, USINPAC confirmed support from Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader John Boehner, who are the top two Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Additionally, in meetings with USINPAC, top Democrats Charlie Rangel and Tom Lantos have reiterated their support for the agreement and their commitment to see it pass into law.

US-India Friendship, another body of Indian Americans working for a strong relationship between India and the US, has claimed support of 37 members of the House of Representative and ten senators as co-sponsors of separate bills backing the India-US nuclear deal in the two houses of US Congress.

A fast-growing, affluent and well-educated group of Indian Americans has launched an intensive drive to win support for the deal in the US Congress with lobbying, campaign contributions and public relations.

Wipro buys out Finnish firm for $33 mn

Bangalore, June 8 (IANS) Wipro Technologies, the global IT services arm of Wipro Ltd, Thursday announced the acquisition of Saraware Oy, a Finland-based wireless design services firm, for $33 million (euro 25 million) in an all-cash deal.

According to a company statement here, the transaction includes earn-outs of Saraware over the next 18 months. The deal is expected to be completed within a month.

The 21-year-old Saraware is a leading provider of design and engineering services to telecom firms. The strategic acquisition will enhance Wipro's domain expertise in radio networks and secure mobile platforms.

About 50 per cent of global market share in wireless infrastructure domain is dominated by major players in the Nordic belt.

"This acquisition gives us presence in Finland and puts us in the heart of the Nordic region. Near-shore development centres will enable us to take up more complex and end-to-end engagements with our customers," said Ramesh Emani, Wipro Technologies president for product engineering services.

Post-acquisition, the third largest Indian IT bellwether plans to develop base station controllers and mobile communication platforms by involving Saraware's 200 specialists based in Finland.

Commenting on the deal, Saraware CEO Risto Niva said Wipro would add scale and global reach to its domain competencies and strong Nordic presence.

"Our engagement with Wipro will enable us to establish as leaders in the wireless networks and secure mobile platforms globally," Niva said.

Work stress driving Britons to alcohol

London, June 8 (IANS) People in Britain have the longest working hours in Europe - a reason that is driving them to drink and jeopardising their health, says a study.

Stress expert Cary Cooper, of Lancaster University, said the changing patterns of work seem to be having their negative effect on men's health, particularly those working in professions such as law and finance, reported the online edition of the Daily Mail.

Researchers studied 2,200 men and found that 37 percent of them admitted they had turned to alcohol as the best way of forgetting about the stresses of work, while 20 percent said the pressure had led to aggressive outbursts.

Nearly 22 percent had suffered depression as a result of workplace stress while more than a third suffered from disrupted sleep.

The impact on family life and relationships was also marked - one in 10 experienced a loss of interest in their family or partner while 15 percent reported a lowered sex drive, the study said.

The legal profession was the most stressed occupation with 38 percent suffering severe or extreme stress, followed by banking and finance at 28 percent, Cooper said.

Least stressed were people working in arts and entertainment as well as charity employees, said the study underlining the need to achieve a better work-life balance.

"Employers need to end the long hours culture, to begin to manage people by reward and praise and not be constantly fault-finding," it said.

Workers' strike in Qatar fizzles out

Dubai, June 8 (IANS) A strike called by around 2,000 workers, including Indians, employed by a local engineering company in Qatar has fizzled out after police arrested 80 of them, say local media reports.

The strike, called earlier this week by the workers demanding higher wages, was deemed illegal by Qatar's Labour Department.

A report in the Peninsula newspaper said the Labour Department found the contracts held by the employees valid and hence non-negotiable.

The report quoted sources as saying that the workers, including masons, carpenters, plumbers and others, were paid a monthly salary of 730 Qatari rials ($200).

Of this, 110 Qatari rials ($30) is deducted for providing subsidised food through canteen service near the workers' labour camp at the industrial area near Qatar's capital Doha.

"On an average, each worker gets 630 Qatari rials ($173) per month," the report quoted the sources as saying.

Meanwhile, Saif Al Khayarin, a labour inspector who handled the case, told the newspaper, "Workers who do not wish to work with this firm have to discuss the issue with the manager concerned of the company. They will have to, however, buy air tickets on their own expense. Contracts held by these workers are also not negotiable since they are valid."

There are over 130,000 Indians in Qatar, many of them working as contract labourers.