Agra's unfinished agenda for 2007

By Brij Khandelwal

Agra, Jan 1 (IANS) The year 2007 holds lots of promises and challenges for the residents of Agra, the once Mughal capital that is gradually transforming itself into a modern metropolis.

The coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh should see a new government taking over the reins. The newly elected municipal corporation will also start functioning in the New Year. The city is waiting to know whether Mayor Manjula Singh will deliver all her promises.

A lot of groundwork has gone into reducing pollution, improving water supply and cleaning up the place. The Japanese Bank has committed to fund the laying of a conduit line from a Ganges canal to divert 140 cusecs of water for Agra. Work on it should begin in the coming year.

The Taj Express Highway, a project of Jaypee Cement, to link Agra and Noida on the outskirts of the Indian capital, is set to take off. "We will execute it the moment we get environment clearance," said an official.

Agra will also get a new fleet of 20 CNG buses soon. Several projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNRUM) are set to upgrade civic amenities in 2007.

The tourism industry showed signs of resurgence after years of lull. As the year turns, most hotels have reported full occupancy. Some have taken advantage of the space crunch by inflating room tariffs.

Agra's development got a big boost with the international airport project between Agra and Mathura getting the green signal. Firms have been shortlisted to prepare technical feasibility reports. Once the airport comes up, tourists can directly land in Agra without touching down in New Delhi. An extra day added to their itinerary would mean longer stay in Agra and therefore higher spending.

The railways have also worked out new tourism promotion schemes. The Buddha circuit special train from Chennai will bring more tourists from down south every fortnight. A shuttle train to Fatehpur Sikri is likely to be launched.

The Taj Mahal, Agra's and India's main tourist draw, is to get a new facilities centre to ensure that there is no chaos at the main entrances. Security too will be stepped up.

2006 saw an influx of schemes by private builders, which are set to materialise and change the city's skyline. These include the Omaxe wedding mall on Bypass road and Cosmos mall at Wazirpura crossing.

A dozen township projects by big builders like Unitech and Parsvanath are coming up near the Shamshabad-Fatehabad Road.

Medical tourism has also come up. Leading brands like Apollo and Fortis have entered into joint ventures with doctors in Agra to provide world-class medical facilities.

But conditions in the government medical colleges continue to be dismal and don't seem to invite any positive change.

The polluted waters of Yamuna river have grabbed international attention. Two years after the Supreme Court blocked the Taj Corridor project, which envisaged the construction of an entertainment and shopping complex, debris of the ill-conceived plan are yet to be removed and the river cleaned up.

There has been a marked reduction in air pollution after the closure of some polluting industries. Environmentalists, however, fear that the rapidly increasing number of vehicles will neutralise the good work done.

A special economic zone for the leather industry would bolster Agra's shoe industry. Indications from different quarters suggest export earnings in 2007 should see a rise.

Agra saw a surge in NGO activities with groups ready to fight for greater transparency in governance. The police, on their part, hope to bring down the crime graph through recent initiatives.

On the media front, Agra will have greater choice with new FM stations and newspapers in the pipeline.

The past year was not a bad one. But Agraites hope 2007 will be even better.

Eid celebrated in Andhra with fervour

Hyderabad, Jan 1 (IANS) Thousands offered prayers at open grounds and mosques across Andhra Pradesh on Eid-ul-Zuha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, Monday.

The biggest congregation was at the historic Mir Alam Idgah here where more than 300,000 people offered prayers. The historic Makkah Masjid, Eidgah Madannapet and other open grounds here also witnessed thousands bending down in prayer.

Special prayers were offered for world peace and for unity among Muslims. Devotees exchanged greetings after the prayers and then sacrificed cattle to mark the day, also known as Bakr Eid.

It was on this day more than 5,000 years ago that Prophet Ibrahim had offered to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismael to the Almighty. Sacrificing cattle is binding on those who can afford it.

The meat of the sacrificed cattle is distributed among relatives, friends and the poor.

People here were seen buying cattle even after the prayers. Thousands of goats and sheep brought from rural areas were sold at different places in the city. Poor people were seen thronging houses to get a share of the meat.

Scenes of communal harmony were witnessed as non-Muslims greeted their Muslim brethren. People were seen embracing devotees coming out of mosques after offering prayers.

Huge congregations were also seen in Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Kurnool and other major towns in the state.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements on the occasion. Muslims comprise 40 percent of Hyderabad's four million population.

Tamil Nadu checks AIDS spread

Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS) Top on the list of HIV/AIDS most-affected states, Tamil Nadu has managed to keep the numbers of infected from growing, thanks to a unique support programme.

The Tamilnadu Aids Initiative (TAI) has in the two years of its existence become a model for other states to emulate. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Avahan scheme funds it.

Since the HIV virus was first discovered in India in 1986 in Tamil Nadu, the state today has about 240,000 people suffering from the infection.

India has almost six million people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a UNAIDS report. The stigma of AIDS is also intense in India.

At the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in 2006, it was the story of Tamil Nadu's Asha and Elango that was highlighted.

Asha, a member of Indian Positive Network, married Elango, each knowing the other's HIV positive status. "For lifelong companionship and support," they explained.

However, like every traditional Indian family, Asha's mother-in-law wanted her to give birth. For this couple, the choice was difficult - the stigma of being a barren woman or that of their HIV status.

Every year, 70,000 to 100,000 HIV-positive women in India become pregnant, says I.S. Gilada of the AIDS Society of India.

Community support has consequently become the key word in AIDS prevention and control, say organisations like TAI.

TAI brought together in December 1,400 people comprising HIV-positive, AIDS affected, sex workers and transvestites on the same platform with healthcare providers, government and NGOs to demonstrate that networking mattered.

On the occasion, people like Meenakshi, HIV-positive and a TAI counsellor and spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) and South Indian AIDS Action Programme, was honoured for helping set up the Society for Positive Mothers Development (SPMD) that has brought discriminated women under its umbrella.

Mothering an intensive and large-scale support programme in 14 high prevalence districts of Tamil Nadu, TAI, administered by the Voluntary Health Services, has in two years managed to reach out to 50,000 male and female sex workers in the state with help from 25 NGOs.

"TAI addresses the vulnerability of the sex workers," says project director and medical professional Laxmi Bai. TAI attempts to address the low self-esteem of the sex worker and the poor socio-economic background.

"Surveys reflect the continued threat of extreme violence faced by the community," she adds.

"My husband suspected me of infidelity... Soon after marriage, one day he poured hot oil on my legs. Then he stopped giving me any money... I had no way to support my baby and drifted into commercial sex work," Sundari, a TAI community leader now, told IANS.

"When I first came to the TAI centre I was afraid, now I am with them. I tell everyone about condom use and talk to other women about TAI services. I lead a life of grace and confidence."

TAI also offers two path-breaking initiatives, "Akshay Patram' and "Vastra Dhanam", food and clothing to destitute women so that they can be prevented from entering sex work

"When I first came to the 'natpukuddam' (TAI-NGO contact centre), I was dirty and in rags... Today I have six pairs of clothing and enough to feed my baby son and me," 18-year-old Sarada from Salem says.

The 32 TAI and other clinics for sexually transmitted diseases reach out to 33,000 people with structured intermitted therapy (SIT) treatment services.

Compared to 60 odd people visiting a TAI clinic a year ago, now each clinic has more than 600 people coming it, say TAI officials.

'TAI Sundaramukhi' and 'Naam' programmes help eliminate fear and promote health-seeking behaviour. TAI helps sex workers, transvestites and HIV positive people with occupational alternatives.

'India headed for explosive growth in mobile telephony'

By Ashok Easwaran,

Chicago, Jan 2 (IANS) India is in for an explosive growth in mobile telephony, the number of users each month equalling the total Indian population in the US, says a leading Indian American CEO.

Satya Prabhakar, founder of Sulekha, which claims to be the largest Indian networking site in the world, says that he sees future growth not in online services as much as among cellular phone users.

The greater growth, he said, would be in India, rather than the US.

"The growth is in mobile telephony," Prabhakar told IANS, "as cellular phones are getting more sophisticated, more and more online users are migrating to the cellular phone.

"Internet growth is dramatically increasing each month (in India). Broadband adoption in India has been showing signs of explosive growth since the mid-2005, and is growing today at a rate of 30 percent a quarter.

"Sulekha's target market is the 50 million online and 80 million mobile users. Their numbers are expected to grow to 100 million and 200 million users respectively in the next few years," he said.

To put it in perspective, the growth of users in India per month would equal the total Indian population in the US, said Prabhakar, whose company is based in the US.

Sulekha provides 250,000 advertisements, addressing 80 percent of Indians worldwide, company officials said.

Sulekha was established in 1999, with a staff of just two - Prabhakar, and his wife. Today the online service has a staff of 275.

In an implicit acknowledgement of Sulekha's growth as well as future potential, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), a leading global technology venture capital firm, has invested $10 million in it.

Pramod Haque, managing partner of NVP, has also joined Sulekha's board of directors. NVP currently manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital.

"Sulekha has been a Web 2.0 company even during the Web 1.0 days," said Haque. "It has positioned itself at the vortex of three of the largest Internet mega trends: social media, local commerce, classifieds and yellow pages.

"While the management of Sulekha has done a great job of developing reach and revenue, the real explosive potential, both in online and mobile platforms, is still in front of us.

"I believe our future lies in user generated content," said Prabhakar. "We can now boast of having the largest number of Indian bloggers on Sulekha, the largest network of people's movie reviews and the largest number of photos posted online in the blogs.

"My ultimate ambition for Sulekha is make it the most influential Indian online community and mobile interactive platform," said Prabhakar. "We plan to offer unquestioned value. When it comes to online networking, we want Indians all over the world to think of Sulekha first."

70,000 varsity workers to go on warpath in Nepal

Kathmandu, Jan 2 (IANS) University workers clashed with security forces here Monday and warned the Nepal government that 70,000 of them would stop work from Tuesday if it did not make immediate arrangements to fill top administrative posts lying vacant for nearly nine months.

Policemen beat up protesters with batons and kicked them savagely to bring the situation under control as university staff defied a ban and marched near Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's office.

Monday's violence was the latest chapter in an agitation that has been going on for weeks. It was started by a student organisation close to the second-largest party in Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's coalition government, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist.

Students began demonstrating on the streets last month, obstructing traffic and padlocking colleges, demanding that the government appoint vice chancellors and other senior officials in at least three universities, including the Tribhuvan University, named after King Gyanendra's grandfather.

The posts have been lying vacant since King Gyanendra was forced to quit as head of government in April and all royal appointees resigned.

The Koirala government faces an uphill task over the appointments since the Maoist guerrillas have warned it not to take decisions on important issues without consulting them. Last month, when the government tried to appoint 14 envoys, the Maoists enforced a Kathmandu closure and threatened a 48-hour general strike from Dec 31.

Shambhu Bhattarai, leader of the Tribhuvan University staff union, told Nepal's official media that varsity workers would stop work from Tuesday if the government failed to address their demand. There are about 70,000 people working in various campuses under the university, Nepal Television said.

The new pressure comes as the government is trying to stop the Maoists from getting the upper hand in all state decisions.

Koirala Monday said the rebels would be responsible if a key election, to be held by June, cannot be held in time.

"To hold the election, police posts would have to be re-established to give people a sense of security," the premier had said last week. "Government officials should also be allowed to return to rural areas and resume work."

Despite the prime minister's contention that he had reached an agreement with Maoist supremo Prachanda, the rebels are not allowing police posts to reopen. Their spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said his party would allow security posts only in sensitive areas. In all other places, such a step would have to be discussed with the party leaders.

The rebels have been thwarting the measures in a bid to put counter-pressure on the government to promulgate the new constitution finalised last month and form a new government with their participation.

Koirala, however, is blocking the new constitution, saying the Maoists can't be inducted in the government till they give up arms.

This is the demand of many of Nepal's foreign donors, including the US. US ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty, who returned from Washington Sunday, said his government was not yet ready to lift the terrorist tag on the Maoists.

If an armed group join the government, US officials have said Washington would be forced to stop all assistance to Nepal.

A Brahmin Who Sent a Muslim for Haj

Siraj Wahab, Arab News

ARAFAT, 30 December 2006 � The truth is indeed stranger than fiction. You hear this cliché and it remains a cliché till you run into a story that indeed gives you a pleasant jolt.

Mahboob Hasan’s true story may seem to be an exception for those unfamiliar with the inter-faith traditions of India. To others who are acutely aware of the horrific communal riots of Gujarat in western India, in which Muslims were burned alive by Hindus, it will certainly come as a surprise.

Hasan from Aurangabad in India’s Maharashtra state is one of the millions of pilgrims standing shoulder-to-shoulder as Muslims here on the plains of Arafat where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his last sermon. The standing of the pilgrims in Arafat is the climax of Haj.

Hasan was able to stand here yesterday thanks to the sponsorship of a caring family back home � a family of Brahmins.

Hasan’s relationship with the Jagtap family began in the 1960s when he held a lowly position at Maharashtra government’s Department of Cooperatives.

His boss was Harishchandra Jagtap. Eventually the Jagtaps had a son by the name of Surendra and they offered Hasan a job as a nanny. It was Hasan who would take Surendra to the only English school in the city. In his late 30s, Surendra now works as an engineer in Dubai.

The Jagtaps never forgot Hasan’s loyalty after he retired. Mrs. Jagtap decided to send Hasan to Haj at her expense. She explained her decision to her son and reminded him of what Hasan did for him when he was a school-going boy. Surendra said he would bear all the expenses of Hasan’s pilgrimage, but Mrs. Jagtap insisted she will pay and in the end she had her way.

“Hearing such a story is heartening,� said one journalist covering the Haj. “There are some in our society who disapprove of Muslims associating with non-Muslims in any way. In reality, we live in a global community and if the intention of one human being to another is good, then we should thank God for such a blessing.�

It is normal for many Indians to spend their life’s savings to perform Haj, but Hasan, who was never highly paid and had barely the savings to support himself after retirement, decided at some point he simply would have to forgo his pilgrimage.

However, thanks to Mrs. Jagtap’s gesture, Hasan was able to perform Haj without spending money that he would need for his waning days.

“How can I forget their token of affection,� he was quoted as saying to his friends yesterday. “They are very nice people. Mr. Jagtap was a very nice man. He died years ago. He shared my happiness and my pain in those difficult days. They treated me as one of their own. They are my extended family and I am part of their extended family.�

Ten days before Hasan departed for Haj, Mrs. Jagtap died. One of the Hindu woman’s last gestures was giving Hasan 300,000 rupees (about SR26,000) to pay for the trip of his lifetime.

Hasan says the Jagtap family is in his prayers here in Arafat.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=90497&d=30&m=12&y=2006

AFP journalist abducted in Gaza

Gaza, Jan 2 (DPA) A photographer of the French news agency AFP was abducted by masked men from outside the agency's office here, media reports said.

According to witnesses, Jaime Razuri was forced to get into a car Monday that sped off. The Peruvian national had arrived in Gaza a week earlier. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Foreigners have been frequent targets of abductions, usually being freed unhurt after a period of days or weeks.

Awami League may 'resist' Bangladesh polls

Dhaka, Jan 2 (IANS) Awami League, Bangladesh's oldest political party, has vowed not to "allow a walkover" to its rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) should it decide to boycott the Jan 23 general elections.

In such an event, the elections would be "resisted", a Awami League leader told The Daily Star Online.

"If we do not go to the polls that does not necessarily mean giving a walkover to BNP. If we decide not to contest the elections, (we) will resist it," Amir Hossain Amu said.

Political analysts, however, are of the view that this could at best be a bargaining point with the caretaker government conducting the polls and, more likely, a part of the campaign.

Awami League "has gone too far" into the elections to stay away from them, English weekly Holiday, not friendly disposed to the party or the alliance it leads, said in its year-end analysis.

The League will announce its final electoral stance Wednesday along with leaders of the 13 other parties that are part of its alliance.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia, who leads the rival four-party alliance, has expressed the hope for "full participation", making it clear that this is the time to plunge into the poll campaign and "not for blockades".

While the Zia-led alliance is perceived way ahead in campaign, the League has a long list of demands before it can participate.

These include President Iajuddin Ahmed, who doubles as chief advisor of the caretaker government, making way for someone neutral, removal of one of the three election commissioners and restraining the armed forces from aiding civilian authority.

The League received a setback when its new ally, former president H.M. Ershad, was debarred from contesting elections after being convicted in a corruption case. His Jatiya Party has said it would boycott the polls.

The League says much campaign time was lost due to political bickering and protests against the government and wants the poll date postponed.

The constitution stipulates polls within 90 days of the caretaker government taking office, a period that ends on Jan 25.

Any change would require an amendment to the constitution for which there is no parliament at the moment.

Reminded of the constitutional requirement to hold elections within a 90-day period after the parliament dissolves, Amu said: "We cannot be a scapegoat in the name of constitution; the constitution has been changed many times before."

Battle against polio far from over in Bihar

Patna, Jan 2 (IANS) The battle against polio is far from over in Bihar, which recorded 51 new cases in 2006.

"The situation is not good. New polio cases surfaced in the state even though millions were spent on a series of immunization drives," said a health official.

Unofficial sources put the figure of polio cases at over 60.

In December alone, around six new cases of the viral were detected in Kishanganj, Purnea, East Champaran and Sitamarhi districts.

"Till September 2006 only 20 polio cases were detected. But in the last three months, the numbers shot up," the official said.

According to official records, eight rounds of immunization drives were carried out in the year gone by but results are poor.

Bihar reported 30 polio cases in 2005, down from 39 in 2004. The number was only 18 in 2003, far below the 121 in 2002.

Bihar has the second highest number of polio cases in India after Uttar Pradesh (503 cases). British experts say that poor sanitation and high population density are the key obstacles to eradicating the virus in the two states.

India's annual budget for 2006-07 to fight polio is over Rs.10 billion but detection of new cases, especially in the two states, shows that it still has a long way to go to wipe out the disease completely.

Bhutan's tryst with democracy begins, royal commands questioned

By Syed Zarir Hussain,

Samdrup Jongkhar (Bhutan), Jan 2 (IANS) Bhutan's tryst with democracy has begun with elected representatives questioning royal commands even before the Himalayan kingdom formally shifts from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy.

The ongoing session of the National Assembly or parliament saw unprecedented ruckus by representatives over refusal by the chief election commissioner to get their endorsement before the controversial Election Bill becomes legislation.

Bhutan's national newspaper Kuensel and its national broadcaster Bhutan Broadcasting Service reported rifts in their parliament over the Election Bill in the two-week session, which ends later this week.

"It was important for the assembly to discuss and endorse the Election Bill before the general elections starts in 2008. There should be a base for the new government in 2008," an unnamed people's representative from the monastic town of Wangduephodrang was quoted as saying in parliament by Kuensel.

Bhutan's Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, however, refused to accept their demands.

"The Election Bills were distributed to the members for information and awareness in preparation for the elections in 2008 and not for discussion as per His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo's (former King Jigme Singhye Wangchuck) command," Wangdi told parliament.

"Since the people of Bhutan have already endorsed the draft constitution, the endorsement of the draft constitution or the elections bills by the present assembly is not necessary."

The Election Bill that contains 23 chapters was drafted last year after the former king in December 2005 announced general elections in 2008 to formally mark the transformation of the largely Buddhist nation of about 600,000 people to parliamentary democracy.

The former king abdicated the throne last month in favour of his eldest son, 26-year-old Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, before Bhutan adopted a constitution and elected a prime minister in 2008.

The major bone of contention in the Election Bill is about provisions to debar a candidate from contesting the first general elections without a university degree.

At least six to seven representatives voiced angry protests inside parliament saying the provisions making it mandatory for candidates to contest the 2008 elections with a university degree was unjust.

"The education criteria would take away rights of the people. There will not be mass representation," said Zhamling Dorji, Bhutan's deputy speaker.

Home Minister Lyonpo Jigmi Y. Thinley also rejected demands for getting an approval from the present National Assembly for the Election Bill to become law.

"Bhutan has not yet become a democracy and the present National Assembly has no authority to endorse any bills that is related to the parliament in 2008," the minister told parliament.

"Whatever power people have today had been decentralised by His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo. His Majesty the King has the sole authority to approve or finalise any rule or laws."

The new Oxford-educated king calmed tempers by assuring the elected representatives a discussion on the Election Bill separately.

"While it is very important to discuss issues, it must be done not with a view to claim oneself as good and right and another as wrong and bad," the king said.

Bhutan's election commission said some 400,000 voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in the 2008 elections to choose the first democratically elected government.

The transition began five years ago when the former king handed over the powers of daily government to a council of ministers and empowered the national assembly to force a royal abdication if three-quarters of its membership backed the motion.

Bush effigies burnt in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Jan 2 (IANS) Protesting the hanging of deposed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussain, a group of Muslims Monday burnt effigies of US President George W. Bush here.

The effigies were burnt at a couple of places in the city, including the main Jama Masjid in Sector 20.

The protesters said Bush was anti-Islam and was targeting leaders of the religion.

Courts to deliver crucial judgements this month

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The Supreme Court and other courts in the capital, re-opening Wednesday after winter break, will begin the New Year on a busy note, with verdicts expected in a number of public interest cases, including the so- called tandoor murder case and the murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar.

The apex court is expected to pronounce its verdict on a slew of matters of legal and constitutional import in January. January will also see the Delhi High Court and its subordinate courts taking up adjudication of several high profile criminal suits.

The Supreme Court will witness the change of guard in the middle of January - senior most judge K.G. Balakrishnan is to assume charge as chief justice of India with the retirement of Y.K. Sabharwal.

A nine-judge constitutional bench is likely to deliver its verdict on the apex court's constitutional powers of judicial review of laws put in the 9th schedule of the constitution this month.

Another important matter on which the Supreme Court is likely to deliver its verdict in January involves the issue of disciplinary jurisdictions of the Lok Sabha speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman over MPs in their respective houses.

The court has already completed its hearing on a petition by 11 MPs, challenging their ouster from parliament following their alleged role in the cash-for-query scam of December 2005.

The month is likely to see the high court deliver its verdict on the appeal of former Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma, facing death sentence for the murder of his wife Naina Sahni and later disposing off her body in a tandoor (oven) of a restaurant July 2, 1995.

In what came to be known as "tandoor murder case", Sharma was awarded death sentence by Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Thareja Nov 7, 2003.

His accomplice Keshav Kumar, the manager of the open-air Bagiya restaurant in the premises of the erstwhile Ashok Yatri Niwas, too was convicted and given seven years' rigorous imprisonment. The two have appealed in the high court against the trial court judgement.

Delhi trial courts also have their share of high-profile cases to adjudicate over. A session court at the Karkardooma complex in east Delhi is likely to give its verdict in the case related to the murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar, involving former senior police officer Ravi Kant Sharma.

Shivani was found murdered in her east Delhi flat Jan 23, 1999. The probe revealed that Sharma allegedly eliminated her with the help of professional killers.

Another session court in the Patiala House Court complex with jurisdiction over New Delhi is to continue hearing the case related to Nitish Katara's murder, in which the prime accused are Vikas Yadav, son of Uttar Pradesh politician D.P. Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav.

Katara had been allegedly kidnapped and done to death by Vikas and his accomplices because he did not like the victim's friendship with his sister Bharati Yadav.

Delhi to host festival of short films

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Cine buffs in the capital will get to see a selection of 50 short films at a three-day festival, Twilight 07, from Wednesday.

The festival will start with the Indo-Belgian co-production "Akhnoor", a film on terrorism by Sudipto Sen, which stars Yashpal Sharma in the main lead. It will be followed by Anurag Kashyap's "When God said Cheers" featuring Tom Alter and Cyrus Dastur.

The closing film Friday will be Gitanjali Rao's award winning animation film "Printed Rainbow". The 15-minute film won the critic's award at Cannes Film Festival in 2006.

Organised by the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication, 50 short films in the festival will be screened under two sections - open and competitive. All the screenings will be held at the India International Centre and Alliance Francaise.

"Twilight is primarily aimed at students and young filmmakers," said Shankhajeet De, festival coordinator and a teacher of filmmaking at the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication.

"Our endeavour is to encourage young talent by providing a platform for budding filmmakers and filmmaking students across the country to showcase their creativity and tell a story in 30 minutes. The basic idea of the short films is to experiment with a little money and get recognised," Shankhajeet said in a statement.

Some of the films short listed for the open section are: "Reflections" by Bejoy Nambiar starring Mohan Lal and Juhi Babbar, "Printed Rainbow" by Gitanjali Rao, "Little Terrorist" by Ashvin Kumar, "Cherry on the Top" by Ayesha Sood and Nitya Mehra and "Right Here Right Now" by Anand Gandhi.

A panel of jury chaired by K. Bikram Singh and comprising Deepa Gahlot, Kunal Jhaveri, Siddhrath Srinivasan and K. Karthikeyan will judge the films in the competitive section for eight categories - best direction (fiction/documentary), script (documentary), screenplay (fiction), animation film, cinematography, videography, audiography, editing and mobile films.

The winners will get a cash award as well as trophies. Twilight has also organised buyers who will offer distribution rights for films of merit.

Fill vacancies in soldiers' welfare boards: Antony

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Defence Minister A.K. Antony has urged state governments to fill vacancies in the state and district level soldiers' welfare boards to make them "more responsive to the problems of armed forces personnel, both serving as well as ex-servicemen and their families".

In a letter to chief ministers and Lt. Governors of union territories, the minister regretted that despite past requests for action on a priority basis, "progress on these issues have in most cases fallen short of (expectations)".

This is Antony's second letter to the chief ministers in two weeks and is in line with his promise to ensure that states take measures to resolve the problems that soldiers and ex-servicemen face back home. The army had to face a spate of suicides in the year just ended and many of these were attributed to the non-resolution of soldiers' personal problems.

"I understand that a number of posts continue to remain unfilled (in the Rajya Sainik Boards and Zilla Sainik Boards) for a long time which adversely affects the efficiency and effectiveness of these institutions," Antony wrote.

"There is, therefore, a prime need to have the full strength of personnel in these institutions and ensure that posts did not remain vacant for long."

In this context, he referred to the 26th meeting of the Kendriya Sainik Board on June 28, 2006 at which his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee stressed the need to rejuvenate the boards and remove deficiencies of staff and infrastructure.

Pointing out that the boards at both the state and district levels "are not equipped with the minimum basic facilities in terms of manpower and accommodation", Antony expressed confidence that once strengthened "these institutions can be effectively utilised for attending to the problems of armed forces personnel and give timely feedback (of the problems they face)".

In December, Antony had written to the chief ministers urging "prompt and proactive" action from state governments and the civil and police authorities at the district level to the problems of soldiers and their families.

"Most soldiers come from rural areas and get limited opportunity of visiting their hometown or village. During this short leave period, they have to attend to a number of domestic problems, which include issues relating to property disputes, land (and) unsocial and inimical issues," Antony had written.

"Most of the time they are not able to sort out the problems because of limited time available and the lack of adequate response from the authorities. This, at times, leads to frustration in the minds of the soldiers, which gets accentuated with the hard service conditions and difficult environment in which they are working.

"Ultimately, this affects the morale of the entire force, which you would agree, we can ill afford," Antony maintained in the letter.

Fog plays havoc in capital, air, train services badly hit

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Fog played havoc in the Indian capital on New Year's day, badly disrupting air and rail services and reducing visibility on the roads to a few metres for the better part of the day.

Air and rail travellers in Delhi had a harrowing time at the start of the New Year as 16 domestic flights were cancelled and over 20 trains delayed due to poor visibility.

Many Delhi-bound trains were delayed by between two to 10 hours, a Northern Railways spokesperson said.

At the airport, dense fog had begun settling in from Sunday night forcing airport authorities to reschedule several departure flights and divert many others.

"As the runway visibility was below 200 metres, we had to divert 24 domestic and 12 international flights, mainly to Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad," said a spokesperson of the Delhi International Airport Limited.

Eleven domestic flights were rescheduled Monday morning. There was no flight movement after 10 p.m. Sunday till 7 a.m. Monday morning.

After thick fog enveloped the airport, the authorities put in force their special services like opening the runway that allows flights to land and take off even during fog. It helped seven domestic and 16 international flights arrive as well as eight domestic and five international flights take off.

"Currently the runway visibility is above around 1,000 metres and flights have started taking off at regular intervals. Since morning, 45 domestic flights have taken off and an equal number have arrived. A total of 30 international flights have landed and another 15 have taken off," said the airport spokesman.

Authorities further said that they have made additional seating facilities outside terminal IB and opened additional food and beverage counters for passengers' comfort. However, passengers, who either waited for several hours inside the airport or stayed on board the aircraft, did not agree with what they said.

"It's really pathetic to stay onboard throughout the night in the New Year. First the plane hovered around the Delhi airport for nearly two hours and later got diverted towards Mumbai. But half an hour later, it was announced that we are heading for Kolkata," said a passenger of Malaysian Airlines.

The angry passenger said that fog and poor management spoilt their New Year celebration.

The trains delayed included the Mahananda Express, Farakha Express, Sadbhawana Express, Jammu Mail, Jammu Tawi Jaipur Express and Mumbai-Delhi August Kranti. The Guwahati-Delhi Rajdhani, Bhubaneshwar-Delhi Rajdhani and Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani were also delayed.

The fog situation is unlikely to improve on Tuesday even, the India Meteorological Department has forecast.

"The capital will experience a foggy day tomorrow," an IMD official said, adding that the minimum temperature will hover around 8 degrees Celsius till Wednesday morning.

On Monday, the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 8.7 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal. However, the weatherman said the mercury would dip after Wednesday.

New Year revellers had a torrid time returning home from parties after midnight as a thick shroud of fog made driving virtually impossible in the capital.

Said Gautam Sen, a young professional, who had driven to a party Sunday night with friends: "We had to stay back at our friend's place where we had gone as we could not spot our car in the dense fog when we came out.

"Driving back at that hour would have been simply hazardous. This was probably the worst fog I have seen this year in Delhi."

Rohit Tiwari, who was returning from work from a call centre in Gurgaon in an auto-rickshaw said: "The auto-driver was constantly losing his way as visibility was very poor. A distance that should have otherwise taken 45 minutes took us two hours."

India, Pakistan exchange nuclear lists

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) India and Pakistan Monday exchanged lists of nuclear installations under an agreement intended to prevent attacks on these facilities.

This is the 16th time such lists have been exchanged under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan. The agreement, which was signed in 1988, came into effect in 1991.

"Under the agreement, the two countries, on first January of every calendar year, are to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the agreement," an official statement said.

The first exchange of lists took place on Jan 1, 1992.

Indonesian plane with 102 onboard goes missing

Jakarta, Jan 2 (DPA) A Boeing 737-400 aeroplane with 102 passengers on board went missing in eastern Indonesia Monday afternoon, a rescue official said.

The plane, belonging to Indonesian private airline Adam Air, left the East Javan capital Surabaya for Makassar in South Sulawesi and Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi, according to an official at the Indonesian national search and rescue agency.

"We have reports that the plane lost contact at about 3 p.m.," he said, adding that the plane was scheduled to arrive at Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport at 4 p.m.

The plane was carrying 96 passengers and a crew of six.

Israel eases restrictions on movement in West Bank

Tel Aviv, Jan 2 (DPA) Israel Monday began easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

The move is part of a series of confidence-building measures pledged by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a key meeting last week.

A military spokesperson said that the passage of goods through checkpoints had been eased from Monday morning. Checks for people had also become less strict, with soldiers stopping passengers and cars at random, rather than one by one.

The army however has not yet started removing the promised roadblocks, the spokesperson conceded, saying the easing of movement was being implemented gradually.

Defence Minister Amir Peretz had announced last week the immediate removal of 27 roadblocks, followed by 32 more later.

Kapoor is army vice chief; new heads for two commands

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) In a series of high-level changes, Lt. Gen. Deepak Kapoor Monday assumed office as the Indian Army vice chief in place of Lt. Gen. S. Pattabhiraman, who retired Sunday after four decades of service.

However, since Monday was a holiday, the ceremonial aspects of the taking over will be conducted Tuesday with Kapoor laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti martyrs memorial at India Gate and then inspecting a guard of honour at the Army Headquarters.

In other appointments, Lt. Gen. H.S. Panag replaced Kapoor at the Udhampur-based Northern Command that is tasked with guarding the frontiers with Pakistan and China in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt. Gen. K.S. Jamwal assumed office as chief of the Kolkata-based Eastern Command that is responsible for counter-insurgency operations in the northeast. He succeeds Lt. Gen Arvind Sharma who retired Sunday. Jamwal is the younger brother of Lt. Gen. Anoop Singh Jamwal, who retired late last year as adjutant general at the Army Headquarters.

Lt. Gen M.L. Naidu took over as head of the Shimla-based Army Training Command from Lt. Gen. K.S. Jamwal.

Kapoor is likely to be elevated as army chief when incumbent Gen. J.J. Singh retires in September 2007.

Commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery on June 11, 1967, Kapoor has held important staff and command appointments. An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he has done the higher command and National Defence College courses.

Besides, he represented the country as the chief operations officer for all United Nations Forces deployed in Somalia from 1994 to 1995, for which, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in January 1996.

Kapoor, who took active part in the 1971 operations for the liberation of Bangladesh, was awarded Sena Medal (devotion to duty) in January 1998 for his service as a brigade commander on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was awarded the Ati Vishist Seva Medal for his excellent command of 33 Corps deployed on the Sino-Indian border.

Kapoor has been chief of staff of 4 Corps in the northeast fighting insurgency in Assam. After his stint with 33 Corps, he headed the Army Training Command before moving to the Northern Command.

Panag, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned in December 1968. He has held various instructional, staff and command appointments.

Panag has served with the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan, the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, the School of Armoured Warfare, Ahmednagar, and at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

He had also been chief advisor and chief instructor at the Defence Services Command and Staff College at Lusaka, Zambia, that he helped establish.

He has also held the posts of Director General of Military Training and Additional Director General of Perspective Planning at the Army Headquarters.

Langer joins Warne, McGrath in retirement list

Sydney, Jan 2 (IANS) Australian opening batsman Justin Langer announced Monday that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test starting here Tuesday.

The Test will also be the last outing for leg spinner Shane Warne and fast bowler Glenn McGrath. Langer's western Australia teammate Damien Martyn had quit after the second Test in Adelaide. Warne and McGrath had announced their retirements before the fourth Test in Melbourne.

"It was obviously a tough decision but I know in my heart it's the right thing to do," said Langer. "They say 'go out on your terms and on top of your game' and I think I'm doing that."

Langer is one of Australia's greatest top-order batsmen and has played 104 Tests, scoring 7,650 runs including 23 centuries at an average of 45.26.

The left-hander also formed a successful opening partnership with Matthew Hayden that is ranked as the best in Australian history. The duo featured in six double-century stands.

"This is an emotional time for me ... there hasn't been a moment in the last 20 years when I haven't thought about test cricket so it's a hard decision," he said.

"I've played in an incredible team so I retire from this game having played with some of the greatest players of all time.

"I'm very proud of the partnership I've formed with Matthew Hayden and the friendships I've made with all the other players.

"I love cricket and that's why it's so hard for me to retire," said an emotional Langer.

"I've been fighting this for a long time and to give up the chance to wear the baggy green time again is a difficult thing."

He later added he would continue playing first-class cricket for at least another year with Western Australia, then play county with Somerset in England.

Lula becomes Brazil president for second term

Brasilia, Jan 2 (DPA) Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in for a second consecutive presidential term in Brazil, with promises to accelerate economic growth and to keep the poor at the top of his government's agenda.

"The verbs 'to accelerate,' 'to grow' and 'to include' will rule Brazil over the next four years," Lula said before the country's Congress Monday.

Leftist Lula, 61, was re-elected in late October with around 58 million votes, or more than 60 percent of the valid vote, in the country of over 180 million people.

Despite a long list of scandals, the incumbent eventually beat Social Democrat Geraldo Alckmin by a large margin and obtained a mandate that is set to expire Dec 31, 2010.

The Brazilian president stressed the need for "courage and creativity" to remove the strains that have kept the country's economic growth at an annual average of under three percent a year during his first term.

Last year's 2.6 percent growth rate put Brazil nearly last in the region for 2006, with only troubled Haiti showing a slower rate.

"We have to undo some decisive knots so that the country can use its force and move forward at full speed," said the president of the tenth-largest economy in the world.

However, Lula stressed that his effort to boost the economy will not include excessive public spending, and claimed that "in order to be fast, sustainable and lasting, growth must be coupled with fiscal responsibility".

A former trade union leader and Brazil's first president of working-class origin, Lula promised to keep the welfare of the poor as his top priority.

"My path is to govern for all, but defending the interests of the poorest citizens is what guides us along that way," he insisted.

Minority panel working to set equal riot compensation rates

SEEMA CHISHTI

Posted online: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 0000 hrs Print Email
Huge disparity shows up because decisions by states are often based on politics and public perception

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 1: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is working towards ensuring parity in compensation for victims of communal riots and terror attacks, given the differences it has noticed between compensation for different incidents.
The commission is in the process of compiling data on compensation right from the Nellie massacre in Assam in 1983 to lobby with the Centre. It hopes to establish parity in what is paid out.
The Indian Express has adjusted the figures available with the NCM, factoring in inflation, so as to arrive at the current value of the compensation handed out for some of the incidents since Nellie. The figures establish that there seem to be no ground rules for compensation. (See table)

Recently, the matter of compensation for riot victims was brought to the fore when the UPA found itself in a twist about an announcement regarding new compensation figures for Gujarat riot victims of 2002.
Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal had announced that the government would offer Rs 7 lakh to families that had lost a member in the riots to bring it at par with that announced for the Sikh families affected by the 1984 riots. But he then backtracked in an answer to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha this winter session, saying that �no decision had been taken so far.�
This caused much embarrassment to the Centre.
Several voluntary groups and activists have raised the question of lack of a standard for parity in compensation for victims of all kinds of social violence, whether communal or caste riots or terror attacks.
The NCM hopes by gathering the evidence on what has been the practice so far and the glaring inequalities, it will be able to lobby for a uniform standard across incidents and probably across states too.
While state governments are usually responsible for the major portion of the payments made, the Centre, too, of late, has been chipping in.
Often, there are huge differences in case the deaths occurs in a riot. For example, for the 2002 riots in Gujarat only Rs 1.5 lakh was paid out to each of the government�s list of 1,169 victims.
In contrast, for the Mumbai train blasts just four years later, because of the fact of the deaths taking place in the train, included the amount put out separately by the railways, the total received by each of the 187 dead amounted to nearly Rs 11.25 lakh each.
NCM chairman Hamid Ansari acknowledged that such a drive to persuade the central and state governments on a standard was on, but refused to comment on the numbers just yet. �The exercise of getting exact figures is still going on.�
The state of Uttar Pradesh, according to the data preliminarily collected by the NCM has been one which has not discriminated at least this year between a riot or a terror blast, with victims of the Varanasi attack getting exactly what the victims of the Aligarh riots got this year, irrespective of which community they belonged to - a sum of Rs 5 lakh each.
Interestingly, the (Prevention of) Communal Violence Bill which is yet to be passed by Parliament does not also go into the issue of deciding what a suitable yardstick for compensating a life lost in a communal riot or terror attack. The decision usually is political

Source:
http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/19915.html

Musharraf's 'moderate' madrassas mushroom in Islamabad

Islamabad, Jan 2 (IANS) Forty-two new Islamic seminaries came up in Pakistan's capital last year, a development the government hopes would promote President Pervez Musharraf's advocacy of "enlightened moderation" in disseminating religious education.

Nineteen more madrassas are under process after the government lifted an earlier ban in end-2005, realising that it was "easier to fight terrorism, but not religious extremism", Dawn reported.

Quoting a report of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, the report said 127 madrassas were being run in the capital. Of these, 77 were registered, 42 only in 2006, 31 unregistered and 69 'unauthorised'.

Media reports have earlier said the seminaries resist government control -- and in some cases involving the better off institutions even government funds -- when asked to register and give details of the curricula being taught to the students.

The government has met with only partial success even in keeping foreign students out. Pakistan has traditionally had foreign students come to study Islamic theology. But after 9/11, the Musharraf regime, allegedly under US pressure, sought to discourage madrassas as they have been hotbeds of radical Islamist teaching.

A senior ICT administration official who did not want to be named said the government was "encouraging establishment of those madrassas which were ready to heed to its policy of enlightened moderation".

Under this policy, the managements of new seminaries have to fulfil all the requirements of the religious affairs ministry, prohibiting them from following practices that fan religious hatred and extremism.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has recently said extremism posed a greater challenge than terrorism for the government.

He said: "We have to change the mindset of the students studying in madrassas to overcome the menace of extremism."

The authorities concerned seem reluctant to take action against unauthorised seminaries, fearing the "usual strong reaction" from students.

"Some 12,000 to 15,000 students are studying and residing in all madrassas in Islamabad, and if any action is taken against them, they may become violent and create law and order situation," the official said.

Thousands of seminaries were set up between 1996-2001 by the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leaded by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, leader of opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly and secretary general of the rightwing political alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

These seminaries, mainly along the border with Afghanistan, are located in Balochistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and tribal areas in Waziristan. They had trained thousands of fighters from among the young Afghan refugees who joined the Taliban forces.

Western security experts and media reports have noted that despite Islamabad's denials and government monitoring and controls, this process continues, angering the government of President Hamid Karzai now in charge in Kabul.

There is also domestic fall-out in the form of protests by collective bodies running madrassas and the clergy.

MMA has ridiculed Musharraf's efforts at building a network of 'moderate' madrassahs. Rahman has repeatedly said that he was doing it "under American pressures".

Nadal begins Chennai campaign with a win

Chennai, Jan 2 (IANS) Spaniard Rafael Nadal started his Chennai Open campaign in style when he along with compatriot Bartolome Salva Vidal won the first round doubles match with ease here Monday.

The Nadal-Vidal duo defeated Michael Mertinak and Peter Pala 6-1, 6-3 to sail into the second round at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu stadium.

In the other doubles match, Rainer Schuettler and Tomas Cibulec defeated Christopher Kas and Phillip Petzschner 2-6, 6-3, 10-5 while the Indian duo of Ashutosh Singh and Vishal Uppal lost to Tomas Behrend and Robin Vik 4-6, 4-6.

In the singles, Belgian Xavier Mallise thrashed Danai Udomchoke of Thailand 6-2, 6-2 while Nicholas Mahut edged past Alejandro Falla 7-5, 6-4.

In other matches, Prakash Amritraj lost to Ivo Karlovic 6-7, 3-6 and Simon Greul went down 6-1, 2-6, 3-6 to Kevin Kim.

Nearly 1,000 hurt in Philippines' New Year celebrations

Manila, Jan 2 (DPA) Nearly 1,000 people were injured by firecrackers and stray bullets in the Philippines' countdown to the New Year, the government said Monday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said at least 907 people were reportedly injured from Dec 21 to Dec 31, 2006, 48 percent higher than the recorded injuries for the same period in 2005.

Duque said among the victims, 35 were hit by stray bullets, almost double than the 19 cases reported the previous year.

"The good news is that there were no reported deaths compared to seven the previous year," he said in a press briefing.

New Year's celebrations in the Philippine are marked by Filipinos setting off firecrackers in the belief that the noise will drive away evil spirits and bring them luck.

Some also fire guns into the air at midnight, despite warnings by authorities against the deadly practice.

North Korea plans bigger military in 2007

Seoul, Jan 2 (DPA) North Korea declared Monday that its goal in 2007 is to expand its military as it hailed its October nuclear test.

"Our access to a nuclear deterrent was an auspicious event in the national history as it meant the realisation of the Korean people's centuries-old desire to have national strength no one could dare challenge," the government said in an editorial carried in state-run newspapers.

North Korea would build up its military this year to remain "an impregnable fortress", added the editorial carried in the newspapers representing the Workers Party, military and youth militia.

At the same time, the article said, North Korea must promote the foundation for economic production "to crush down the sanctions and blockades of the imperialists with strong national pride and audacity".

After the Oct 9 nuclear test, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Pyongyang. They followed financial sanctions implemented by the US, which accused North Korea of counterfeiting, money laundering and weapons dealing.

The US sanctions stalled six-nation talks on ending North Korea's nuclear programme for 13 months before Pyongyang's atomic test provided a new impetus for diplomacy, and the talks reconvened two weeks ago in Beijing.

However, because of the gulf between the US and North Korea, the negotiations ended without progress.

Building up the economy was presented as "the main task in the present general march", the editorial said.

Emphasis would be placed on agriculture to resolve chronic food shortages that have plagued North Korea. Mismanagement and natural disasters have made the country dependent on foreign aid for years.

Pakistan has 12 mn Internet users

Islamabad, Jan 2 (IANS) Pakistan has 12 million Internet users, but the net is slow, says the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The number has grown significantly in the last couple of years with service providers moving beyond Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to reach more of the country's 166 million population.

According to the PTA, it is possible to connect homes with Internet at the low rate of Rs.2.50 per hour.

Rajasthan set to rewrite its history

Jaipur, Jan 2 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has sought the help of academicians to rewrite the history of all villages, towns and cities of the state.

Historians will probe and verify the history of all 41,000 villages and 186 cities and towns of the state after talking to the village heads and elders. The project is called "Aapno Dharti, Aapno Log" (our land, our people).

"We have decided to launch the project on Jan 4," State Education Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari told IANS Monday.

According to Tiwari, history written by British author Colonel James Todd is believed to be authentic but is controversial at certain points. He said that history written by Todd would also be corrected.

The newly complied historical data would contain important facts about the particular place, including year of establishment, demographic details, literacy rate, customs and the contribution of the region to the freedom struggle.

The history would also have details of monuments, old idioms and phrases, folk dances and songs of the region.

"The project is scheduled to be completed by next year," said Tiwari.

The minister said that various committees are being constituted to help collect data and study the records available of the area.

Russia blames coalition forces for escalating violence in Iraq

Moscow, Jan 2 (RIA Novosti) The execution of the former president Saddam Hussein has led to escalation of violence in Iraq, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging early Saturday. He was sentenced to death Nov 5 for the 1982 reprisal slayings of 148 Shiite Muslims from a town where assassins allegedly tried to kill the former Iraqi leader.

"Instead of so much needed national reconciliation and concord, the Iraqi people are facing a new wave of fratricide and numerous casualties," spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement Sunday.

He said this fact should be recognized "by all those who have sent troops to Iraq and whose 'coalition liberation mission' resulted in an execution of the former notorious dictator."

Kamynin said that these [coalition] forces are responsible for the current crisis and bloodshed in Iraq.

"A hasty and cruel execution, which its external supporters were not ashamed to broadcast to the whole world, will certainly widen the split in the Iraqi society," he said.

Russia in demographic crisis, to support more births

Moscow, Jan 2 (RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on additional measures for state support of families with children as a long-sought measure to improve the country's demographics, the president's press service said.

According to the new law, a family is entitled to an additional state support in a form of the so-called basic mother (or family) capital in the amount of 250,000 rubles following the birth of a second or and any consecutive child.

In his state of the nation address on May 10, Putin highlighted a demographic crisis as the most serious problem facing Russia and proposed radical measures to deal with it.

The United Nations has warned that Russia's population - which stood at roughly 145 million in a 2002 census - could fall by as much as a third by 2050, and Putin said it was falling at about 700,000 people every year.

In an hour-long speech, the Russian President said demographics were a key issue for Russia's socio-economic development, and identified three ways of dealing with a falling population: higher birth rate, lower mortality rate, and effective migration policy.

To boost birth rates, Putin said monthly child benefits should be raised from 800 rubles to 1,500 rubles ($55) for the first child and mothers should be paid 3,000 ($110) a month for their second child.

He also said the government should give women at least 250,000 rubles ($9,225)
as financial aid following the birth of a second child.

The Russian leader said women could use the benefit to solve housing problems, spend it on the education of their children, or channel it into the funded part of their pensions, adding that the sum should be indexed annually in line with inflation.

Saddam's execution is inhuman : AUDF

Mumbai, Jan 2 (IndianMuslims.info)Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) came strongly against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussian’s execution in Iraq today. Party president Maulana Badruddin Ajmal expressed fullest condemnation to the capital punishment from his Mumbai residence and called the process an ‘inhuman practice’ against Iraqis before the dawn of Eid Al-Adha day.

According to reports former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain has been hanged to death for his war crime against Shiites and Kurd in Iraq. “It is surprising that those who themselves are accused of war crimes and repeated violators of human rights are so hurried to hang Saddam on Eid day� said Maulana Ajmal. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal observes that Saddam’s trial was not conducted fairly and rights of an ‘accused’ were harshly violated by the US led coalition in Iraq. He said, “Saddam’s hanging with face unmasked is utterly inhuman, instead he could be given life sentence or at least delay the execution for few hours for the sake of his children’s Eid�.

Millions of Muslim celebrating Eid today would take this untimely execution, as hostile gesture from the West and history will judge the flawed Dujail trial and this cruel execution harshly, said the AUDF president. “The rushed execution of Saddam Hussain was simply wrong,� he observed. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal further said that no law of common conscious can justify such action and he also appealed to all secular political parties of India to take tough stand against this uncalled for US action. The Maulana assured that AUDF is strongly with those who are democratically protesting against this inhuman act. The AUDF presided demanded that the Indian government should take all possible measures against that barbaric action of US led Iraqi government, condemn it on behalf of Indian Muslims in the toughest terms and take stand against it in all international forums.

Soldiers vandalise police station to free colleagues

Kolkata/New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) New Year celebrations in Kolkata turned ugly when armed army personnel barged into a police station early Monday and assaulted policemen as they freed colleagues arrested earlier on charges of attempted molestation.

In New Delhi, the Indian Army said it had taken "serious note" of the incident and ordered an inquiry into the fracas.

While the army men freed a major and a captain arrested on molestation charges, nine others in the lock up on Kolkata's Park Street boulevard also escaped in the melee.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb has written to the defence ministry describing what happened.

"Armed with SLRs, about 20 army personnel in uniform, including Lieutenant Colonel Pratap Singh and Major Kavi, came in three vehicles -- two Gypsys and a Mahindra - and barged into the Park Street police station and beat up at least 11 cops," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ajay Kumar.

"They ransacked the room of the additional officer-in-charge, broke furniture, wireless sets and snapped telephone wires. The cops sustained bleeding injuries," he said.

"They abused us in filthy language," said the sentry at the police station gate.

Policeman Bidhan Katua sustained serious injuries in the attack and was hospitalised. The army personnel allegedly even whipped the cops with their belts.

Said DCP Kumar: "The two army personnel, who were arrested from a hotel a little before when one of them tried to molest a woman in a star hotel and put in the lock up of Park Street police station, were freed by the rampaging army men. The arrested army personnel had also earlier assaulted the security men of the hotel when they tried to resist the molestation."

In New Delhi, the Indian Army said it had taken "serious note of the incident" and had ordered a court of inquiry, headed by a brigadier.

"We are getting complete details of the two incidents as to who was involved in what manner. There is no question of sparing anyone. We will take whatever action is required after receiving the report of the court of inquiry," Indian Army spokesperson Col. S.K. Sakhuja told IANS.

A defence ministry spokesperson in Kolkata reiterated those found guilty would not be spared.

"If the major and captain arrested on molestation and assault charges are found guilty, they will be punished severely," said Wing Commander R.K. Das.

"The punishment depends on degree of involvement. They (those involved in ransacking) can be demoted, they can lose seniority or be punished otherwise," said Das.

He said the two men arrested by the police belonged to the 3 Madras Regiment based at Salt Lake in Kolkata.

South Australia's Muslims face racial abuse: report

Sydney, Jan 2 (IANS) The Muslim community in South Australia is being racially abused like never before and is under pressure, an Australian government report said.

The finding has prompted the Equal Opportunity Commission, a national independent statutory government body, to launch a new programme to work more closely with the community, according to the Australian newspaper.

"A small minority is behaving in an unacceptable way towards newly arrived Muslims," said Linda Matthews, commissioner of Equal Opportunity, in the report.

"For generations, South Australian Muslims have been an integral part of our community. But in the last five years, the heightened global attention on Islam has seen local Muslims singled out for unfair treatment like never before," she said.

The Equal Opportunity Commission was established in 1986 by an act of the Australian parliament.

Matters that are investigated by the commission include discrimination on the grounds of race, colour or ethnic origin, racial vilification, sexual harassment, marital status, pregnancy or disability.

The commission plays a central role in contributing to the maintenance and improvement of a tolerant, equitable and democratic society, through its public awareness and other educational programmes aimed at the community, government and business sectors.

Truce with Assam insurgent group extended

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The government Monday extended the four-year-old ceasefire with the Assam-based insurgent outfit Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) by a year.

"The suspension of operations agreement between the security forces and Dima Halam Daogah (DHD), a militant outfit operating in Assam, has been extended for a period of one year up to Dec 31, 2007," said a home ministry release.

The government and the DHD had entered into the ceasefire agreement in January 2003 after the insurgent group agreed to give up violence and to seek a solution to its problems peacefully within the framework of the constitution.

The government is currently engaged in tripartite talks, chaired by the home ministry's special secretary (Internal Security), involving DHD and the state government.

DHD primarily comprises Dimasa tribe, a dominant population in North Cachar (NC) Hills district, while Karbis are in majority in the adjoining Karbi-Anglong district. Both the districts have a sizeable presence of other tribes like Kukis, Hamars and Khasis.

While both NC Hills and Karbi-Anglong enjoy a large degree of autonomy under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the constitution, they often witness clashes among various tribal groups including DHD.

Two Lashker guerrillas killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 2 (IANS) Two top leaders of the Lashker-e-Taiba were killed early Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town when security forces bombarded their hideout with mortar fire.

The incident led to tension in the valley's apple rich town, 54 km from here, with Eid festivities coming under a shadow.

According to police, Rashtriya Rifles (RR) troops and special operations group (SOG) cordoned off the Muslim Peer locality and began house-to-house searches Sunday evening.

"The search operation was launched on specific information. The security forces came under heavy fire from two militants hiding in a house," the spokesperson said.

The house was surrounded by the security forces who engaged the militants in a heavy exchange of fire. "The troops used mortar rounds to blast the hideout," said a police official.

He said security forces killed the militants, said to be involved in many killings in north Kashmir. "Two houses were destroyed during the encounter."

Wreckage of Indonesian plane found, 90 dead

Jakarta, Jan 2 (DPA) At least 90 people have reportedly been killed in the crash of an Indonesian commercial airliner whose wreckage was found early Tuesday, said media reports.

An emergency search plane spotted the wreckage of the budget carrier Adam Air flight in a mountainous region of West Sulawesi province, near the town of Poleyali, the Jakarta-based Elshinta radio station reported.

Andre, the town's police chief, said there were 12 survivors and 90 dead among the 102 passengers and crew on board.

The plane, a Boeing 737-400, left Monday afternoon from the East Javan capital Surabaya for Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi. It lost contact at about 3.00 p.m., an hour before it was scheduled to arrive at Manado's Sam Ratulangi airport.

Flight number KI-574 was carrying 96 passengers including seven children and four infants, plus a crew of six, said Hartono of Adam Air's head of safety and security.

Ichsan Tatang, director-general of air communications at the transport ministry, said preliminary information from a Singaporean satellite and other aircraft in the region said the plane had sent out a distress signal in bad weather - heavy rains and strong winds.

Tatang added that the plane, with 45,371 flight hours and 26,725 landings, was airworthy.

'Nepal king starts secret parleys to save crown'

Kathmandu, Jan 3 (IANS) Nepal's King Gyanendra has stepped up secret parleys with royalists to save his crown, reprieved by the delay in installing the new constitution that will remove him as head of state, said a report.

"King begins secret meets at night," a Nepali weekly said Wednesday, saying consultations were going on in full swing inside the Narayanhity royal palace.

The monarch, who faces the abolition of his 238-year-old throne during a decisive election scheduled to be held this year, has met three former prime ministers and an ex-minister, the Jana Aastha weekly reported.

Marichman Singh, who was prime minister during the oppressive panchayat system when the king was supreme and parties were banned, as well as two royalist politicians appointed head of government by King Gyanendra in 2002 and 2003 - Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Surya Bahadur Thapa - are among the royalists who met the king, the report said.

In 2002, King Gyanendra began controlling the government directly after he sacked elected prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and began appointing a succession of premiers of his choice.

Lokendra Bahadur Chand succeeded Deuba and was able to begin peace talks with the Maoists. However, he was forced to resign after continuous opposition by major political parties.

Surya Bahadur Thapa was nominated prime minister by the king after Chand's exit. But he too had to follow Chand after the opposition by the parties continued. Thapa's government was marked by the breaking down of peace negotiations after the army killed unarmed Maoists in violation of the ceasefire.

The consultations revive the memory of 2006 when King Gyanendra was ruling Nepal directly as head of government.

Faced with mounting opposition by the alliance of seven parties as well as the Maoist guerrillas, the king began hectic parleying in March, days before the fall of his government, to appoint a new head of government.

Quoting unnamed sources, the weekly said the palace had also sent emissaries to India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that wants Nepal to remain a Hindu state with the king as its head, to drum up support for the endangered crown.

Besides the three former prime ministers, the king also met Rabindranath Sharma, a former minister who heads a royalist splinter party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal).

Under Sharma's initiative, the faction began a "Save the Crown" campaign since late last year. Several of its rallies, demanding a place for the king in the new constitution, have come under attack by the Maoists.

After King Gyanendra seized absolute power with the help of the army in 2005 and ruled for 15 months, the unpopularity of his regime resulted in the new government pledging to hold a constituent assembly election by June 2007.

The nation will choose an electoral college, which will decide at its first meeting if the 238-year-old Shah dynasty of kings should become commoners with Nepal becoming a republic.

A more imminent peril awaits the king before the election. Once the new constitution is implemented, he will lose his position as titular head of state and the property he has inherited from his ancestors as well as slain brother king Birendra, will be taken over by the government.

However, the new constitution is being delayed due to differences between the Maoists and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

The government says the constitution will not come into effect till the Maoist soldiers lay down their arms under the supervision of the UN, a process that is likely to take several weeks.

"Don't worry. Everything will be all right," the king is reported to have told Chand, who was apprehensive the new constitution would further jeopardise the crown.

An opinion poll conducted by a private television channel this week saw over 50 percent voters blaming Koirala for the delay, while just over 10 percent attributing it to manoeuvres by the palace.

Koirala himself advocates retaining a ceremonial monarch, a stance that is the main cause of rift between him and the Maoists, who are demanding the abolition of monarchy.

15 dead in Sri Lanka bombing, says LTTE

Colombo, Jan 3 (DPA) At least 15 civilians were killed and over 30 injured Tuesday in aerial attacks carried out by the air force in northwestern Sri Lanka, a pro-rebel website said.

Kafir jets bombed Padahuthrai village in Mannar district, 320 km north of here, damaging at least 20 houses, TamilNet said.

Military officials in Colombo denied the allegation, saying the air force was only taking on identified Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targets in the northern and eastern provinces.

There was no immediate independent confirmation about the incident, which is reported to have taken place 24 km away from the military-controlled Mannar town.

On New Year day, at least 10 people, including two policemen and a soldier, were killed in four different attacks in the country's northeast.

2006 was important for Urdu literature and journalism

New Delhi, Jan. 3 (Indianmuslims.info): The year 2006 was important for the march of Urdu literature and journalism towards paving the way for new vistas of progress and advancement. When the trend of e-publications is on its increase all through the year, there was indeed no let-up in the publication of Urdu books of fiction, poetry and criticism besides Urdu papers, magazines and literary journals.

On the one hand there was a considerable increase in the number of Urdu channels spread over the Urdu belts in India, Pakistan, Middle East and Latin America, on the other esteemed Urdu dailies increased the number of their editions.

Some great events related to Urdu continued at regional, national and international levels at different points of time in 2006. Farogh-e-Urdu Council, Sahitya Academy, various Urdu Academies and some public Urdu institutions organised many important seminars, discourses and workshops for the promotion of Urdu language and literature. International Urdu conference, Ghalib seminar, Urdu media conference, Sir Syed seminar, and International Urdu Awards as well as the various programmes organised the country over during Urdu Day.

Some new Urdu dailies like the Hindustan Express from New Delhi and the Aag from Lucknow launched in 2006 are valuable addition to Urdu journalism. Like the Inquilab, Siyasat and Munsif, the Eetemmad has started its e-edition.
Among Urdu TV channels E.T.V. and Doordarshan (India), Aag, Aaj, Jeeo, Ham, Roshni, Rang and P.T.V. (Pakistan) as well as D.M. Digital (UK) are popular. Al-Jazeera Urdu and Sahara Urdu channel are soon to be launched.

The books that added valuable contribution to the treasure of Urdu literature in 2006 are great Urdu critic Professor Gopi Chand Narang’s Wali Deccani and Urdu Bastiyan. In Taraqqi Pasand Rawayyey ke Ma’maar Qamar Rais has made no compromise with the realities of the progressive movement and informed the new generation of these realities.

Shamshur Rahman Farooqui’s Kayee Chand theY Sir Aasman and Salahuddin Parvez’s Ek Hazar Do RateN are popular novels that have left deep imprint on the minds of Urdu lovers. Tareekh-e-Urdu Adab (Wahab Ashrafi), Urdu Afsane aur Tajzeeye (Hamdi Kashmiri), Infradi Shaoor aur Ijtamai Zindagi (Shamim Hanafi), Guzargah-e-Khayal (Sajida Zaidi), Fasane Mintoo ke aur Phir Bayaban Apna (Khalid Ashraf) are also considered successful works in the Urdu literature of the last year.

72 Kashmir policemen were killed in 2006

Jammu, Jan 3 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir police lost 72 of its officers and men in 2006 while playing a "great role" in fighting terrorism.

In his New Year message in a booklet released Tuesday, Director General of Police Gopal Sharma said that the state police had scaled new heights and carved a niche for itself as an ace force in the country.

He said sharpened professionalism and the spirit of sacrifice among men and officers for the unity and integrity of the country had been widely recognised.

The state police was rewarded with a total of 279 medals, 39 of which were President's Police medals for gallantry.

Seven policemen lost their lives while fighting a suicide attack by two terrorists in the busy Lal Chowk area in Srinagar in October last year. Their sacrifice helped the police rescue more than 120 people from hotels, shops and other commercial establishments around the area.

While paying tributes to the sacrifices of such "valiant" men of the force, Sharma assured their families that their "welfare and well being is our prime concern. They are part of the large police family".

Noting that the state police had made a place for itself because of "grit and determination and high degree of professionalism of its officers and men", he added: "This, however, should not make us complacent as we have to work with greater vigour and zeal to achieve our objectives."

A drink a day could cut heart attack risk!

London, Jan 3 (IANS) Moderate intake of alcohol could cut the risk of heart attacks in men suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension, says a new study, though it advises people to consult their doctor as well.

Traditionally, doctors advice people with high blood pressure to increase their activity levels, cut salt consumption and eat fewer high fat foods to reduce the likelihood of suffering a heart attack, stroke or kidney damage.

Researchers led by Joline Beulens of Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied 11,711 men with high blood pressure and suggested that doctors recommend patients to have a daily drink, according to the online edition of Daily Mail.

Participants filled out a questionnaire every four years including details of how often they drank beer, red wine, white wine and spirits. The research team also looked at how many suffered heart attacks, heart disease and strokes between 1986 and 2002.

During this time, a total of 653 suffered heart attacks of which 279 were fatal.

When the scientists linked alcohol use and heart problems, they found that the chances of suffering a heart attack were lower among men who consumed one or two drinks a day.

A drink was defined as being a glass of wine or a single shot of spirits.

Beulens said: "This was the first study to our knowledge that examined the risk of heart attacks among men with high blood pressure who drank moderately.

"Men diagnosed with hypertension probably get a lot of advice on how to change their lifestyle, physical activity and diet. This study indicates that if they drink alcohol in moderation they may not need to change their drinking habits."

However, she urged men not to have three drinks a day, as this increases their blood pressure and risk of an attack.

"Our findings are not a license for men with hypertension to overindulge," she said.

The researchers said it was not possible to say whether the findings applied to women as their study only looked at men.

Australian team succeeds in Antarctic climb

Sydney, Jan 3 (DPA) A four-man Australian team reached the summit of Antarctica's highest peak, Mount Vinson, becoming the first climbers ever to conquer the summit after trekking from sea level, media reports said Tuesday.

The team, led by Adelaide mountaineer Duncan Chessell, reached the 4,900-metre-high summit after a month-long 400-km trek dragging all their supplies in 60 kg sleds across the ice.

"We are all exhausted but exhilarated," Chessell, 36, said by satellite phone after the climb.

"The view, standing alone on the tallest part of the Antarctic, was incredible - you could see almost to the South Pole.

"To stand there and see the hundreds of kilometres we had trekked from the sea, across land never before crossed by people, was humbling."

The push to the top involved a 1,200-metre vertical climb, about eight km of climbing in total, mainly up a very long glacial slope and took seven hours after leaving the high base camp.

Temperatures at the summit fell to minus 35 Celsius.

They stored most of their gear at the base of Mt Vinson and after descending the mountain intend to fly out to South America and then Australia.

Though other climbers, including Australians, have reached the summit of Mt Vinson, none have done so after a trek from sea level.

Awami League alliance to take decision on polls today

Dhaka, Jan 3 (IANS) Two important allies of Bangladesh's Awami League alliance led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina have indicated that they would boycott the Jan 22 general elections, but have left the final decision to her.

Sheikh Hasina will formally declare "a unanimous alliance decision" at a joint press conference on Wednesday, Daily Star Online said.

Leaders of the AL-led "grand alliance", as the media calls it after three more constituents aligned with it last month but did not fully join the 14-party combine, ended a series of meetings Tuesday night to decide on whether to take part in the hotly disputed elections.

Stopping short of saying the grand alliance would decide to "boycott and prevent" the Jan 22 elections, a highly placed but unnamed AL source said there was no environment to go to the polls.

Two former presidents have indicated that they would like to stay away. Former military ruler H.M. Ershad's Jatiya Party (JP) and Liberal Democratic Party of A.Q.M. Badrudozza Choudhury called for elections boycott in resolutions after their presidium meetings and informed the AL leadership of it.

"JP has no existence without Chairman Ershad; as Ershad's nominations were cancelled, we decided not to participate in the elections," JP presidium member and former prime minister Kazi Zafar Ahmed said.

Ershad, whose conviction in a corruption case was upheld by the Supreme Court last month, has found his nominations rejected by the Election Commission.

"But JP is a partner of the grand alliance. What decision they take is final. We only hope they will be empathetic to us," said Zafar, but added, "I see no reason for the grand alliance to go to the polls."

There is considerable pressure on the alliance to contest from domestic quarters as well as envoys of the US, Britain, European Union and others representing Bangladesh's donor nations who are hoping that full participation would ensure a measure of political stability.

Analysts say on this decision depends the credibility of the election, beset by myriad controversies right from the beginning.

Technically, an AL boycott would give the rival alliance led by Begum Khaleda Zia a virtual no-contest victory. But political implications could be vastly different.

AL's non-participation, besides making it a non-election, could also mean violence, since its leaders have said that they would "resist" elections and not allow "a walkover" to the Zia-led alliance, already way ahead in its poll campaign.

The Hasina-led alliance has a long list of preconditions, including one that requires President Iajuddin Ahmed, who is doubling as the chief advisor of the caretaker government, to step aside in favour of someone "neutral".

Awami League, allies to boycott Bangladesh polls

Dhaka, Jan 3 (IANS) Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance decided Wednesday to boycott parliamentary elections scheduled for Jan 25.

It has instead demanded the resignation of President Iajuddin Ahmed, who is doubling as Chief Advisor of the caretaker government that is tasked to conduct the elections.

Ban takes over as UN chief; Nambiar is chief of staff

United Nations, Jan 3 (IANS) Pledging "continuity with change", Ban Ki-moon Tuesday took over as the eighth United Nations secretary general, with former Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar as his chef of staff.

Ban, who succeeded Kofi Annan Jan 1, smiled broadly as he entered the towering landmark UN building on New York's East River for his first official day of work, passing an honour guard and welcomed with applause from staff.

"I am very much overwhelmed by all this warm welcome," he told a crowd of reporters. "Your presence this morning is a vivid proof that the United Nations is much alive in the frontline addressing all the challenges and issues and trying to give hope to all the people around the world," he said.

Besides Nambiar, who brings years of experience in diplomacy - both within and outside the UN - to the job, Ban has named Michelle Montas, an award-winning journalist from Haiti, as spokesperson.

As special advisor to Annan, Nambiar undertook a number of sensitive assignments, including travelling to the Middle East following the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Before joining Annan's team in March, Nambiar was deputy national security advisor to the Government of India and head of the National Security Council Secretariat.

He served as India's permanent representative to the UN in New York from May 2002 to June 2004. Earlier as ambassador of India, he served in Pakistan (2000-2001), China (1996-2000), Malaysia (1993-1996) and Afghanistan (1990-1992). He was also India's ambassador in Algeria from 1985 to 1988.

During the course of his professional career in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the 63-year-old diplomat had served in numerous bilateral and multilateral appointments in Beijing, Belgrade and New York during the 1970s and 1980s.

Nambiar joined the IFS in 1967 and spent his early years in the diplomatic service specialising in the Chinese language serving in Hong Kong and Beijing. He also served during the mid-1970s in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

Announcing Nambiar's appointment Sunday, Ban said, "I have known Mr. Nambiar for a long time and we share deep confidence and respect for each other."

Montas, the current head of the French unit of UN Radio, served previously as spokesperson for the General Assembly president in 2003.

These "appointments will serve as a solid basis for establishing my team and pursuing a programme of reform of the Secretariat to provide continuity along with change", said Ban promising to name more members of his team in the coming days.

Blair cites India challenge in New Year message

London, Jan 3 (IANS) Citing the challenge posed by growing economies of India and China, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for making Britain's economy "even more dynamic and competitive".

In his final New Year message to the nation as prime minister - he has announced that he will step down this year - Blair noted that the world was a different place when he took over as prime minister in 1997.

"Ten years ago, few people talked about the need to secure long-term energy supplies, the challenge and opportunities thrown up by the growth of the Chinese and Indian economies or advances in genetics. Already we can see the shape of things to come.

"We need to make our economy even more dynamic and competitive - taking advantage of the new areas of bio-science and environmental technology, as well as deepening our strong financial services and creative industrial base".

Listing several achievements by his government over the years, Blair said the party will continue to be at the centre-stage of British politics and win a fourth successive term in office if it followed the path of New Labour.

Blair's message is seen as advice to his successor, widely believed to be Chancellor Gordon Brown, to continue his legacy after he steps down this year. Blair said: "New Labour set a new political course for our nation. Others now have to develop variations on our basic theme.

"In 1997, New Labour vowed to prove that economic prosperity and social justice were goals which were complementary, not in conflict. I believe in 2007, we have shown a country can be prosperous and compassionate".

In what is seen as a veiled warning to Brown, Blair stated: "This is the most difficult time for any government. Nine years into power, mid-term in a third term, Labour has never been in this position before. But the Labour Party should take heart. It is dominating the battle of ideas. It will continue to do so provided it continues to be New Labour.

"Ambition and compassion: the combination of those instincts remain the basis of New Labour's three successive victories. They remain the basis of a fourth".

In 1997, Blair was the youngest prime minister of the 20th century, when he came to power at the age of 43. In February 2005, he became the Labour party's longest-serving prime minister.

British tourist killed in Konkan village

Pune, Jan 3 (IANS) A British tourist was murdered by infuriated residents of a coastal village in the Konkan region of Maharashtra for allegedly molesting a woman, police said Tuesday.

The murder occurred Dec 10 but came to light after the British media reported it Monday. It now transpires the police had quietly handed over the body to the British mission in Mumbai, which shipped it home.

"Stephen James Bennett was murdered by an angry mob from Malsai village (in Raigarh district) Dec 10. The police, who were informed of the incident, recovered the body that was hung from a tree in the nearby jungle on Dec 11," the district's Additional Superintendent of Police Madhukar Talpade told IANS over telephone.

He did not say why the incident was kept under wraps for so long.

Four men have been arrested for the murder. Talpade identified them as Ramesh Maruti Mene, 38, his younger brother Vithobha Maruti Mene, 21, Chindia alias Nathram Ganapath Mohite, 35, and Kashinath Sitaram Marathi, 40.

They have been in police custody since then, while a hunt is on for two other accused who are absconding.

"The body was taken to the (government-run) J.J. Hospital in Mumbai, where a post mortem revealed that the victim died due to head injuries and wounds on the neck," the police official said, adding the body was handed over to the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai Dec 15.

Talpade said Malsai village council chief Gnaneshwar Arjun Malusane had informed police Dec 11 that a body of a foreigner was seen hanging on a tree.

Police investigations revealed that the incident took place when Ramesh's wife Nirmala Maruti Mene had gone out to answer nature's call early Dec 10 the foreigner accosted her.

"The frightened woman ran back to her home and soon Bennett came knocking on her door. Her husband Ramesh and his brother Vithobha attacked Bennett," the police officer said, adding that a mob soon gathered and beat the victim with sticks before hanging his body from a tree.

He said police found a British passport and a Margao (Goa)-Mumbai train ticket of Dec 3 in Bennett's pocket.

Central government panel to probe Nithari killings

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) The Indian government Wednesday formed a high-level committee to probe the killing and sexual assault of at least 20 children at Noida on the edge of the capital.

The four-member committee comes a day after the National Human Rights Commission sent the government a notice over the macabre crime saga that has claimed the lives of the children from Nithari village in Noida.

The committee would be chaired by Manjula Krishnan, joint secretary in the women and child development ministry, and include J.S. Kochher, a director in the same ministry, V.N. Gaur, joint secretary (police) in the home ministry, and Balvinder Kumar, secretary of department of women and child development, Uttar Pradesh.

"The committee has been asked to look into the efforts made by the local administration, especially police, to locate the missing children and unite them with their families," said a ministry statement.

The committee will submit its findings within two weeks and also give its recommendations on how to prevent such incidents in future.

Since Dec 29, Noida police have uncovered skeletal remains of at least 20 children - most of them minor girls - from a drain behind the bungalow of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher. Over the last two years, 38 children have been missing from Nithari villagem, just 100 metres away from the house.

Police have arrested Moninder Singh and his domestic help Surendra on charges of killing the kids after sexually assaulting them. Nithari is home to over 25,000 people - mainly migrants from West Bengal.

According to the ministry, the committee would also assess the level of cooperation and assistance provided by the local administration, especially by police to the community, affected parents and families.

"It would also go into the modus operandi and the motive of the accused persons into these activities."

Renuka Chowdhury, who heads the ministry of women and child development, said: "It is a horror story, and I hope (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Mulayam Singh Yadav will cooperate in the investigations. I am going to get to the bottom of the story."

Chennai Open: Nadal maintains winning run

Chennai, Jan 3 (IANS) Spaniard Rafael Nadal again stamped his authority on the second day of the Chennai Open ATP tournament by beating German Rainer Schuttler in straight sets in a first round singles match Tuesday.

Nadal came through 6-4, 6-2 to register his second consecutive win after teaming up with compatriot Bartolome Salva-Vidal to win their first round doubles match Monday.

Vidal, however, wasn't lucky Tuesday as he went down 6-2, 3-6, 5-7 to Austrian Stefan Koubek. Another Spaniard, Carlos Moya maintained his fine run by defeating Alexander Waske 7-6, 6-3.

It was good news for India, as Karan Rastogi thrashed Brazilian Thiago Alves 6-3, 6-4.

In other matches, Italian David Sanguinetti defeated qualifier Konstantinos Economidis of Germany 6-4, 6-3 while Russian Igor Andreev outplayed another qualifier Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 7-6, 6-3. German Bjorn Phau defeated Frenchman Olivier Patience 6-4, 6-4.

In the only doubles match of the day, the Croatian duo of Ivo Karlovic and Lovro Zovko defeated Jeff Coetzee of South Africa and Dutchman Rogier Wassen 6-3, 6-4.

Cold wave kills at least 10 in Nepal

Kathmandu, Jan 3 (IANS) A cold wave sweeping the terai plains in southern Nepal has killed at least 10 people and rendered dozens ill while thick fog has disrupted domestic as well as international flights.

Temperatures began dropping since Saturday in the sunny plain districts where mostly people of Indian origin live.

They are also among the poorest, and the lack of warm clothes and proper accommodation combined to kill at least 10 people, Nepal's official media said Wednesday.

Television reports showed homeless people huddling round fires to keep warm at night.

The victims ranged from young men to a 97-year-old woman, reports said. At least five deaths occurred in Siraha district in southeastern Nepal. The government hospital in Siraha reported a rise in pneumonia cases, especially among children.

With a thick fog reducing visibility, both domestic and international flights have been disrupted.

On Tuesday, the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu remained closed till 11.30 a.m. as visibility dropped to 800 m. At least three Indian Airlines flights from Kathmandu were affected Tuesday, Kantipur TV channel said.

On Wednesday morning, at least three international flights of Gulf Air, Druk Airlines and Nepal Airlines could not take off due to the fog.

The domestic airport at Simra in frontier Bara district has been closed due to bad weather since Saturday, state-run Nepal Television said Wednesday. The disruption of flights had hit Indians hard.

At least 11 mountain flights meant for tourists to enjoy a view of Nepal's peaks from air were cancelled Wednesday, as were several domestic flights.

Court directs committee to probe Kerala temple body graft

Kochi, Jan 3 (IANS) A division bench of the Kerala High Court Tuesday appointed a three-member high level team to probe corruption charges against the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that runs many temples in the state, including the famous Sabarimala shrine.

The bench comprising Chief Justice V.K. Bali appointed a committee led by former Supreme Court judge K.S. Paripoornan, former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director D.R. Karthikeyan and former judge Tulasidas and asked them to submit a report in six months.

The bench gave the verdict in response to a series of petitions alleging large scale corruption in appointments and purchases by the Devaswom board in the past three years.

The TDB manages and runs temples in the southern districts of Kerala, including the money-spinning Sabarimala temple which is expected to net revenue of more than Rs.1 billion in the ongoing festival season that closes Jan 20.

The previous Congress-led United Democratic Front appointed the present three-member TDB board after it assumed power in 2001.

Critics blast Schwarzenegger's inauguration party plans

Sacramento, Jan 3 (DPA) California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to celebrate his re-election with a two-day Hollywood-style party that will cost over a million dollars, drawing criticism from advocates for consumer and taxpayer rights.

The centrepiece of the extravaganza will be the former movie star's swearing-in Friday in front of about 3,000 guests at Sacramento's historic Memorial Auditorium, where guitarist and singer Jose Feliciano will perform the national anthem.

The official event will be preceded by a swanky private dinner for big political donors the night before. It will be followed by a spate of luncheons and a gala ball costing $500 each.

The entire event is being organised by Carl Bendix - responsible for lavish events like the Academy Awards Governor's Ball, which is regarded the most prestigious party following the Oscars each year.

Schwarzenegger is not allowing his broken thigh to interfere with the festivities. He said in a recent statement that he is looking forward to the event, "even if it means I have to walk into my swearing-in ceremony on crutches".

But with the cost of the parties being met by donors, critics claim that the events will leave the governor indebted to organisations that will be affected by his administration.

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said the parties were being funded by an "inauguration slush fund" that offered "secret access to the governor and legislators".

The governor's staff, however, insists that he will not be swayed by the donations, which save taxpayers expense.

Schwarzenegger "acts in what he believes to be the best interests of the people of California", said spokesperson Julie Soderlund.

"Those who contribute do so because they believe in his vision for the future of the state."

Death toll from Indonesian floods reaches 124

Jakarta, Jan 3 (DPA) The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia's Aceh and North Sumatra provinces has risen to 124 as search teams continued to find bodies among the wreckage, officials said Tuesday.

At least 170 others remained missing and were feared dead, while over 400,000 residents were displaced in the Dec 22 disaster that also affected parts of Malaysia.

Relief workers finally reached communities cut off after roads and bridges were washed away, using helicopters to drop emergency supplies, officials said.

"We delivered all the aid needed by survivors and refugees by land and helicopter," said Suwarno, an Aceh province government official.

In Aceh, at least 76 people were killed and 163 remained missing after raging water, as high as rooftops in many areas, swept through eastern and northern villages in the province.

"In general, the refugees are still in a poor condition because now various diseases are attacking them, such as respiratory problems," Iqbal, a relief worker with the Indonesian Red Cross, said from Tamiang district in Aceh province.

"Fifty people were killed just in Tamiang district," he said, adding that 17,000 people were in refugee camps there.

In neighbouring North Sumatra province, 33 people were killed in a landslide and 15 others died in flash floods, said Edy Sofyan, a local government spokesperson. At least seven people remained missing after the landslide.

Sofyan said over 44,000 residents of the province were forced to flee their homes.

"Aid has gone to those who need it, and at the time being we are preparing emergency temporary schools for students who are to come back from (end-of-year) vacations," Sofyan added.

Authorities have blamed heavy rains as well as the effects of deforestation for the destruction. Lack of adequate forest cover leaves the ground less able to absorb excess water, putting local communities in danger.

Each year in Indonesia, tens of thousands of people are forced to flee their homes during the rainy reason and move into temporary shelters because of flooding.

Delegates from 42 countries coming for diaspora conclave

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Around 950 delegates from India and 42 other countries have registered for the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2007, the annual conclave of the Indian diaspora, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Vigyan Bhavan Jan 7.

Over 160 delegates from India alone have confirmed their participation in the event being organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)).

The event is expected to act as a platform for networking between overseas Indians and their native country.

The focus areas in the fifth edition of PBD, which has the theme 'Rooting for the Roots', would be social issues and how Indians abroad can contribute to India's development. There will be dedicated sessions on education, healthcare, women, youth and investment.

Among the prominent overseas Indians coming for this year's event are management guru C.K. Prahalad, who will be a panelist in the plenary session on challenges of India's development in the global context, and Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) chairman Thomas Abraham, who will speak on how to engage PIOs in India's development process.

A working session on healthcare in the context of India's development will see Dr. Subramaniam Balasubramaniam, president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), and Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, special assistant on bio-defence to US President George W. Bush, participating.

Malaysia's Works Minister and Malaysian Indian Congress president Samy Vellu, a person of Indian origin, will be the guest of honour in a plenary on 'How to get $1.5 trillion of capital investment into India'.

Sam Pitroda, chairman of India's Knowledge Commission, will be the chief guest in a plenary that will look into how India can leverage the knowledge skills of its diaspora.

The chief ministers of Bihar, Delhi - the partner state for the event - Haryana and Gujarat will be attending the interactive sessions with states that are being organised with the view to explore partnership and investment opportunities in the states.

This year, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar will be attending the event as the chief guest.

Sessions apart, cultural programmes are also being organised in the evening on all three days. This will include an evening on folk dances of India, a dance performance by well-known Malayali cine actress Shobhana, another by Hindi film choreographer Shiamak Davar's troupe and a sarod recital by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash.

PBD is the flagship event of the MOIA. It aims to connect the 25 million-strong Indian diaspora spread across 110 countries.

Democrats set to rule Congress, confront Bush

By Tony Czuczka

Washington, Jan 3 (DPA) Democrats, who will rule Congress after 12 years out in the cold, plan swift challenges to US President George W. Bush's conduct of the Iraq war and a 100-hour flurry of legislation designed to appeal to middle-class Americans.

For Bush, the new House of Representatives and Senate convening Thursday at the white-domed Capitol in Washington will create an inhospitable environment during the last two years of his presidency.

For new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 66, it was party time as she prepared to officially take over as the first woman in the high-level post.

The Democrat from San Francisco has raised eyebrows with three days of events celebrating her Italian roots, Roman Catholic faith and East Coast childhood. US media likened the build-up to a coronation and interpreted it as a bid to shift her reputation from a left-leaning Californian towards the political centre.

With Bush's Republican Party reeling from its defeat in November congressional elections, Pelosi's opening speech Thursday is set to kick off a critical month for US policy in Iraq.

Bush is expected to present a new war strategy in January, most likely before his annual State of the Union speech to Congress on January 23.

He ordered the strategy review after US voters lifted Democrats into control of both chambers for the first time since 1994 on a platform calling for an exit plan from Iraq.

Newly empowered to set the congressional agenda, Democrats planned to begin hearings as early as next week on the administration's decision-making in the war in Iraq - a stage for likely confrontation in the months ahead.

Pelosi immediately took aim at Bush over Saturday's execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, saying "it is not a substitute for an effective strategy that will bring peace to the region and allow the responsible redeployment of US forces".

The centre-left Democrats say they are more attuned to the worries of average Americans than Republicans, who were dogged at the polls by slumping popular support for Bush and the war he launched in 2003.

Bush still holds broad powers to set foreign and military policy. And while the Democrats have a 16-seat edge in the House, they won only a minimal 51-49 majority in the Senate, limiting their room for manoeuvre.

Still, with no easy solution in sight for Iraq, the Democrats have focussed their debut primarily on domestic issues.

First on the agenda is legislation designed to limit the influence of money-wielding lobbyists and interest groups on lawmakers. Another planned measure Republicans will find hard to oppose is the first increase in the national minimum wage in a decade.

In the first 100 working hours of the new Congress, House Democrats also plan to pass measures to promote stem-cell research for disease cures, expand government programmes for old-age health benefits and student loans, cut Republican tax breaks for oil companies and step up anti-terrorist security.

"From energy independence to national security, 2007 promises to be a very busy year, and by working together, there's no limit to what we can accomplish," said Democratic Senator Evan Bayh.

How much the Democrats achieve depends not only on the Republican opposition and Bush's veto pen, but also on how the 2008 presidential campaign plays out in the US legislature. Two top likely contenders for the Democratic Party's nomination - former first lady Hillary Clinton and rising star Barack Obama - sit in the Senate.

Pelosi's schedule before her swearing-in as House speaker included stops in the working-class neighbourhood of Baltimore, the city 65 km northeast of Washington where her father was mayor; a Mass at the women's college where she studied; and dinner at the Italian Embassy in Washington.

The festivities met with sarcasm in conservative circles.

"What? No fireworks?" Mike Murphy, a Republican political consultant, told the Washington Post.

Dense fog hits air, train services in Delhi again

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Several flight and train schedules were disrupted for the third consecutive day Wednesday as thick fog enveloped the capital and the mercury dipped below normal.

"Flight schedules were disrupted since late Tuesday forcing airlines to cancel nine flights - one arrival and eight departures - till early this morning," said a spokesperson of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

Passengers were stranded for hours at the airport owing to the rescheduling of flights. Seven international flights and 15 domestic flights were diverted to places like Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur and even Mumbai.

"Despite knowing the weather conditions for the last few weeks, authorities did not inform us in advance and for hours their Helpline numbers were not working," a passenger lamented.

Authorities, however, said the situation improved after 7.30 a.m. "The runway visibility was above 2,000 metres by 10 a.m. Flights are landing and taking off normally now," he said.

Officials in the Northern Railways also said that over 24 trains were running between 3-19 hours late.

"Over two dozen trains, mostly Delhi bound, were running late and four trains were cancelled," said a railway spokesperson.

The trains running behind schedule include Mahananda Express (19 hours), Sultanpur-Delhi Express (14 hours), Farakka Express (eight hours) and Jammu Taiwi Express (six hours).

Those cancelled are New Delhi-Amritsar intercity express, Jalandhar-New Delhi intercity, Srigangar-New Delhi intercity express and New Delhi Bhatinda intercity express.

The capital recorded a minimum of 6 degrees Celsius, one notch below normal. On Tuesday Delhi recorded a maximum of 14.6 degrees (7 degrees below normal) and a minimum of 8.6 degrees (2 degrees above normal).

"The temperature will dip further over the weekend but Delhi will mainly witness a clear sky till Friday morning," said S.C. Bhan, director of India Meteorological Department.

Energy ministers from 11 nations to attend Petrotech

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Energy ministers from 11 countries including Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran, Myanmar and Sudan are expected to attend India's biennial oil and gas meet Petrotech, which will focus this year on all aspects of energy business and its impact on society.

"Energy ministers from 11 oil- and gas-rich countries will be attending the Petrotech 2007," said Petroleum Secretary M.S. Srinivasan at a press briefing ahead of the five-day 7th International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, also called Petrotech 2007, beginning Jan 15.

"For the first time, the energy ministers from Venezuela, Nigeria and Iran will be addressing the Petrotech," he said.

The large ministerial attendance at the meet is a testimony to the changing perception about India as "an under-explored country and not an under-endowed country", said Srinivasan.

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India for the Republic Day celebrations Jan 26, a technical team from Russia will attend the Petrotech 2007 as part of efforts to boost the bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.

Keen to expand its participation in Russian exploration activities, India is awaiting opportunities to pick up equity stakes in more exploration fields expected to come up for auction. India currently holds a 20 percent stake in Russia's Sakhalin-1 field that has commenced oil and gas production.

Showcasing India's potential in the oil and gas sector including exploration, the Petrotech 2007 will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Around 4,000 delegates including 400 from overseas will attend the meet.

In a simultaneous exhibition being organised in association with Britain's Spearhead Exhibition Ltd, a record 139 participants including 44 from abroad have registered, said A.K. Hazarika, chairman of the Petrotech organising committee.

Focusing on the theme of linkages between energy, economy, equity and ecology, the Petrotech 2007 will for the first time see a special ministerial plenary session that will focus on issues of energy security.

The four-day conference will also touch upon the ongoing debate on renewable sources of energy, technology and innovation in retail, gas business and energy supply security in the future.

FBI confirms prisoner abuse at Guantanamo

Jan 3,IMI, A survey of 493 FBI personnel who were asked whether they observed aggressive mistreatment, interrogations or interview techniques of GTMO yielded 26 positive responses and several additional responses that were "not purely negative." These responses culminated in a 9/2/04 request through FBI's OGC to conduct a "GTMO, Counterterrorism Division, Special Inquiry" re 9 of the incidents identified. The conclusion was that there was no FBI involvement in the target interview techniques -- only outside entities. Following is a list of the positive and "not purely negative" responses that prompted the inquiry. Note that these documents have been vetted by both DoD and FBI, and that FBI believes this or substantially similar information has already been released in this litigation.

FBI personnel reported either witnessing or being told about included:

Placing a detainee in a darkened cell with the intent of interrogating him for 24 hours straight; the witness reported being told that then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had approved this technique.

Keeping detainees awake for days on end with strobe lights and loud music.

Dressing as a priest and "baptizing" a detainee.

Subjecting a detainee to a lap dance by a topless female guard.

Interrupting detainees' attempts to pray by putting fluid on their faces and telling them it was menstrual blood.

Beating a detainee who said he had recently undergone abdominal surgery.

Full FBI report: http://foia.fbi.gov/guantanamo/122106.htm

Find eco-sustainable energy, PM tells scientists

Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu), Jan 3 (IANS) Ecologically sustainable supply and use of energy resources is one of the biggest challenge to which scientists in India must find answers for, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.

"The human race has been able to discover and invent new sources of energy that have benefited life on earth. But these also endanger life and our planet," the prime minister told the 94th Indian Science Congress here.

"We depend on our scientists and engineers to find ways and means of meeting our energy requirement in ecologically sustainable ways. This is a major development challenge facing us," he said in this temple town 225 km south of Chennai.

"India must find alternative sources of energy supply. We will need bio-fuels, solar energy, photo voltaic, nuclear and almost all sources, which do not burden the conventional sources of energy supply," he said.

At the same time, the prime minister said the assurance of energy security was a managerial and technological challenge that needed investments in billions of rupees but the return on this investment was far from adequate.

Speaking at the Annamalai University campus, Manmohan Singh said three was also an urgent need to upgrade the country's monsoon forecasting system, especially in rural areas, since this annual phenomenon remained unpredictable.

"The science of climate change is still nascent. This is why Indian scientists must engage in exploring the links between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. You must also examine its impacts on our monsoons."

The prime minister said that Chidambaram town, home to the imposing Nataraja temple, was an appropriate venue for the congress since it was a reminder of what this year's theme was all about - "Planet Earth".

"We in India hold the five ele