10 February 2007
By Amulya Ganguli
It is not the best of times for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
First, the poster boy of the Hindutva brigade was summarily shunted out of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) parliamentary board by the party's new president, Rajnath Singh, in a move which seemingly had the blessings of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Secondly, a film on the Gujarat riots of 2002, "Parzania", which cannot be shown in the state because it has earned the wrath of militant Hindu organisations, has confirmed that the state remains in the grip of these anti-minority groups.
"Parzania" is based on the real life story of a Parsi boy, with the Muslim-sounding name of Azhar, who has been missing since 2002. But the people of Gujarat will not be able to see it because of threats from the RSS-affiliated Hindu supremacist organisations like the Bajrang Dal.
"Parzania" is not the first film to face such a "ban" because of mob rule. Aamir Khan's "Fanaa" also could not be shown because of Khan's support for an agitation in favour of those displaced by the Narmada dam.
Although "Fanaa" has nothing to do with the dam, which is one of the showpieces of the Modi government, the mere fact of Khan's involvement in what is portrayed as an anti-dam movement was enough for the belligerent Hindu outfits to take to the streets, with the police looking on as helpless spectators.
"Parzania", too, depicts this supine role of the police during the riots under orders from the ruling politicians. It is a portrayal too close to the truth for the comfort of the Modi government. Although the government did offer promises of protection to the multiplexes and other cinema owners if they showed the film, they were not convinced, presumably because of their experience during the riots when the saffron cadres vent their wrath on the Muslims with the tacit connivance of the police.
Not surprisingly, the cinema owners have had no hesitations about showing a film, "Black Friday", on the Mumbai blasts of March 1993 carried out by Islamist terrorists. While the heinous acts of the latter can be freely exhibited, the depredations of the Hindu extremists have to be kept from the public eye.
What these events demonstrate is that for all of Modi's claims about a vibrant Gujarat, the prevailing state of affairs is far from normal. The state is not only riven by a tense communal divide, but is also vulnerable to lumpen elements of the saffron brotherhood whose pronouncements on what the ordinary people can see or do cannot be ignored.
The industrialists may have recently evinced considerable interest in investing in Gujarat, having been persuaded by the Modi government to overcome their earlier reservations about the volatile communal situation, but the "Parzania" episode cannot but induce second thoughts.
The unofficial "ban" on the film shows that rabid organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal evidently consider themselves to be above the law. They have acquired this arrogance ever since the BJP came to power in 1997 and declared its intention to turn Gujarat into a virtual Hindu rashtra (state) - a dream nurtured by the RSS about the entire country.
The Christians were the first targets in the Dangs area where churches were attacked over a period of more than a year. But these were relatively minor incidents compared to the two-month-long anti-Muslim pogroms of 2002 when 2,000 people were killed. Not only that, there was overwhelming evidence of police inaction both during and after the riots.
If, as "Parzania" shows, the police were in "collusion with the rioters", according to a review of the film, the collusion persisted even after the riots when 2,000-odd cases were hurriedly closed because the miscreants were said to be absconding or because the witnesses turned hostile.
The "failure" of the police to nab the guilty was so blatant that the Supreme Court had no option but to reopen all the cases, apart from transferring some of the more infamous ones for trial outside Gujarat.
"Parzania" is not the only film to have been made on the riots. Another film, "Dev", starring Amitabh Bachchan and Om Puri as the good and bad cops, also shows instances of police complicity at the behest of the politicians.
But if the militant Hindu outfits have found "Parzania" particularly offensive, the reason perhaps is its focus on a single tragic incident - the mob attack on the Gulbarga housing society. Azhar's parents hoped that the film might help them to find their son. But now their hopes have been dashed.
There is little doubt that Modi's inability to let the film be shown will undermine his "strong man" image, which he has been trying to build up about himself. If he has bowed to the threats of the Bajrang Dal, it means that he is wary of a confrontation with it. After all, organisations like these provide muscle power to the BJP during the elections.
And the chief minister's helplessness means that the investors cannot place much faith in his ability to control the situation in case of another communal outbreak.
In either case, the chief minister's efforts to take Gujarat along the path of development, in which he has had some notable successes, will suffer a setback.
For the BJP, the film is yet another example which shows that its association with violent anti-minority acts, such as the demolition of the Babri mosque or the Gujarat riots, will continue to haunt it in the foreseeable future.
Bangkok, Feb 10 (NNN-TNA) The first group of local officials are set to undergo intensive cultural and communications training as part of the government's fresh attempt at improving the quality of life and public safety in the southern border provinces.
The course is to provide government staff with a working knowledge and understanding of Muslim customs, traditions and ways of life, as well as to teach them more effective communication skills.
Under the plan, government officials and local administrators from various agencies would make frequent community visits and open dialogue with religious and village leaders to strengthen community relations and to restore trust between government officials and southern residents.
The first group of officials will begin work in 88 targeted locations in the southernmost provinces next month, according to Pranai Suwannarat, head of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre. The
centre was re-established by the interim government after the September coup to restore links between leaders in the south and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont last month vowed to bring back peace and stability to the region, saying that his government was fully equipped to tackle the insurgency and public concerns about safety.
Despite the interim government's shift away from the previous administration's hard-line policies, insurgency-related violence --involving arson, bombings, and shootings -- not only continues but
appears to be on the rise.
Human Rights Watch reports that separatists increasingly target civilians, particularly Buddhists living in the Muslim-majority provinces. The latest casualty on Thursday was a 72-year-old Buddhist rice miller in Pattani who was beheaded by suspected militants.
Patna, Feb 10 (IANS) Police have recovered a huge quantity of explosives in Bihar's Gaya district Saturday evening.
According to Amit Jain, Superintendent of Police, Gaya district, police have recovered 1,500 kg of explosives from a village in the Mohanpur police station area, about 125 km from here, considered to be a stronghold of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist. No one has been arrested in this regard.
Police suspect that Maoist guerrillas had dumped the explosives used for manufacturing can-bombs and landmines.
Investigation was going on to establish details of explosives recovered.
Jakarta, Feb 10 (NNN-ANTARA) As many as 252 people died of dengue fever outbreaks in Indonesia early this year while the number of dengue cases in the country has reached 15,005, Health Ministry spokesperson Lily S Sulistyowati said at a press conference here on Friday.
She said 27 people meanwhile had died in 1,807 cases recorded across the country this month.
She said West Java saw the largest number of dengue cases, followed by Jakarta, East Java and Central Java.
Dengue fever outbreaks remained a serious threat, especially in Jakarta following the recent floods in the capital city, she said.
Because of the floods there was a significant increase in various diseases such as diarrhea and skin disorders among Jakarta city residents, she added.
Bangkok, Feb 10 (NNN-TNA) A total of 64 companies will be listed on the Thai bourse this year due to improved investor confidence, the new government-sponsored infrastructure megaprojects and high expectation that local interest rates will drop, said Patareeya Benjapolchai, president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
Forty of the firms will be listed on the main SET board while the remainder will be listed with the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI), she said.
The investment climate on the SET has improved, enabling entrepreneurs to join the bourse in a bid to mobilise funds, Mrs. Patareeya said. Also, investors have regained confidence after the government
has decided to invest on infrastructure mega-projects.
The government on Tuesday approved five new mass transit rail lines for Bangkok. This year's profit growth for listed firms is anticipated to be around 4-5 per cent, almost the same as projected national
economic growth, on declines in oil prices and interest rates, she said.
The SET index is soon expected to reach 730 which was the the highest level in mid-December last year just before the Bank of Thailand (BoT) announced its strict 30 per cent reserve requirement of capital
inflows in order to prevent the Thai baht from rapid appreciating against the US dollar.
On Friday, the SET index gained 3.99 points to close at 695.27 on a total turnover of Bt17.79 billion.
Meanwhile, SET board chairman Vijit Supinit said he was optimistic that the SET index could advance to 750 in the middle of this year and rise further to 800 by late 2007 on continued foreign inflows.
Mr. Vijit said positive factors still prevailed on the Thai stock market, including a clearer government plan to invest on mega-projects, profits of listed firms continued rising and price/earnings ratio was as low as 8 times which was much lower than regional markets.
Gondia (Maharashtra), Feb 10 (IANS) Gautam Adani, chairman of the diversified Adani Group, has promised to set up a power plant in eastern Vidarbha even as frantic efforts were being made to tide over an unprecedented power crisis dogging Maharashtra.
Groundwork for the proposed Rs.800 billion project will start in the first week of April at Tiroda, bordering the two rice-growing districts of Bhandara and Gondia, and the plant will be ready in three years, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar announced here Friday.
The head of the Adani Group, which includes Gujarat Adani Energy Ltd, Adani Willmar Ltd, Gujarat Adani Port Ltd and the Mundra Special Economic Zone, was present when Pawar made the surprise announcement.
Pawar was speaking at a function to release a postal stamp in the memory of late Manoharbhai Patel, father of Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, in which a galaxy of businessmen and industrialists like Uday Kotak, Shishir Bajaj, Sajjan Jindal, Shailendra Mittal and Harsh Mariwala were present.
Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran released the commemorative stamp at the function presided over by Bihar Governor R.S. Gavai. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Shinde was the chief guest.
Pawar's announcement on behalf of Adani came in response to Praful Patel's appeal to the industrialists seated on the dais to set up their units in the industrially backward districts of eastern Vidarbha.
A fortnight ago, the Vidarbha-based Purti Group had also come out with a proposal for a 500 MW power plant in joint venture with Hindustan Construction Company in Bela near Nagpur.
The proposed private sector ventures in Vidarbha will supplement the four existing government-run thermal power plants at Koradi, Khaparkheda, Chandrapur and Paras besides one hydroelectric plant at Pench.
Los Angeles, Feb 10 (Xinhua) Pre-teen girls between the ages of nine and 12 are most likely to gain weight, a new study says.
For this study, US researchers enrolled more than 2,300 girls aged nine and 10 and followed them for at least a decade.
Researchers measured their height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol every year through age 18, then had the teens report their own measures at ages 21 through 23. Roughly half of the girls were white and half were black.
The study finds that rates of overweight among the participants increased through adolescence, from 7 percent to 10 percent in the
white girls and 17 percent to 24 percent in the black girls.
Girls were 1.6 times more likely to become overweight when they were aged nine through 12 than later in adolescence, and girls who were overweight during childhood were 11 to 30 times more likely to be obese as young adults, according to the study which is published in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
"We really need to get to kids before age nine and 10, and this really puts the pressure on elementary school, preschool and whatever societal institutions we have to really focus on young ages," said study co-author Eva Obarzanek, a research nutritionist at the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
"This shows that obesity and other risk factors for heart disease track from younger to older. This is a wake-up call for policymakers, for schools, for parents," said Arlene Spark, nutritionist at Hunter College, in New York City.
"The success rate for treatment is practically zero. The only thing that we can really hope for is that we can prevent children from becoming overweight and obese," he said.
Bonita H. Franklin, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine, added "Heart disease is the major cause of mortality in adults in the United States. This is implying that these factors which are known to make heart disease more likely in adults are already present in young children, so you would presume that there would be an increased health burden and probably shorter life span for this next generation."
Being overweight, even as a child, increases the likelihood of having risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including higher blood pressure as well as elevated cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting insulin levels.
As the health consequences of being overweight can be evident in girls as young as nine, all this points to the need to tailor prevention efforts to ever younger ages, the study stresses.
United Nations, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) An Arab-Islamic-NAM delegation late Friday met with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council President Peter Burian of Slovakia to urge them to take immediate action regarding Israel's continued excavation works beneath the Holy Aqsa Mosque.
The delegation was headed by Kuwait Ambassador Abdullah Al-Murad, in his capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group, Agshin Mehdiyev of Azerbaijan, as Chairman of the Islamic group, Rodrigo Diaz of Cuba, as Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and Abdul Wahab of the OIC.
The delegation also included the ambassadors of Palestine, Morocco, as Chairman of the Quds Committee, Senegal, as Chairman of the Palestinian Rights Committee, and Qatar and Indonesia, as members of the council.
Following the meetings, Murad told KUNA that he insisted in his discussions with Ban and Burian that this is a "dangerous matter" and that this is not the first time Israel commits such acts.
He said he also recalled the 2002 Arab peace initiative in Beirut and drew attention to the upcoming Arab Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in late March when this issue will be raised.
He expressed hope that the Secretary General assumes his responsibility in order to deter Israel from its destructive work.
He claimed that while the Palestinians were meeting in Makkah in order to find a solution to their crisis, Israel was busy taking measures 'to provoke' the feelings of the Arab and Muslim world.
Ban told the delegation, according to Murad, that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana will raise the issue with the Israeli authorities.
Ban told the delegation that he was following the events closely and that it would not be acceptable for any party to take any unilateral action in this regard. Al-Murad said council President Burian told the delegation that the issue is very "sensitive" and that he is looking forward to February 13 when the council will hold its monthly meeting to discuss the Palestine issue in general in an open session and noted that the list of speakers is already 'long'.
Burian told the delegation, according to Al-Murad, that this issue needs to be discussed by all parties concerned to calm down the situation. But the delegation responded that it is imperative for the council to put pressure on Israel, because it is the party acting unilaterally and in violation of council resolutions.
Other members in the delegation said they did not feel that Ban or the council President were willing to issue statements on the subject.
In the meantime, Palestinian envoy Ryadh Mansour protested, in identical letters to Ban and Burian, that Israeli forces did not respect the Muslim Holy sites in East Jerusalem and the Palestinians' right to worship.
He said the Israeli forces stormed the Aqsa compound and fired rubber bullets and tear gas on crowds of Palestinians who were barred from entering Aqsa courtyards, injuring 20 civilians.
He indicated that these actions occurred while a large number of Palestinians continued to peacefully protest against the "condemnable" excavation work Israel is carrying out beneath the Aqsa Compound.
This course of action, Mansour said in his letter, "is obviously another measure aimed at the judaization of the city, creating yet additional facts with regard to the holy city's status, thus adversely affecting the outcome of the final status negotiations."
"Given the extremely important religious and spiritual nature of the issue, we call upon the Security Council to take the necessary steps to address this issue and to have the Israeli action halted and reversed immediately," Mansour wrote.
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Should journalists be referred to as "friends" or "members of the media"?
The question led to much mirth at a seminar here Saturday and triggered some good-natured bantering between Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi.
Antony was nearing the end of the salutations ahead of delivering the valedictory address of the seminar when he remarked: "And finally, my friends from the media..." and left the sentence hanging.
Antony then looked at Tyagi, who was seated in the front row and said: "Unlike you, Air Chief Marshal Tyagi, I will refer to them as 'friends'."
"Sir, I will still refer to them as members of the media," Tyagi retorted.
Former defence secretary N.N. Vohra then interjected: "Not many of you perhaps know that Mr. Antony has been an editor himself. So, it is better to keep on the right side of journalists."
"I am on your side, sir, but I will still refer to them as 'members of the media'," Tyagi retorted as delegates to the international conference on Asian security burst out laughing.
What triggered all this?
Tyagi, while wrapping up an international seminar on aerospace power here Monday, had said, tongue firmly in cheek: "And finally, friends...no no, I won't call them friends, I'll call them members of the media".
Quite obviously, no one, least of all, the large media contingent, took any offence.
United Nations, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a number of officials to top posts in the UN Secretariat, including Lynn Pascoe of the US as Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Muhammad Shaaban of Egypt as Under Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs, it was announced here on Friday.
Pascoe, the first American to fill the post, replaces Ibrahim Gambari of Nigeria and Shaaban replaces Jian Chen of China.
Ban also appointed Kiyotaka Akasaka of Japan as Secretary General for Public Information. He replaces Shashi Tharoor of India. He reappointed Jean-Marie Ghehenno of France as Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and Thuraya Obeid of Saudi Arabia as Head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Pascoe served at US Ambassador to Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries before becoming Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Euroasian Affairs at the State Department in Washington D.C.
Shaaban, the only Arab to fill in such a high post, has been National Coordinator for Reform Initiatives in the Middle East and served as Personal Assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister during the last three years. He also served as his country's ambassador in a number of European and African countries.
Ban also accepted the resignations of some high-level officials, including Hedi Annabi of Tunisia, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Mervet Tallawy of Egypt, Head of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Minsk, Feb 7 (NNN-BELTA) Belarus wants to raise up to one billion USD worth of foreign bank loans this year to make up for the increase in the Russian oil and gas prices, Finance Minister Nikolai Korbut said.
He added in an interview with the Reuters news agency here Tuesday: “So far we have settled the problems with the help of mainly internal sources. To survive the sudden rise in oil and gas prices this year we will need foreign support in the form of bank loans.�
“I think we will be able to attract bank loans of about one billion USD,� he added. “The sum is manageable by the country in terms of its potential to serve the external debt. Foreign creditors have never had any problems with Belarus and we do not have any overdue debts.�
Korbut added that Belarus is not going to attract state loans but has been negotiating syndicated loans with banks in Russia, Britain, the United States, Switzerland and several other states.
The finance minister also said that Belarus does not rule out placing Eurobonds and is ready to issue bonds worth of up to 10 billion rubles in the Russian market. “We have drafted all necessary documents concerning this issue. At the same time we have been working on the project to issue the bonds,� he said.
Minsk, Feb 10 (NNN-BELTA) Belarus has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Eastern Europe at 1.2 per cent. The fact was pointed out by the Belarusian delegation at the 45th session of the UN Commission for Social Development in New York.
The session’s agenda is topped by Macroeconomic Policy for Full Employment and Decent Work for All.
BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian foreign ministry, the Commission for Social Development is the key UN body for surveying the fulfillment of resulting documents of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development. Every year the commission considers the most important social problems such as better employment, fight against poverty, and youth policies.
In their address to UN member-states Belarus representatives informed about major directions of the country’s employment policy. The consistent social security oriented economic policy Belarus has been pursuing for over ten years was pointed out.
It was stressed that Belarus efforts to improve the employment rate are inseparable from the entire set of measures meant to advance the country’s social and economic development.
Delegations of other states were informed about key elements of the 2007 State Employment Programme of Belarus, its goals and measures, including those designed to stimulate the employment of women, youth, and people with limited abilities. Along with setting up agro-towns the programme provides for raising the population employment rate in rural areas.
The Belarusian delegation also voiced an opinion about global employment-securing tendencies laid down by a special report of the UN secretary general. Belarus representatives pointed out the importance of assistance provided as part of the state policy to ensure a better social security and social justice for people. These two components were named the most important requirements for an active state labour policy.
The Belarusian delegation also backed the necessity for countries to prevent the discrimination of agriculture as part of the employment encouragement policy as well as to step up measures to decrease unemployment in the most vulnerable social groups.
Minsk, Feb 10 NNN-BELTA) Last week, a delegation of representatives of the leading Belarusian banks headed by Piotr Prokopovich, chairman of the board of the National Bank of Belarus, made an official visit to Tehran to discuss ways of expanding cooperation between Belarus and Iran, BelTA learnt in the information department of the National Bank.
Iran is willing to thoroughly consider the issue of opening a representative office of one of its banks in Belarus and set up joint companies which would be subsidiaries of financial institutions.
Moreover, Iran is ready to open credit facilities through its export development bank to finance joint projects with Belarus. The bank said it is also willing to provide financial assistance to Iranian companies in purchasing Belarusian goods and in addressing other issues.
Iranian governmental agencies confirmed their desire to provide the necessary assistance to Belarus in case Belarus decides to join the Asian Clearing Union what would significantly simplify settlement of transactions between Belarusian and Iranian cooperating entities.
The sides reached an agreement on mutual support in cooperation with other international financial organizations, on the possibility of using the potential of the Iranian mint, on information exchange in the banking sphere including legal issues and activity of financial institutions of the two states and on the exchange of delegations which would promote cooperation in different areas.
The sides also pointed to the absence of problems in settling accounts between Belarusian and Iranian banks, with exception for some currencies, and agreed to address any cooperation problems that might occur in a speedy and responsible manner.
During meetings between representatives of the Belarusian delegation and governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Sheibani, top officials at the economy and finance ministry, foreign ministry and top management of the leading Iranian banks the sides did not only express eagerness to further consolidate mutually-beneficial ties between the banking systems but also voiced intention to expand trade and economic contacts between the two countries to grow mutual turnover.
The Belarusian delegation brought a number of documents to Iran for consideration like an agreement on cooperation between the National Bank of Belarus and the Central Bank of Iran, an agreement on cooperation in personnel training and a memorandum of understanding in banking supervision between the central banks of the two states.
Governor of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Sheibani accepted an invitation voiced by chairman of the board of the National Bank of Belarus Piotr Prokopovich to visit Belarus in 2007 at a time which would be most convenient for him.
Brussels, Feb 10, (IRNA) Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht said Friday that he welcomed the agreement on formation of a national unity government following the meeting between Fatah and Hamas in the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Thursday.
"I hope that this development will put an end to the inter- Palestinian violence," said De Gucht in a statement.
He thanked in particular the Saudi government for its role in achieving the accord between the two Palestinian factions, but added that all elements of the deal were not known yet.
Minsk, Feb 10 (NNN-BELTA) The volume of natural gas transported across Belarus in 2006 was the record-breaking 65 billion cubic meters, Tsvitomir Sorokhan, first deputy general director, chief engineer, Beltransgaz, said today in Grodno.
The transit last year amounted to 44,2 billion cubic meters which was also an absolute record. Uninterrupted gas supply to Belarus was secured last year with 20,8 billion cubic meters of gas imported by the country.
In 2006, transit services earnings jumped to $134.4 million (without allowing for rent for Yamal-Europe gas main). The money for the services covered 14% of payments for the imports of natural gas, Tsvitomir Sorokhan said.
According to him, in 2007 the transit costs will almost double because of the increase in contract tariffs. Because of the increase in energy prices, most of its earnings Beltransgaz plans to derive from transit services.
Birmingham, Feb 10 (IANS) Companies in Birmingham and surrounding areas in the west Midlands are increasingly looking to India and China to develop their businesses, according to a new survey.
More than a third (35 percent) of the members of Birmingham Forward - a body promoting Birmingham's business and trade - are already working in China, while 59 percent are working in India.
Overall, 69 percent of the professional and financial services firms that responded to the survey indicated they already derive at least part of their revenues from abroad. The survey shows that 23 percent of companies that responded had already secured Chinese clients or are advising their UK clients on dealings within the country.
The survey reveals that 17 percent of respondents have at least one representative office in China, with one firm already operating two. In addition, 36 percent of firms plan to open an office in China within the next three years.
According to the Birmingham Post, a leading local newspaper, the continuing lack of connectivity to China as well as the limited Indian sub-continent access from Birmingham International Airport is still frustrating many firms looking to expand their business operations in the east.
Richard Brennan, chief executive of Birmingham Forward, said: "We have known for some time that China has massive commercial potential for professional firms in this city. The member survey demonstrates that many of our firms in the professional and financial services sector are working for their clients in China or are working directly for Chinese organisations.
"This is extremely encouraging. One respondents believed this was an emerging and important market to be ignored at our peril and one firm suggested that their expectation was for China to be its biggest market in years to come."
Brennan said many members of the lobby group held reservations about working in the Far East: "Some of our members, though, are still worried about the human rights issues and working conditions in China and many are still only investigating the potential in terms of logistics and likely financial returns.
"However, our survey clearly shows that China, and indeed the Indian subcontinent, are recognised for their potential. Chinese businesses are already beginning to be 'Advised in Birmingham' by Forward member firms".
Meanwhile, the Birmingham-based Asian Business Forum has said that local authorities need to do more to encourage Asian companies to take up the business support on offer. Speaking at the forum's annual meeting at Birmingham Friday, chairman Prithvi Chopra highlighted an urgent need for skills training across employers of all sectors and cultures in an attempt to boost the UK's economy.
He said: "We see Asian businesses as not only being seen but actually taking leading positions in the local and national economy and being proud to be doing so. We see the community as a whole benefiting from their contribution and to be recognised in doing so.
"More Asian businesses are now accessing business support and achieving quality awards. I feel there is a progress but more needs to be done. There is a strong case for improving our skills".
Patna, Feb 10 (IANS) It's 11 and counting for a blacksmith in Bihar who wants to set a record by having 30 children.
"I will set a record for fathering at least 30 children," said Kapil Dev Vishwakarma, the resident of a village in Aurangabad district, about 100 km from here.
His wife Sona Devi, in her early 30s, delivered her 11th baby Tuesday. "It was a happy moment for me. I hope to have a dozen by next year," remarked Vishwakarma, who earns a meagre living by punching cattle shoes.
"I have already made a record in my village by fathering 11 children," he said.
Vishwakarma, who can barely read and write, admitted that it was difficult to manage his large family but he was not particularly worried.
"Look...I have firm belief that a child is born with its own destiny. After all, god will provide him food like he does for millions born daily in the world."
Sona, with the newborn in her lap, said children were god's gift to them for power and prosperity. She is against family planning.
Their elder daughter Gunja Devi got married a few years ago. The other children include five sons and five daughters.
The couple said that activists engaged in spreading awareness about family planning and reproductive health had not visited them.
Millions of rupees are spent annually to create awareness about the importance of small families but so many like Vishwakarma are not covered by the campaign. The national fertility rate is three children per woman and Bihar's fertility rate is 4.4.
A.R. Nanda, executive director of the Population Foundation of India, said the need of the hour was to create a conducive environment and awareness among people.
According to a World Bank report, nearly 40 percent of Bihar's 83 million population lives below the poverty line and hundreds of thousands of poor people migrate to other states for a livelihood.
Sarajevo, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) The Bosnian parliament has elected a new central government following large-scale consultations and deliberations involving six main political parties.
Set up on Friday, the new alliance government is headed by Serbian Representative Nikola Spiric from the Serb Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), and consists of eight ministers representing Bosnian, Muslim, Serbian and Croatian nationalities.
During an extended session, the parliament debated the government's plan and all ministers' plans and CVs in an unprecedented move.
With a relevant majority, the parliament approved the nine-member government, with Islamic party representatives having the foreign, interior, defence and human rights and refugees portfolios, while Serbian party representatives holding, in addition to the post of prime minister, the foreign trade and civil affairs portfolios.
Croatian representatives have won two portfolios notably, the ministries of finance, and transport and telecommunications.
Such a fair distribution of cabinet portfolios has created balance in the new government lineup even though Islamic party representatives have won the largest number of portfolios as a reward for giving up the post of prime minister.
Sven Alkalaj, a Bosnian with Jewish origins, has been handpicked as foreign minister. Alkalaj was earlier Bosnian ambassador in the US, and is now ambassador in Belgium.
Georgetown, Feb 10 (NNN-GINA) The tourism and services sector is making its mark as a significant economic pillar of many Caribbean countries; however traditional gross domestic product contributor, agriculture, should not be neglected.
This was the reminder of Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also head of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Jagdeo who also holds the portfolio of Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security was speaking to agriculture stakeholders at the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting.
“Agriculture has always been an important source of export earnings, employment, eradication of poverty, rural development and has always played a supportive role in the services sector.
“Too often in our region, I hear comments that agriculture has no role to play and services would be the thing of the future,� he said.
Whilst services will definitely play a critical role in the developmental thrust of many Caribbean countries, the importance and role of agriculture should not be shrugged off, he emphasised.
“We can develop services without divesting in agriculture especially if we understand the role of agriculture in the economy. Sometimes I feel… the role of agriculture is not carefully examined, and we need to constantly remind the region about its importance.�
President Jagdeo said any regional agenda crafted must be user friendly, to ensure that the supporting concomitant projects and programmes that are necessary for the improvement of that regional programme are clear not only to the technical officials, but to Agriculture Ministers, policy makers and the broader population.
He said although the CARICOM is a net exporter of agricultural products, the region is still plagued by hunger and malnutrition statistics.
“Agriculture provides food security to the region and that is important,� he said, adding that the second challenge is to raise the level of political commitment within the Region.
Brussels, Feb 10 (NNN-IRNA) The Caucasus-Caspian Commission under the chairmanship of Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel will meet for the first time in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.
"The Caucasus-Caspian Commission of Eminent Persons to Outline a Future Vision for the Region and its Relations with Europe" is the full name of the organisation.
It was established as a civil society initiative with the objective of re-thinking the political, social, economic and security context surrounding the Caucasus-Caspian region, said a statement released by the organizers.
"In light of growing energy insecurity in the EU, the strategic importance of the Caucasus-Caspian region is increasing for the EU and we must be present on all levels in this region," said Rupel, the commission chairman.
Seventeen eminent persons sit on the commission, including Abbas Maleki from Iran, Joschka Fischer from Germany, Madeleine Albright from the USA and Mikhail Margelov from Russia.
The Caucasus-Caspian Commission has outlined four priority areas on which it will focus its attention: regional economic cooperation, frozen conflict resolution, institution building and furthering the region's relations with the EU.
"We need a strategic vision for the Caucasus, which also includes re-thinking of Turkish-EU and Turkey-Caucasus relations," said Mustafa Aydin, professor of political science at Tobb University of Economics and Technology in Ankara and deputy chairman of the commission.
The Caucasus-Caspian region connects Europe to Central Asia and Russia with the Middle East.
"The region is a mega inter-connector," according to Rupel.
New Delhi, Feb 10, (IRNA) Noting that SAARC has not been able to realize its true potential, the Indian foreign secretary on Friday said a "historic opportunity" was at hand for countries of the region to work together and which they needed to seize for collective progress.
In the two-day conference of editors from SAARC countries, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon underlined the need for physical and mental inter-connectivity among the eight member countries of SAARC, saying it could lead to economic progress for the entire South Asia through maximization of trade.
Menon, in the conference jointly organized by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Media Development Foundation now on its second day in Chennai, said India needs a peaceful periphery if it was to achieve its goals toward inter-dependence and this holds true for other countries as well.
"Fortunately...we are now at a stage in South Asia, in the sub- continent, where I think we have a moment of opportunity to try and enable SAARC to achieve its potential, to try and realize its shared destiny, to use the complementarities that exist," he said.
He said that countries of South Asia have the capacities and potential to do things together "which we did not have before." Noting that all countries of the region had a shared destiny, Menon said "we realize the extent of our inter-dependence, the extent to which we need each other, all of us. This has nothing to do with asymmetries of power, shape, size and whatever -- we all need each other."
He said: "We are now at a stage in South Asia, in the sub- continent, where I think we have a moment of opportunity to try and enable SAARC to achieve its potential, to try and realize its shared destiny, to use the complementarities that exist."
The conference, which is attended by about 45 senior
representatives of the media from all SAARC countries, will conclude with an address by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee later today.
The conference focuses on the following three major themes: growth trends and quality issues in the South Asia news media; media freedom, accountability, and social responsibility; and media and foreign policy.
The purpose of the conference is to have a free and open discussion of identified themes and key issues and to frame media- related issues that can help initiate a wider public and civil society debate in the South Asian region.
The conference aims to promote a common understanding on core media values, directions and orientations, allowing for specific growth and other relevant conditions for news media of the various SAARC countries.
Aligarh, Feb 10 (Indianmuslims.info) Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University hosted here Friday a seminar on Contribution of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah to women education movement in India. The seminar paid a rich tribute to Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah (1874-1965), a pioneer of modern education among Indian Muslim women of the subcontinent.
While inaugurating the seminar, Professor Geil Menu opined, “As Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made a significant contribution to the promotion of modern education in India, likewise Sir Syed’s disciple Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s contribution to the field of women education is unforgettable. His services in this field assume particular importance because he strived at a time when educating Muslim girls was considered a taboo.�
Addressing the seminar, eminent Marxist historian Professor Irfan Habib said, “Sheikh Abdullah concentrated all his attention to the cause of women education since his appointment as Secretary for Women Education of All India Muslim Education Conference in 1903, and in discharging his duties in this capacity he had to face many a difficulty.�
Professor Anwar Jehan Zubairi suggested making an objective study of all other women education movements that were going alongside Sheikh Abdullah’s movement so that a comprehensive analysis of the countrywide move to promote education for Muslim women might be done.
Others who addressed the inaugural session of the seminar include Dr Kusum Ansal and Principal Women’s College Professor Amna Kishwar. Sheikh Abdullah’s daughter Birjis Qidwai and his maternal grandson and former Foreign Secretary Salman Khurshid, Shahla Haidar, Lubna Kazim (America), Shabnam (Pakistan) and other AMU alumni from America, Pakistan and India are participating in the seminar.
The inaugural session also witnessed the release of Women’s College magazine by Dr Ansal.
By Sandeep Bamzai,
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Facing assembly elections in important states in the backdrop of spiralling inflation, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is looking at a cut in petroleum product prices to ease the financial burden on the common man.
A petroleum ministry note dated Feb 5 highlights the dipping trend line in the prices of the Indian basket of crude oil.
In June 2006, the Indian basket was at $67 per barrel, which spiked to $75 by August. However, since then there has been a consistent dip in the Indian basket pricing, down to $55.5 per barrel Feb 5.
The note, well-informed sources told IANS, goes onto suggest that at the current price of $56 per barrel, state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) are still incurring under-recoveries on kerosene supplied for the public distribution system (PDS) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic use.
However, with a large number of MPs of the ruling alliance and those supporting it asking for a reduction in the prices of diesel and petrol in view of the fall in international crude prices, the political establishment is likely to decide on the matter soon.
In fact, the note states that as on date, OMCs have actually started making positive recoveries of Rs.4.68 per litre in petrol. More importantly, the under-recovery in diesel has come down from Rs.10 in June 2006 to mere 47 paise.
It then goes on to say that, "this is perhaps as good a time as any to consider an adjustment in the price of petrol and diesel which will meet the general expectation of the public who are keenly following the downward trend of international crude prices."
The note summarises by stating that the impact of a reduction of Rs.2 in the price of petrol and Re.1 in the price of diesel will result in an additional burden of Rs.13 billion or thereabouts for the remaining part of the financial year.
In principle, it adds, this can be absorbed within the overall commitment of oil bonds that the finance ministry floated in June 2006.
Most importantly, based on the refinery transfer price for petrol and diesel in the second fortnight of January 2007, the petroleum ministry has done an analysis that suggests that there should be a decrease of Rs.3.60 per litre for petrol and Re.0.36 for diesel in the capital and accordingly in other cities.
Namangan (Uzbekistan), Feb 10 (IANS) India captain Leander Paes and greenhorn Sunil Kumar Sipaeya defeated their Uzbek rivals in a doubles match of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group One first-round tennis tie here Saturday to keep the team afloat.
Paes and Davis Cup debutant Sipaeya fought hard to beat Farrukh Dustov and Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, a day after Vivek Shokeen and Karan Rastogi, both debutants, had lost their singles matches tamely.
India will now have to win both reverse singles matches Sunday to progress in the world's premier men's team tennis competition.
On Friday, Shokeen, 19, went down to Istomin 1-6, 3-6, 3-6 after making a string of unforced errors while Rastogi lost to Dustov 3-6, 3-6, 4-6.
Paris, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) A debate has emerged here between anti-terrorism services and experts concerning the potential of a terrorist threat during the French Presidential campaign which kicks off in earnest this weekend and which will run until April 22, media and experts said late Friday.
The debate was sparked Friday after Pan-Arab daily "Al-Hayat" published an article alleging the Qaeda terrorist group had given instructions to cause disruption to the French campaign and to "take actions that would hurt as many as possible" French targets.
Experts here said such actions could be carried out either by operatives from Al-Qaeda who had fought in Iraq or by the Algerian radical Salafist group known under the French acronym "GSPC." But French intelligence services have rejected the Arab newspaper's reading of events and say they do not see any particularly imminent threat beyond the usual state of alert in place.
Nonetheless, several months ago, the GSPC did issue a more direct threat against France for its role in supporting the United States in conflicts in Afghanistan in particular, and to a lesser extent in Iraq.
More importantly, the Algerian group announced in September 2006 that it was merging with Al-Qaeda, bringing an end to a dispute between the two groups. The GSPC then said it had received instructions from Al-Qaeda to attack French targets in Algeria.
The controversy over the terrorist threat went on to national television here late Friday, with experts taking issue with the official intelligence evaluation of the situation.
Roland Jacquard, a well-known expert and Head of the National Terrorism Observatory, said that he could not fathom how the intelligence community could arrive at such a conclusion.
"I don't understand how they can conclude this," he said, noting that the atmosphere indicated otherwise.
Vienna, Feb 10 (NNN-IRNA) Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh here Friday evening said that countries which voted for UN Security Council Resolution 1737 are to blame for the IAEA decision to cut further its cooperation with Iran on the latter's peaceful nuclear program.
The IAEA, in a report presented by its secretariat Friday, said technical help, which the IAEA will henceforth give to Iran, will be limited to food, agricultural, medical, safety and humanitarian purposes and for construction of light water nuclear reactors.
Talking to IRNA, he said that UN Security Council Resolution 1737 has imposed restrictions on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) thereby drastically limiting Iran-IAEA nuclear cooperation.
Soltaniyeh, pointing to the legal and technical arbitrariness of the IAEA report, argued that the projects removed from the scope of Iran-IAEA cooperation have nothing to do with the country's enrichment program, the peaceful purpose of which had been confirmed by the agency.
He further criticised the arbitrary and high-handed approach of the UN Security Council in passing the anti-Iran resolution, and said the resolution will cast doubt on the integrity of the agency and will make it subject to contempt by countries.
The UN Security Council on Dec 23 passed a resolution calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities and imposed sanctions for failure to comply with an earlier call, as well cuts in IAEA help to its peaceful nuclear program.
Out of 55 national and regional projects that the IAEA had agreed to cooperate with Iran, 22, or 40 percent, have already been totally or partially frozen.
However, the IAEA Board of Governors, when it meets in Vienna on March 5, could still alter this latest IAEA decision.
New York, Feb 10 (IANS) A group of American students, including an Indian American, spent two years raising money to help a young boy from El Salvador who suffered from a rare life threatening heart disease.
Nine-year-old Melvin of El Salvador was born with a congenital heart defect and doctors had little hope for his survival. Last week, he travelled from El Salvador to the Children's Hospital in Boston and underwent the much needed heart surgery.
It was all thanks to Nehal Patel who along with a group of Boston University students raised funds for the life saving heart surgery.
"He was really ill, really blue and pink and weak," Nehal Patel was quoted as saying by Boston's Channel 7 News channel.
"He's amazing," Patel said. "He's so much fun to be around. He's so sweet... a great kid."
Boston University Advisor Karen Jacobs said the experience was rewarding for the team. "It's very meaningful and exciting for all of us," said Jacobs.
Kolkata, Feb 10 (IANS) An angry mob attacked the OB van of Star Ananda, a Bengali news TV channel, and assaulted media persons at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's rally near Singur Saturday.
The group of frenzied men at Baratelia near Singur, where Banerjee was allowed to hold the rally, attacked the OB van of Star Ananda, a channel that is seen as toeing the pro-industrialisation line.
The attack took place right in front of senior Trinamool Congress leaders though Banerjee was yet to arrive at the venue when the incident took place in the afternoon.
A cameraman of ETV, Jyotinmoy Basu, who tried to capture the marauding men smashing the vehicle with stones, was hit on his head and had to be hospitalised.
Banerjee later said the attack was carried out by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) men who tried to foil her meeting.
However, the channel's correspondent at the site identified the attackers as Trinamool Congress supporters. The channel alleged that police were not in sight when the attack occurred.
It was not for the first time that Star Ananda was at the receiving end as its correspondents were heckled during Banerjee's 25-day-long fast at Esplanade East.
The controversy over the land acquisition for industrial projects in West Bengal has left the media in the state highly polarised. While some channels like Star Ananda of the ABP group are supporting the industrialisation, some are supporting the farmers' movement and criticising the ruling CPI-M.
As a result, both electronic media and newspapers on either side are subjected to the wrath of the Trinamool Congress and the villagers or the CPI-M workers with police remaining mute spectators on many occasions.
Islamabad, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) A bomb exploded inside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the capital of the Pakistani North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Saturday morning, wounding a guard and damaging several vehicles, said officials.
Early morning, an explosive device, thrown inside the ICRC compound in Peshawar, exploded and damaged four vehicles, said ICRC spokesman Raza Hamdani.
Talking to media here, the spokesman said that field operation in the city has been suspended. Police said the man injured in the attack was a security guard.
This was the second attack on a foreign NGO in NWFP.
A bomb had earlier exploded inside the temporary residential compound of Save the Children NGO in Battgaram district, wounding two employees.
Rajkot, Feb 10 (IANS) More than its relevance as the second India-Sri Lanka one-day international, Sunday's encounter here will be the final opportunity for the Indian players to stake claim for the World Cup team.
Same goes for Sri Lanka, which will also have to submit its squad of 15 to the game's world governing body by Tuesday's deadline.
As all the 16 participating nations in the World Cup in the West Indies come close to finalising their squads - unless they have already done so - the match at the Madhavrao Scindia ground will help Dilip Vengsarkar's selection committee seal the last one or two or three berths in the Indian team.
With almost 12 or 13 players picking themselves automatically, the five selectors will select and announce the team Monday or Tuesday either here or in Mumbai.
Reports would have the fans believe that Virender Sehwag, who did not get a chance to bat in the abandoned first match in Kolkata Thursday, pacers Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan, opener Robin Uthappa and batsmen Suresh Raina are fighting for the few final places in the World Cup squad.
But an Indian team without Sehwag, the highest scorer in the 2003 World Cup final against Australia, looks unthinkable in spite of his poor form. He is a match winner, and his success on the 2006 tour of the West Indies gives him an edge over his rivals in-form Uthappa and left-handed Gambhir, dropped for the first two matches.
Sehwag was dropped, or "rested" as Vengsarkar says, for the recent four-match home ODI series against the West Indies, but was recalled for the first two matches against Mahela Jayawardene-led Sri Lanka.
And to a much lesser extent, Gautam Gambhir, Ramesh Powar, Rudra Pratap Singh could be said to be in the running, but only on the periphery. They could be called in emergency, unless the selectors decide to surprise and pick them in the preferred 15 for the World Cup.
It would mean that captain Rahul Dravid, vice-captain Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag, Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, wicketkeepers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh pick themselves automatically.
Therefore, the Rajkot match could have several smaller battles within the big battle between the two countries.
And, if the weather stays clear, it would give Sehwag and Munaf a chance to exhibit their form, though the lanky pacer, whose mysterious injury became a cause of much speculation, looked impressive while taking two wickets in Kolkata before rains forced the curtains down midway through the Sri Lankan innings.
Sehwag would relish the thought of scoring some runs on a pitch that is likely to suit batsmen.
The selectors might also like to have another look at left-arm pacer Pathan, who has lately come under the scanner for lack of incisiveness and wickets. Although he looked good in the fourth and final match against the West Indies in Vadodara recently, he missed the Kolkata ODI due to a sore shoulder. Yuvraj Singh (back spasms) and Ajit Agarkar (flu) also missed Thursday's match.
Sri Lanka too would like to look one final time the players it feels are sitting on the fence vis-à-vis selection for the World Cup starting March 11.
Although there was never any doubt about old warhorse Sanath Jayasuriya's selection for the World Cup, his explosive batting in Kolkata must have given coach Tom Moody and the selectors something to cheer about.
Teams:
India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-captain), Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh
Kartik (wicketkeepers), Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Marvan Atapattu, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Zoysa and Nuwan Kulasekera
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan Saturday cited inadequate financial allocation for developing judicial infrastructure as one of the reasons for the whopping backlog of three million litigations in lower and high courts.
"The pendency of cases has grown by 84 percent since 1995, while the financial allocation for judiciary has been hiked merely by 25 percent since then," the chief justice told an international conference on Alternative Dispute Resolution here.
The chief justice ascribed the rise in the number of litigations to increasing population and awareness among the people.
"Rising litigation is a natural phenomena. While the population is growing, people have also become more aware," he said.
The chief justice also sought to refute the impression that the Indian judiciary was painfully slow.
"The disposal rates of cases in many states is something between in 1,400 to 1,600 per annum per judge. It's certainly not slow," said the chief justice.
Emphasising the need for faster development of judicial infrastructure, including higher number of courts and judges, Chief Justice Balakrishnan also favoured various methods of alternate dispute resolution, including arbitration, reconciliation and mediation.
The conference was addressed among others by Union Minister for Law and Justice H.R. Bharadwaj, Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and Arjit Pasyat, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia and United Kingdom's first woman Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (a post equivalent to an Indian Supreme Court judge), Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond.
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) India will focus on stepping up connectivity in South Asia through new trans-border transport networks, energy corridors and freer flow of people and ideas, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Saturday while unveiling the agenda for the 14th SAARC summit in April here.
"As we prepare for the summit, India will take the initiative in accelerating regional economic and political cooperation," Mukherjee said at the concluding session of the two-day conclave of leading editors from the eight South Asian Association from Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries.
"We will play a positive role in the establishment of new trans-border transport networks and energy corridors so that the 14th summit of SAARC gives a clear signal for improving the connectivity within the subcontinent by ensuring free flow of trade, commerce, goods, people and ideas," Mukherjee said.
The next SAARC editors' conference will be held in Karachi next year.
A comprehensive resolution was adopted at the end of the conference that urged the governments of SAARC countries to enable "freer movement of journalists by issuing multiple-entry long-term visas to all bona fide journalists." The resolution also asked the SAARC governments to "dismantle all border barriers to free flow and exchange of news media products in the region."
Responding to the call of the editors' conference for liberalizing the visa regime, Mukherjee said there is a need for "media persons as well as media products to move easily across the borders."
"The media is the torchbearer of better people-to-people contacts," he said while calling upon the media to be aware of their power as well as responsibilities in creating "bridges of understanding" between neighbouring countries.
The minister also underlined that the future of South Asian countries is a common future in which every member nation - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan - has a stake in the economic success of the other.
By Jaideep Sarin,
Chandigarh, Feb 10 (IANS) Political parties are known to bring in celluloid stars for campaigning in a last ditch effort to lure voters. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Punjab alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal have stars like MP Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha and TV star Smriti Irani speaking up for them in the run-up to next week's assembly elections.
Though Irani attracted large crowds, especially women, in Ludhiana and Amritsar where she campaigned for the Akali-BJP candidates, her experience in Amritsar was not really great after she was jostled around by activists of her own party.
Upset at the way the event was conducted and with the crowd refusing to behave, Irani beat a hasty retreat. She did not take part in a BJP road show she was slated to be in.
Hema Malini charmed the crowds in the industrial city of Ludhiana and elsewhere with the young and old flocking to see her. The elderly and middle-aged men, especially from areas around Ludhiana, wanted to catch a glimpse of Punjab's 'nuh' (daughter-in-law). Hema's husband Dharmendra, yesteryears star and now BJP MP from Bikaner in Rajasthan, hails from Sahnewal town, 15 km from Ludhiana.
A 90-year-old man was seen sitting on a tractor-trolley near Dasuya town, proceeding to attend a rally to be addressed by the sixties' 'dreamgirl'.
In contrast, the Congress has so far not managed to rope in many stars. Poonam Dhillon did campaign for Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in her Lehra seat in Sangrur district.
"We are the stars ourselves in this election. Don't you think we look like stars?" Chief Minister Amarinder Singh quipped recently when asked which Bollywood stars would campaign for the Congress.
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A Punjab police poll survey that backfired
Poll predictions are best left to pollsters even if they go awry sometimes. But what the police did this week in Mohali town, adjoining state capital Chandigarh, went beyond the call of duty and has left poll managers of leading parties furious.
The Election Commission has now ordered the transfer of Mohali district police chief G.S. Dhillon, who was appointed to the post just a few days before the election code of conduct came into force Dec 29.
Dhillon was earlier in charge of the security of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and was considered close to him. The state government reportedly handpicked him for the Mohali posting.
The official website of the Mohali police got a poll survey done on the electorate as to which party would fare better in the Feb 13 assembly elections in Punjab. The obvious result, quite "dutifully", went in favour of the ruling Congress led by Amarinder Singh. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its alliance partner Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) were not shown as winners in the poll.
This caused severe indignation in the Akali-BJP circles with their leaders taking no time to complain to the Election Commission about the role played by the Mohali police through its website.
Senior Mohali police officials, embarrassed by the episode, are looking for excuses, when there are none. At a time when the force should have shown itself to be apolitical and non-partisan, it has actually come out smeared in the political colours of the ruling Congress.
The Punjab Police, which has got a dressing down from the commission for not creating at atmosphere conducive for free, fair and peaceful polls in the Beas assembly segment - where polling was postponed Thursday - has been at the receiving end from the Election Commission.
Its director general of police S.S. Virk was ordered to be removed from the top police job of the state last month after the Akalis complained that Virk and his brother were given concessions to the tune of Rs.2.5 billion for a five-star hotel, resort and multiplex complex proposed 120 km from Chandigarh.
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Liquor flows quietly
One advantage of the strict restrictions imposed by the Election Commission on poll expenses is that candidates are no longer investing too much on flags, posters, banners and buntings. For every such thing, the poll expense has to be recorded and submitted to the returning officers.
Expenses meant for all this are now reportedly being quietly diverted to supplying liquor and drugs like opium to a substantial number of voters in every constituency. Candidates and their supporters are making sure that liquor supplies to "needy" voters never dries up till Feb 13.
Liquor traders are the happiest lot in this situation - their sales are up by three-five times. "The election could not have come at a better time. This is generally the time of the year when liquor traders cut costs to sell their stock before the end of the financial year (March 31). But this time, they are being forced to procure stocks from other places to fulfil the high demand for liquor," said a trader in Ludhiana.
But things are not so tipsy on the liquor front in Nawanshahr district. The district administration there has strictly enforced an order that sale of every liquor bottle has to be recorded and no sale would be permitted without proper verification of the customer.
Beijing, Feb 10 (Xinhua) China's four great modern inventions are hybrid rice, laser photocomposition system for Chinese character typesetting, total synthesis of bovine insulin and compound artemether, according to Chinese netizens.
More than 100,000 netizens contributed to the debate and 51,442 valid votes were cast in an election jointly organized by the Guangdong Association of Invention (GAI), Nangfang Daily, Beijing News and sohu.com, said Zhou Zhaolong, vice GAI director.
Zhou said originality, global influence and social benefits were the three key criteria for the inventions chosen.
Hybrid rice, developed by famous Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, since the early 1970s is widely grown in China, with yields up to 12,000 kg per hectare. It has greatly increased yield on China's limited amount of arable land and been introduced to some Asian and African countries.
The computerized laser photocomposition system for Chinese character typesetting has transformed China's printing from letterpress printing to electronic publishing.
The new system invented by late Peking University Professor Wang Xuan in the 1980s has been described as the second invention of the printing system for Chinese characters after Bi Sheng's invention of movable clay type in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Bi Sheng's invention ushered in a revolution in the history of printing.
The complete synthesis of bovine insulin - the first time that human beings have synthesized protein - is a huge breakthrough in the life sciences. The procedure was carried out in 1966 by a team headed by late academician Wang Yinglai.
Compound artemether is a medicine invented in China in the late 1970s which has proven itself to be effective in treating malaria patients worldwide.
The compass, gunpowder, paper-making and printing are regarded as ancient China's four great inventions.
Beijing, Feb 10 (Xinhua) China's four great modern inventions are hybrid rice, laser photocomposition system for Chinese character typesetting, total synthesis of bovine insulin and compound artemether, according to Chinese netizens.
More than 100,000 netizens contributed to the debate and 51,442 valid votes were cast in an election jointly organized by the Guangdong Association of Invention (GAI), Nangfang Daily, Beijing News and sohu.com, said Zhou Zhaolong, vice GAI director.
Zhou said originality, global influence and social benefits were the three key criteria for the inventions chosen.
Hybrid rice, developed by famous Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, since the early 1970s is widely grown in China, with yields up to 12,000 kg per hectare. It has greatly increased yield on China's limited amount of arable land and been introduced to some Asian and African countries.
The computerized laser photocomposition system for Chinese character typesetting has transformed China's printing from letterpress printing to electronic publishing.
The new system invented by late Peking University Professor Wang Xuan in the 1980s has been described as the second invention of the printing system for Chinese characters after Bi Sheng's invention of movable clay type in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Bi Sheng's invention ushered in a revolution in the history of printing.
The complete synthesis of bovine insulin - the first time that human beings have synthesized protein - is a huge breakthrough in the life sciences. The procedure was carried out in 1966 by a team headed by late academician Wang Yinglai.
Compound artemether is a medicine invented in China in the late 1970s which has proven itself to be effective in treating malaria patients worldwide.
The compass, gunpowder, paper-making and printing are regarded as ancient China's four great inventions.
Dhaka, Feb 10 (Indianmuslims.info) Industrial and Businessmen Welfare Foundation (IBWF), one of the biggest organisations of industrialists and businessmen in Bangladesh, said that Friday is the most suitable day for weekly holiday. They urged the government to consider the opinion of the majority rather than what a few businessmen are saying.
A.N.M.A Zaher and Kazi Harun-ur-Rashid, chairman and secretary of IBWF respectively, said in a statement that the arguments raised by a section of people regarding weekly holiday is not acceptable at all. They say they are becoming disconnected from their business partners for three days, as Friday is the holiday in Bangladesh. They are advocating for Sunday to be weekly holiday claiming that most of the Muslim countries maintain Sunday as weekly holiday as such it has become an international trend and the Qur’an does not mention about any weekly holiday.
The IBWF leaders argued that they have 5 to 12 hours of time difference with their business partners in Europe and America. In that situation if they want to synchronise their office time with them, they have to keep their offices open at nights, which is absolutely impossible. Secondly, all Muslim countries that are members of OIC except only three countries observe weekly holiday on Fridays. Thirdly, weekly holiday is determined on the basis of religion. For example, Jews and Christians have made it on religiously holy days of the week according to their respective religions. In our country, Sunday was imposed upon us as holiday by the British colonial rulers, which was actually ‘holy’ according to their religion. Fourthly, it is true that the Qur’an does not refer any day to be observed as weekly holiday; however it is also true that according to the Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic tradition) Friday has a very special importance in the life of Muslims. Lastly, two-day weekly holiday wastes more working hours.
“In that case, we want to clearly say that if only one day is to be holiday, that day of course have to be Friday. We should further keep in mind that Friday-holiday did not have any negative impact on our export and import rather export and import increased at a rate of 10%-20% in the last couple of years,� the statement read.
The statement further says that the religious sentiments, tradition and opinion of the majority people of Bangladesh should be taken into serious consideration. “It is unworthy to create a new debate on a settled issue and as such Friday should continue to remain as weekly holiday,� it maintained.
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Saturday blamed inadequate financial allocation to judiciary for the high backlog of unresolved litigations, while Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the government contributed to the problem by making "mindless" appeals against every judgement.
"The pendency of cases has grown by 84 percent since 1995, while the financial allocation for judiciary has been hiked merely by 25 percent since then," the chief justice said citing inadequate financial allocation for developing judicial infrastructure as one of the reasons for the whopping backlog of three million litigations in lower and high courts.
He was addressing an international conference on Alternative Dispute Resolution here.
"Rising litigation is a natural phenomenon. While the population is growing, people have also become more aware," he said.
The chief justice also sought to refute the impression that the Indian judiciary was painfully slow.
"The disposal rates of cases in many states are between 1,400 to 1,600 per annum per judge. It's certainly not slow," he said.
Emphasising the need for faster development of judicial infrastructure, Chief Justice Balakrishnan also favoured various alternative methods of dispute resolution, including arbitration, reconciliation and mediation.
Imparting an economist's perspective to the administration of justice in India, Ahluwalia said "the cost of justice here, in terms of per sitting, per lawyer appearance, maybe low, but the total time taken owing to its slow pace hikes the cost."
Blaming the government for the high backlog of cases, he said: "it is not merely the greatest litigant but also believes in mindless appeal at each level.
"There is no cost for the individual official for taking the decision to appeal against one or the other judgement. But the cost for not making the appeal is significantly better than making the appeal for the government," he said, while urging the government "to stop making mindless appeal".
Approving alternative dispute resolution methods in an era of globalised economy, Ahluwalia, however, cautioned that the government must ensure that there should be no provision of appeal against the decision reached through any alternative dispute resolution method.
"Reconciliation and mediation must not become an additional layer of legal adjudication," he said.
Britain's first woman Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond, opened her remarks on a light note, saying "an inefficient lawyer delays the resolution of a case by months if not by years, but an efficient lawyer would certainly delay it by decades."
In her keynote address, she said the courts are not in a position to bear the entire burden of judiciary and a number of disputes should be resolved by alternative modes.
She emphasised the desirability of litigants to end disputes taking advantage of alternative dispute resolution, which provides procedural flexibility, saves valuable time and money besides helping avoid the stress of conventional trial.
In the present system, litigants are compelled to live with delays that lead to frustration, loss of faith among the disputants and gives rise to unethical and unsocial practices in the society, she added.
Minister for Law and Justice Bhardwaj said the government is committed to providing fair, speedier and inexpensive trial as per the mandate of Article 39-A of the constitution and the alternative dispute resolution methods are the government's sincere efforts to fulfil that mandate.
Justice Arijit Pasayat described the Indian legal system as suffering from `ABCD' syndrome, with A standing for access, B for backlog, C for cost and D for delay.
Islamabad, Feb 10 (DPA) A gas cylinder was deliberately detonated in the early hours of Saturday at the building of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the north-west Pakistani city of Peshawar, damaging vehicles and premises, officials said.
The incident occurred when a gas cylinder was thrown over the wall and exploded in the compound. No one was injured despite initial reports of one casualty, according to an ICRC spokesman.
"ICRC has suspended the field trips of its staff in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) until there has been a security assessment," Raza Hamdani told DPA in Islamabad.
International non-governmental organisations working in the restive province have previously received threats following attacks by coalition forces on suspected Taliban insurgents in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.
Islamabad, Feb 10 (Xinhua) Unidentified people Saturday blew up a main gas pipeline in Pakistan's Baluchistan province, disrupting gas supply to provincial capital Quetta and adjoining areas, TV channels reported.
Reports said the explosives were placed under the 16-inch pipeline which was blown off at 12.30 p.m. The pipeline carried gas to Quetta and neighbouring areas.
The city and other parts of the province were in the grip of intense cold following heavy rains and snowfall.
Baluch tribal groups, seeking greater autonomy for the province, have been spearheading a violent movement for years now.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspected tribal militants had in the past targeted gas and electricity lines as well as railway tracks.
Gas pipelines were blown up in Sui earlier this week which led to disruption of supplies in Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts.
Paris, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah welcomed on Saturday the agreement signed in Makkah between Fatah and Hamas during a meeting sponsored on Thursday by Saudi's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Al-Attiyah said this agreement would have a positive impact on stopping Palestinian bloodshed and boosting national unity.
"This agreement is also important as it would deny Israel the opportunity of claiming there is no real Palestinian partner to negotiate with it," he added.
He noted that the "the historic Makkah agreement is considered a refute of these Israeli claims and is proof that Palestinians are able to negotiate over the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."
The GCC official also stressed it was important that the world "be aware of the just Palestinian cause and to work on ending this ordeal as it is considered the key to Middle Eastern peace, stability, and security." On a different note, Al-Attiyah praised His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as being keen on supporting and contributing to joint GCC activities early in its establishment.
The secretary general also highlighted major accomplishments of His Highness Sheikh Sabah in the political, economic, and social fields, including his role in Kuwaiti women's attainment of their full political rights.
Meanwhile, Al-Attiyah indicated he would be heading to Vienna on Feb 20 following the decision of the Summit of GCC Leaders held in Riyadh last December to study the construction of a joint, peaceful nuclear program in GCC member states.
He said the study required contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure transparency in line with international standards, thus he would be holding talks with the energy agency on this issue.
Al-Attiyah recalled the recent statement of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait on establishing a transparent and clear nuclear programme for peaceful purposes.
During a press conference held at the Arab Press Club (CAPE), Al-Attiyah said Iran was a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and therefore had the right to own nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
He said, however, this required that it give guarantees to neighboring states, especially the GCC, regarding this program, calling for holding diplomatic dialogue to overcome this crisis and abiding by conditions set by the IAEA.
Al-Attiyah called on all concerned sides to be rationale and use logic to avoid war or the use of force so as to resolve this issue.
GCC member states, he said, looked forward to further development while enjoying peace and security, especially after witnessing three wars, which included an attempt at erasing a whole country from the world map -- alluding to the 1990 Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait.
He stressed the region "cannot bear anymore pressure." The entire international community, he said, was concerned over the Iranian nuclear file, saying he called on the US administration to avoid war as anything but peaceful negotiations would have a negative impact on the whole region.
GCC states have a clear and stable stance, namely "to avoid the use of force against a friendly and neighboring state," he said.
On Iraq, Al-Attiyah said every GCC country was affected by the situation there "as it is painful to see the country reaching such a stage." He noted efforts exerted within the framework of the Arab League to support Iraq, saying violence in Iraq "is not resistance but terrorism" which had its impact on GCC member states and the Arab world as a whole.
Al-Attiyah is visiting the country to address a forum on European affairs.
He met on Friday the new president of the Arab World Institute (IMA) during which the two sides discussed means to further boost bilateral cooperation in the cultural field.
Phnom Penh, Feb 10 (Xinhua) The German government has donated 7.6 million euro (around USD 10 million) for improving roads in rural areas of Cambodia over the next three years, local Television reported Saturday.
The fund will help in restoration and repair of about 2,000 km of rural roads across the country, it quoted Yim Chaily, secretary of state in the Ministry of Rural Development, as saying.
Chaily said the quality of rural roads in the country is expected to match that of the national roads in future.
According to official statistics, Cambodia's road network covers 35,000 km, including 4,800 km of national road, 5,700 km of provincial road and 24,500 km of rural road.
Finland also has donated about USD two million to Cambodia to modernise its information technology, strengthen public awareness and increase community participation in land registration, officials have told Xinhua.
New Delhi, Feb 10 : Global Media Publications, a leading New Delhi, India-based publisher on South Asian issues has launched www.khabrein.info a dedicated online news paper for Indian diaspora residing around the world.
Khabrein that means news in Hindi and Urdu aims to objectively present news and views to Indian audience living not only within the confines of this great country but also people of Indian origin living around the world. India with its immense knowledge-based economy is poised to become world leader within a very short time. The fast-paced growth of Indian economy as well as the changed image of the country - from snake charmers to technology drivers - is to a large extent due to the wonderful work being done by people of our country who have been living in different countries.
www.khabrein.info would bring news from across the country as well as of Diaspora living around the world, particularly in US, Gulf countries, European Union and Far East. With timely views, editorials, interviews, tech news www.khabrein.info promises to keep Indian Diaspora informed of all things important taking place in their part of the world.
“Though there are several website catering to non resident Indians in particular geographic locations, but there was a dearth of a powerful news media that caters to Indian Diaspora as a whole. With www.khabrein.info we would like to fill this vacuum� said S Ubaidur Rahman, CEO, Global Media Publications. He clarified that though this news site is geared towards Indian Diaspora it will be a complete online newspaper and will cover important news stories of the day from India and abroad.
“News stories and features concerning Indian Diaspora as well as business process outsourcing, Indo-US and Indo-Arab relations - areas where majority of non-resident Indians live- will be our focus area� S Ubaidur Rahman added. We are contacting writers in different parts of the world to write for us, said he.
Islamabad, Feb 10 (NNN-APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said that the government of PML and its allied parties was committed to transforming Pakistan into a modern, tolerant and enlightened state, as envisaged by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
He was talking to President of Nazariya-e-Pakistan Council, Zahid Malik, who called on him here at the PM House this evening.
The Prime Minster said that the PML government has introduced reforms in every sector and is pursuing policies to transfer the benefits of high economic growth to the masses.
Because of this reform agenda of the government, he said, employment opportunities in the country have increased and the standard of living of common man has improved.
The Prime Minister said the government is committed to redeeming every pledge made by it to the people.He said Pakistan was created as a result of the efforts and sacrifices made by the Muslims of sub-continent under the banner of Muslim League and it is the duty of every Muslim to work for the development and prosperity of Pakistan to make it a truly great nation so that it can earn its rightful place in the global community.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of Zahid Malik in making Islamabad a hub of activities relating to the promotion and strengthening of the ideological moorings of Pakistan. Zahid Malik briefed the Prime Minister about the activities planned by the Nazariya-e-Pakistan Council for the current year.
Chennai, Feb 10 (IANS) Nobel laureate Amartya Sen Saturday warned against any facile equation of economic growth with improvement in public health.
He recalled that post-revolution China had made dramatic improvements in public health with an increase in life expectancy from 35 to 68 years by 1979, the year the Chinese economic reforms began.
Since then China had become the world leader in economic growth but the life expectancy of the average Chinese had not increased commensurately, Sen said while delivering the K.S. Sanjivi Endowment lecture at the Voluntary Health Services headquarters here Saturday.
Speaking on Kerala, the Nobel laureate said that the Indian state had higher life expectancy than China.
Similarly, the infant mortality in Kerala today was as low as 12 per thousand, as against 28 in China, he added.
The economist saw this as a direct result of the great leap to privatisation that had come with China's dramatic economic growth.
He pointed out that the public health insurance for citizens, which stood at 100 percent in 1979 had come down to 20 percent today.
Sen, however, also counted "economic prosperity" and other factors including education and political direction among the requirements for enhancement of public health.
Health is an important issue not only because "it is an integral part of well-being" but also because it enhanced "human capabilities", he said.
The Nobel laureate, known for his emphasis on health, education and gender equity, also stressed on the importance of health as a "human right".
Answering critics, who objected to the idea of health as a human right, Sen said: "When we talk of promotion of human rights we talk of rights that need to be promoted. Health is one of such rights."
He also said that India's present allocations for health and education sectors could not take the country to its development goal of 2020.
Guwahati, Feb 10 (IANS) The Haryana football coach accused the referee of being biased in favour of West Bengal during the men's Group A match here Saturday.
Haryana coach Hansraj said the referee was afraid of taking any decisions against big team like West Bengal, the powerhouse in Indian football.
Haryana lost the match 0-3 at the Northeastern Frontier Railway Stadium.
"West Bengal is a big team, so how can the referee take a decision against them. We ended up being the sufferer as maximum of the referee's decisions went against us," he said.
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Lawn tennis deferred till Monday
The long opening ceremony of the 33rd National Games took its toll on some sports events with lawn tennis being deferred till Monday.
Three events - volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics - had to be postponed Friday due to the opening ceremony. Lawn tennis, earlier scheduled for Saturday, was postponed as the fixture for the day was already cramped.
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Gogoi dances to Sukhwinder's tune
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi matched his footsteps to the tune of noted Bollywood singer Sukhwinder Singh during the inauguration function of the 33rd National Games here Friday night.
At the end of the opening ceremony Friday night, Gogoi came down from the dais to shake a leg to Sukhwinder's song and waved to the spectators as fireworks lit the dark sky of the Sarsujai Sports Complex.
Guwahati, Feb 10 (IANS) The Haryana football coach accused the referee of being biased in favour of West Bengal during the men's Group A match here Saturday.
Haryana coach Hansraj said the referee was afraid of taking any decisions against big team like West Bengal, the powerhouse in Indian football.
Haryana lost the match 0-3 at the Northeastern Frontier Railway Stadium.
"West Bengal is a big team, so how can the referee take a decision against them. We ended up being the sufferer as maximum of the referee's decisions went against us," he said.
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Lawn tennis deferred till Monday
The long opening ceremony of the 33rd National Games took its toll on some sports events with lawn tennis being deferred till Monday.
Three events - volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics - had to be postponed Friday due to the opening ceremony. Lawn tennis, earlier scheduled for Saturday, was postponed as the fixture for the day was already cramped.
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Gogoi dances to Sukhwinder's tune
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi matched his footsteps to the tune of noted Bollywood singer Sukhwinder Singh during the inauguration function of the 33rd National Games here Friday night.
At the end of the opening ceremony Friday night, Gogoi came down from the dais to shake a leg to Sukhwinder's song and waved to the spectators as fireworks lit the dark sky of the Sarsujai Sports Complex.
Rome, Feb 10 (RIA Novosti) High-speed rail links are planned to be built between Russia's major cities and to Finland in 2012-2014.
High speed rail links between Moscow and St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg and Helsinki, Moscow and Kazan, Moscow and Samara, and Moscow and Adler are currently on the company's agenda, Vladimir Yakunin, head of Russian Railways (RZD) told media Friday.
"The first high-speed trains will run between Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a maximum speed of over 300 km/h [186 mph]," he said.
The high-speed rail link from Moscow to the Black Sea resort town of Adler will be launched as part of preparations for nearby Sochi's bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Russia has also signed a MoU with Italian rail operator FS, and its second largest industrial group, Finmeccanica.
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Jakarta, Feb 10 (NNN-ANTARA) The floods which submerged around 60 to 70 percent of metropolitan Jakarta city’s territory in the past one week were mainly caused by the attitude of human beings so that the blame cannot be entirely put on nature, an observer said.
Elfian Effendi, director of Greenomics Indonesia, a non-governmental organization dealing with environmental affairs, in an interview with Antara here on Friday said the Jakarta floods were the result of the mistakes of human beings as the capacity of the city’s water catchment areas had continued to decline from year to year.
He said the flash floods in early February of this year in Jakarta were also proof of the city`s poor environmental planning.
The slow realisation of the East Canal (BKT) and West Canal (BKB) projects for flood prevention showed the poor performance of the Jakarta city administration as well as the central government in efforts to protect the capital from floods during the rainy season.
"In other countries, national resources are mobilised on a large scale to accomplish projects like these," he said.
Greenoomics had estimated the floods in Jakarta and environs had caused material and economic losses totaling about Rp7.3 trillion while they directly or indirectly affected eight economic sectors.
Economic losses outside the eight sectors might reach over Rp1.2 trillion a day, including an estimated loss as a result of lost opportunity cost standing at 25 percent of the total of estimated losses.
"The estimated figure of Greenomics is much higher than the National Development Planning Board`s estimate of around Rp4.1 trillion," Elfien said.
The value of the flood-related losses, according to him, was about 1.7 percent of that of the regional gross domestic product (PDRB) of Jakarta.
"This is an economically strong warning. Jakarta’s economy is sensitive to the disturbance of floods," he said. Economic sectors which had been seeing high growth in Jakarta and surrounding areas were dominated by transportation, communication, trade, hotels and restaurants, electricity, gas and clean water.
But the recent floods would certainly hamper further growth in these sectors, he said.
Mumbai/New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The multi-billion battle to acquire Hutch-Essar, India's fourth largest mobile operator, gathered new momentum with four of the potential bidders submitting their bids.
According to sources Saturday, British mobile giant Vodafone, Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications (RCOM), the Hindujas in consortium with Qatar Telecom and Russian cellco Altimo submitted their bids Friday midnight to buy out Hutchison Whampoa's 67 percent stake in Hutchison Essar. There is no fifth bidder.
It is believed Altimo has tied up with Rothschild as advisor and Nomura of Japan as its financier, while Anil Ambani has roped in four private equity players - Blackstone Capital, Carlyle, Kavin Koehlberg Robers (KKR) and Apax Partners.
Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd (HTIL) is all set to discuss the bids on Sunday in Hong Kong, which would be followed by the company's annual general meeting on Feb 15.
Even the bidders are tight-lipped about the amount, which sources say, could be within the range of $18-$20 billion.
Meanwhile, both Vodafone and RCOM have officially told their shareholders and investors that they would take a conservative stand while bidding.
Vienna, Feb 10 (DPA) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) froze 22 out of 55 technical cooperation projects with Iran, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a report to its 35-nation board here.
The IAEA followed the line laid out in UN Security Council resolution 1737 from Dec 23, 2006, which asks to suspend all cooperation that could potentially enable Iran to acquire a nuclear weapons capability.
The release of the report Friday comes at the same time as Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani cancelled meetings both with IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei in Vienna and his participation in a security conference in Munich, where he was expected to meet with senior European leaders.
According to conference organisers, Larijani cancelled his trip due to "health reasons".
The Security Council resolution prohibits all UN member states as well as the IAEA from giving Iran technical assistance on proliferation-sensitive activities such as uranium enrichment or fuel reprocessing.
Iran's IAEA envoy Ali-Asqar Soltanieh called the freeze a follow-on to the "legally unjustifiable" UN resolution and therefore technically not relevant.
"The UN resolution has caused the IAEA limitations and eventually led to the freezing of projects with Iran," Soltanieh said.
The report stressed that "the secretariat will continue to keep all its technical assistance activities under review to ensure that none contribute to Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities as specified in the resolution."
"Technical cooperation to Iran may proceed through 11 national projects and 20 regional and two inter-regional projects," the report said.
Of the 22 halted projects, 10 were suspended completely.
For the remaining 12, cooperation was suspended for disparate activities "except for those specific activities that, after a case-by-case screening by the secretariat upon receipt of a request for specific assistance, are found to be in conformity" with the UN resolution.
Among the projects Iran requested were technical assistance for developing a waste disposal facility and aid for the production of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer therapy.
Technical cooperation would continue only "if it is for food, agricultural, medical, safety or other humanitarian purposes" or where it related to light water reactors, as specified by the Security Council, the report said.
Vienna, Feb 10 (NNN-KUNA) Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed El Baradei, announced Friday evening the suspension of 22 out of 55 bilateral and regional cooperation projects with Iran, heeding a resolution by the UN Security Council.
A report by El Baradei, made available to reporters, said the IAEA had suspended 22 projects but the Board of Governors, due to meet on March 5, would identify the type of projects to come to a halt and others that are to go on.
El Baradei's report comes amid a rift among the 35 member states of the IAEA as many of them, members in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), in which Iran and Arab states are members, opposed suspension of technical aid to Tehran fearing that would be taken as a model to deprive other IAEA members of the same aid.
A resolution taken by the UN Security Council last December provided that " technical cooperation provided to Iran by the IAEA or under its auspices shall only be for food, agricultural, medical, safety, or other humanitarian purposes.
It indicated no technical cooperation shall be provided that relates to the proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities." El Baradei is due to submit to the UNSC later this week a report the Council previously demanded on Tehran's uranium-enrichment activities.
Last November, the IAEA Board of Governors turned down an Iranian request seeking technical aid for a nuclear reactor operated by heavy water in the Arak nuclear facility owing to pressure by the West and the US, both accusing Tehran of seeking to possess nuclear weapons, taking a peaceful nuclear program as cover.
Tehran has repeatedly refuted the charges insisting its nuclear program is devoted to peaceful power generation.
By Frederick Noronha,
Bangalore, Feb 10 (IANS) One-step forward, two steps back...is this the fate of non-commercial, non-state radio broadcasting in Asia? It would seem so, going by the perceptions of a campaigner trying to promote community radio even as he says India holds out hope.
"Not much has moved in South Asia (in recent months)," said Suman Basnet, the Asia Pacific regional coordinator of AMARC, the French acronym for World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.
Basnet, who was travelling through New Delhi and Bangalore recently, however, praised the developments in India calling them "most exciting".
"We are hopeful that India will emerge as a good training ground for community radio not just in South Asia, but in the Asia Pacific. This is an issue voiced by AMARC members from diverse regions," Basnet, 38, told IANS.
"We're particularly interested in promoting the role of women in community radio and see a very big potential of that in India. By the very number of radio stations you're going to have in this country, it offers a vast playing field," he said.
"AMARC's interest to work in India is really deep because India is going to be comparable like Latin American countries like Colombia, where community radios are counted in thousands...and there's an explosion," said Basnet.
He said his visit to India was to consult with local campaigners to find out their needs. "It has to come from our Indian counterparts to tell us what is needed of us," he said.
Community radio - also called rural radio, cooperative radio, participatory radio, free radio, alternative, popular or educational radio - operates out of rural or urban areas, is broadcast to small areas and offers alternate, non-commercial, non-state voices to a diverse set of people via the radio.
India has just opened up its 'community radio' possibilities with a new official policy announced in mid-November 2006. Earlier, for a couple of years, it was mostly 'campus radio' stations that were being allowed.
Currently AMARC has barely half-a-dozen members in India.
"Lot of the knowledge probably exists in India, probably have to make it visible and present it in an organised way to those searching for it (as far as low-cost radio technology goes)," he says.
AMARC is the international umbrella organisation of community radio broadcasters founded in 1983, with nearly 3,000 members in 110 countries. After being focussed in Latin America and elsewhere, it recently stepped up its presence in Asia and is in cyberspace at asiapacific.amarc.org.
"Bangladesh is still stuck with draft law, as political priorities have changed there. Nobody is discussing community radio there. Instead they are discussing political issues and interim rule," said Basnet
In Pakistan, he said, nothing has happened.
"Private radios are there (in Pakistan), some new licenses have been given. After the earthquake in 2005 and the strong role radio stations played, there is a strong voice that the government should be more open to give community radio at least in disaster prone areas. But nothing has happened," he said.
But one country where something interesting has happened is Nepal, said Basnet who is based in Kathmandu.
"The king's very oppressing regime that saw community radio fighting for survival is over. There has been a major turnaround in the politics. Now the focus is on the interim constitution. The challenge for radio is for local radio stations to ensure that people participate in the whole process. Otherwise it will be an elite, city-driven process of drafting a constitution."
The other challenge for radio campaigners, he said, is to ensure that Nepal's new constitution acknowledges the role of community radio.
He said in a region like South Asia, low-powered non-commercial radio could be one tool to "give a voice to the rural areas, women and the poor" where the other media is more "city and elite driven".
Basnet said 300 radio stations had been shut down in Thailand after the military coup, and in the Philippines the entire media, including radio, was being "bullied so much" with journalists being murdered, that several radio stations had "voluntarily" closed down operations.
Indonesia too is caught in a bureaucratic and political process, and still struggling with legislations, he said.
United Nations, Feb 10 (IANS) India has demanded a fundamental reform of global economic governance ensuring changes in voting structure and accountability to bring down "subtle trade barriers" that destroy jobs.
"The job destruction through the inability of many developing countries' farmers to compete, as a result of subsidies in the developed world, is well-known," India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nirupam Sen, said Friday.
Taking part in a debate on 'Promoting Full Employment and Decent Work for all' at the 45th session of the commission for Social Development, Sen recalled Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath's lament: "We can deal with a flood of goods coming in but we cannot deal with a flood of subsidies."
In fact, World Economic Situation and Prospects 2007 report makes the point that one of the reasons why unemployment is not really decreasing significantly in spite of growth is the shift away from agriculture, including from food crops, said Sen.
In the case of non-agricultural goods, fair trade liberalisation could have offset the unemployment-creating effects of liberalised imports because exporters are more productive than non exporting plants and higher exports mean more job creation and less job destruction for the economy, but this effect is impeded by what have been described as "subtle trade barriers".
Trade barriers for developing countries remain - even the tariffs, in actual terms, imposed by the developed on developing countries are far higher than on fellow developed countries, Sen said.
Unemployment can be even more wasteful not just economically but in terms of wasted lives, "so many strong men's courage broken, so many hands numbed as though by nightshade", he said.
Externally, globalisation means that inefficient enterprises have to close down under competitive pressure, which causes unemployment. The IMF programmes combine encouraging privatisation with high interest rates.
This makes job creation more difficult. Sequencing is critical and has often been ignored and hence a fast pace of liberalisation before ensuring social security, training in new skills and an adequate regulatory framework has often created problems.
The IMF therefore needs to update and integrate even into its current activity its original Keynesian mandate of providing resources to strengthen aggregate effective demand, Sen said.
The Indian delegate welcomed the Secretary-General's affirmation of the need for creating an enabling environment at the international and national level as a key challenge for realising full employment and decent work.
"We hope that the current session of the Commission for Social Development would provide more insights into the effective realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly to halve extreme poverty by 2015 and foster social integration by making employment a central objective of national and international macroeconomic policies" he said.
Rajkot, Feb 10 (NNN-PTI) After the washout at the Eden Gardens, India and Sri Lanka go into the second cricket one-dayer here tomorrow with the home team still grappling with injury worries ahead of the crucial game which gives Virender Sehwag one last chance to push for a World Cup berth.
The three injured players -- Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar -- who had to sit out of the first match had still not recovered fully and were doubtful starters for the day match at the Madhavrao Scindia stadium.
In view of the injuries, the Indian team management would wait till tomorrow to decide on the playing eleven for the match which is of vital importance to Sehwag and paceman Munaf Patel who need to prove their form and fitness ahead of the World Cup team selection on Monday.
Yuvraj has been down with a back niggle while Pathan had still not recovered from a sore shoulder. Agarkar, who was down with flu, was still weak though he did take part in the practice session.
"Among the three, Agarkar has a better chance of playing. He bowled a few overs at the nets, but looked a little flat", captain Rahul Dravid said.
It will be a test of character for the out-of-form Sehwag, who was recalled into the team after being dropped for the series against the West Indies, as he gets just one opportunity to impress the selectors who meet in Mumbai on Monday to finalise India's 15-member World Cup squad.
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Feb 10 (IANS) US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez says India's traditional leadership role in the developing world was needed to advance stalled Doha round of world trade talks and get a "good agreement."
"India's leadership is required to get a WTO agreement that will help the whole world and will help India as well," Gutierrez told reporters Friday ahead of a two day visit to New Delhi Feb 13-14. He leaves here Sunday.
"It will be a quick, but very productive trip," he said describing it as a mission with twin goals: to win India's support at a "critical moment for Doha" and to demonstrate its commitment to building bilateral relations, a proclaimed "top priority" of Bush administration.
With India emerging as a key player in multilateral discussions, Washington looked to New Delhi's clout in the developing world to help the World Trade Organisation's Doha round of free trade talks get back on track, he said.
"As other developing countries watch India, and they look for cues from India, we'll need to see movement in agriculture, which of course we understand is a very important decision for India," Gutierrez said. India also needs to help break deadlocks over freeing up trade in the manufacturing and service sectors, he said.
But Gutierrez would not say whether US itself was willing to show greater flexibility in the matter of farm subsidies, which developing countries say give US farmers an unfair market advantage.
"I don't want to be in a position of negotiating with ourselves," he said suggesting that US had already put forward a "quiet bold" and "most aggressive proposal" and wanted to see reciprocity from the European Union, Japan and other big importers.
Gutierrez said US was not linking Doha logjam to generalised system of preferences (GSP)) even as Washington initiated a review of this duty-free trade benefit in the case of India and a dozen other countries soon after the collapse of world trade talks. "It's a separate issue requiring Congressional approval," he said.
Gutierrez, who has visited India several times in his previous job as Kellogg Co chief executive, said the $29 billion in annual US-India trade that made India the United States' 19th biggest trade partner showed the business relationship was "not at its full potential."
"As large as it is, it is just getting started," he said noting that foreign direct investment (FDI) made up only 5 per cent of India's GDP whereas it was as high as 28 per cent in the case of Brazil, 20 percent in Russia and 16 percent in China.
With an investment of $39 billion, US has the largest of FDI in India. Gutierrez said he aimed to promote cooperation in the areas of service trade, high technology and civil nuclear power under a landmark deal, which symbolised a very significant part of India-US relations.
While a lot of work has still to be done, Congressional approval for the deal represented a breakthrough. "We are committed and believe the step with the Congress gives us a leeway to move forward," he said urging India to move forward with the requisite steps like the accord with IAEA for an additional protocol.
A lot was going on in India, Gutierrez said. The open skies agreement had added a lot of vibrancy. It was also very much on track in liberalising the retail sector and he hoped to see significant progress in the near future. But a lot more has to be done.Opening up was good for a country. India has made so much progress that it can be proud of. India can grow up even faster if it opens up further, he said.
Asked about his reaction to legislation passed by several American states against outsourcing, he said Washington was in favour of free and fair trade that was an important part of the future of the world. But he could understand concerns when jobs are lost in a given state. "We have to convince them about its necessity (outsourcing) to attract investment and do more trade as they in turn created jobs."
Gutierrez will meet with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath and other senior government officials and business leaders.
The two sides will discuss ways to promote opportunity and economic growth between them, the announcement said. The meetings will include discussions on enforcing intellectual property rights, reducing red tape for US companies trying to do business in India and the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act signed by President George Bush in December 2006.
He will be accompanied by US Under Secretary for International Trade Frank Lavin who led the largest US government business development mission in history to India during Nov-Dec 2006. The mission included 250 American business representatives and state government officials who explored export opportunities to India.
But there are no business leaders in the Gutierrez delegation.
New Delhi, Feb 10, (IRNA) India's stock-sensitive index (Sensex) plunged by over 113 points on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Friday on heavy selling of stocks led by the steel and capital goods segments.
The benchmark Sensex opened with a positive gap of 32 points at 14,684, and rallied to a new all-time, intra-day high of 14,724.
Profit-taking at higher levels saw the index pare gains and slip into the negative zone at Mumbai, India's economic hub.
The index dropped to a low of 14,494, down 230 points from the peak. The Sensex attempted a recovery in mid-noon trading, but eventually slipped back to lower levels.
The index finally settled with a loss of 113 points at 14,539.
While the mid-cap index shed 1.8 percent (109 points) to 6065, the small-cap index slipped over 2 percent (161 points) to 7490.
All BSE sectoral indices ended in the red. The healthcare and metal indices were down around 1.5 percent each at 3843 and 9114, respectively.
The market breadth was extremely negative -- out of 2,718 stocks traded, 2,033 declined, 643 advanced and the rest were unchanged.
New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) India and China are set to deepen their economic, strategic and cultural ties by starting a hotline between their foreign ministers and launching the "friendship through tourism" year next week.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who starts his four-day official visit to India Sunday, will kick off, along with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, the 'India-China Friendship Through Tourism Year' Wednesday that is expected to accelerate the two-way flow of tourists between them.
The logo of the 'India-China Friendship Through Tourism Year' will also be unveiled.
Li comes here Tuesday after a visit to Patna and Nalanda, the prominent centre of learning in the ancient times, and will hold talks with Mukherjee on a wide range of bilateral and global issues. He will also call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The hotline will be operationalised after the talks between Li and Mukherjee to implement the 10-point plan, agreed during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit here late last year, for enhancing strategic and economic cooperation between the two countries, Chinese embassy sources told IANS.
Li will hold talks with Mukherjee and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Friday in a trilateral meeting that will discuss a host of international issues, including the Iranian crisis.
China plans to cooperate with India in building an international university in Nalanda which, in the 5th century A.D., was a famous centre of Buddhist learning.
The two countries are confident about doubling the bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010.
Chennai, Feb 10 (IANS) India and Italy will ink pacts on countering terrorism and energy cooperation during Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi's six-day visit to the country that began Saturday.
The two memoranda of understanding will relate to setting up a joint working group (JWG) on combating international terrorism and transnational crime, and on cooperation in the sphere of renewable energy.
The two countries will also sign a cultural exchange programme for 2007-09.
Prodi, who is accompanied by top ministers and over 100 leading entrepreneurs, began the visit to India from Chennai. He will travel to Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata before arriving in New Delhi Feb 14 for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his top aides and ministers, after which the agreements will be signed.
A string of seminars and meetings will be held in Mumbai, Ko