28 June 2006
Islamabad, June 28 (IANS) Pakistan has said it would deploy 10,000 more troops along its border with Afghanistan, in addition to the estimated 80,000 already stationed there, to control illegal cross-border movement.
The announcement by Foreign Minister Khushid M. Kasuri came Tuesday during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a visit here, ostensibly to supervise the ongoing anti-Taliban operations in neighbouring Afghanistan but also to calm the frayed nerves of the leaders of the two South Asian nations.
Presidents Pervez Musharraf and Hamid Karzai have made accusations and the US mediatory role, including a supervisory one by the Special Forces posted in Afghanistan, has not been enough to end the animus.
Rice said the increase in violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks did not signify a resurgence of the Taliban, reported the Daily Times.
"We are not talking about the resurgence of the Taliban as a political force. We are talking about them as a force that is trying to be destructive in a somewhat vulnerable part of the country," she said.
In an even-handed approach, Rice called Karzai an "extraordinary leader" and referred to Musharraf as a "moderate force" in the Muslim world while urging both to work together against terrorism.
She said Pakistan had been "clearly working really, really hard... and I think that includes working on the Afghan-Pakistani border which has long been essentially an ungoverned region".
Pakistan denies the charge of not acting effectively enough or encouraging the illegal movement. It says Kabul is passing the responsibility for its own poor guarding of a porous border.
Kasuri said Islamabad was awaiting "actionable evidence" about the militants' movements, according to media reports.
Rice, who earlier had a detailed meeting with Musharraf, said Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US "need to unify our efforts to eliminate Al Qaeda and Taliban".
The United States' role is to keep pressing to eliminate the "terrible enemy", the Daily Times quoted her as saying.
She said the three countries were improving their tactical and strategic cooperation. "Pakistan is a friend and a partner. We recognise President Musharraf's commitment."
However, she stressed "we need to commit as strongly as possible" to make it impossible for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants to operate in the region.
According to Rice, Karzai had launched a process of political reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's domestic politics cropped up at the press conference. To a question about democracy in Pakistan and Musharraf's uniform, Rice said the US looked forward to seeing "free and fair elections in Pakistan next year".
Shenyang (China), June 28 (Xinhua) Twenty-one miners were killed and 37 injured Wednesday in a coalmine blast in northeast China's Liaoning Province, said a local government official.
The blast occurred at 8.15 a.m. (local time) in the Wulong coal mine of the Fuxin Mining Industrial Group, about 150 km northwest of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province.
Five miners were still missing, said Zhang Wanqin, head of the publicity department of the Fuxin City Committee of the Communist Party of China.
The explosion site is about 1,000 meters from the surface, according to coalmine sources.
Having been in operation since 1957, the Wulong coal mine produces more than two million tons of coal annually.
Liaoning provincial government and Fuxin city government officials have rushed to the accident site to direct rescue work.
The cause of the accident is being investigated.
Dubai, June 28 (IANS) Sachin Tendulkar, who missed India's ongoing Test series against West Indies due to his shoulder operation, has for the first time in 14 years slipped out of the top 20 of Test rankings for batsmen.
India, however, have two players in top 20. Captain Rahul Dravid, who retained his second place (842 rating points) behind Australian captain Ricky Ponting (931), and Virender Sehwag (707), though the vice-captain has slipped down one place to 13th.
Tendulkar, who underwent an operation in March, is now placed 22nd with 650 points, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced here Wednesday.
This is the first time that 33-year-old Tendulkar, who missed a few one-day series as well, has slipped out of the top 20 since 1992, though at that time these rankings were not owned by the ICC.
ICC said a combination of factors forced Tendulkar out of the top 20.
"First and foremost, a player loses points - one percent of his rating - for each missed Test and so Tendulkar's absence from the Caribbean (series), as he recovers from surgery on his right shoulder, obviously counts against him," said the statement.
"But on top of that, his Test match form in the last couple of years has been well below his career peak - he averages just 28 in his last 10 Tests compared with an overall average of 55.39 - and form has an impact on a player's rating."
And while Tendulkar's mark of 650 rating points may have been enough to put him in the top 20 in times gone by, it is not enough now with other batsmen scoring heavily, explained ICC.
Tendulkar, after missing the seven-match home one-day series against England, two ODIs against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, five one-dayers against West Indies and the four Tests, smashed two centuries in five days while playing for Lashings in exhibition matches in England.
V.V.S. Laxman, who scored 100 and 63 in the drawn third Test in St Kitts this week, has moved up to the 27th position.
India also has two players in the top 20 of the bowlers' rankings. Anil Kumble slipping down one spot to eighth (732 points) while pacer Irfan Pathan, who missed the third Test, is 13th (656). Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan leads the table with 901 points.
Pathan (276) is placed fifth in the all-rounders' list, which is headed by South Africa's Jacques Kallis (486).
Test rankings:
Batsmen:
1 Ricky Ponting (Australia) 931 rating points
2 Rahul Dravid (India) 842
3 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 832
4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) 831
5 Matthew Hayden (Australia) 808
6 Younis Khan (Pakistan) 796
7 Mohammed Yousuf (Pakistan) 780 and Mike Hussey (Australia) 780* (joint)
9 Brian Lara (West Indies) 747
10 Kevin Pietersen (England) 746*
Bowlers:
1 M. Muralidaran (Sri Lanka) 901 rating points
2 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) 841
3 Shane Warne (Australia) 813
4 Glenn McGrath (Australia) 811
5 Matthew Hoggard (England) 780
6 Andrew Flintoff (England) 767
7 Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) 751
8 Anil Kumble (India) 732
9 Shane Bond (New Zealand) 720*
10 Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) 700
All-rounders:
1 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 486 rating points
2 Andrew Flintoff (England) 463
3 Shaun Pollock (South Africa) 302
4 Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) 290
5 Irfan Pathan (India) 276*
* Denotes provisional ranking
Aligarh, June 28 (IMI) Cadila Pharmaceutical Industries, Ahmedabad, a well-known Pharmaceutical Industry of world repute, has signed an agreement with Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh under Pharmaceutical Research and Development Support Fund (PRDSF) Programme of Development of Science & Technology, Government of India.
With the support of various programme introduced by Department of Science and Technology, GOI, Pharmaceutical industries are looking forward on the expertise of research scientists from academia. Keeping into consideration the fact that through rigorous and painstaking exercises, AMU has developed excellent expertise and infrastructure in selected areas of drug development.
Cadila Pharmaceutical Company has sought help of Dr. Mohammed Owais of Inter-Disciplinary Biotechnology Unit, AMU in development of ‘Nano-Particles’ based novel antifungal formulations for treatment of opportunistic fungal infections. The product is likely to have great market value in post-AIDS era, where patients with AIDS background are the prime targets of opportunistic fungal infections.
Dr. M. Owais did his post doctoral training, he worked with Dr. R.C. Gallo’s group at NIH, USA, developed HIV-2 based gene therapy vectors and also elucidated functional domain mapping of chemokines for their anti-HIV activity. He is also trying to demonstrate that co-administration of immuno modulators along with Chemotherapy can be employed in treatment of both sensitive as well as drug resistant strains of fungal pathogens.
The tripartite MoU signed between AMU, Cadila Pharmaceutical Company, Ahmedabad and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India paves the way for developing appropriate mechanism for reducing the time lag between an invention and the commercialization, and ensuring that industrial growth goes hard in hard with greater technological capability so as to attract industrial investment in research and development to cope with the increased competition in global market.
The credit for this MoU goes to AMU’s Registrar, Professor Faizan Mustafa and Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Naseem Ahmad to promote and support interaction of academia with industries that will help to increase nation’s self reliance in drugs and pharmaceutical section especially in areas critical to national health requirement.
New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) The issue of spiralling prices of essential commodities is expected to dominate deliberations in the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi here Thursday.
The price hike has become a delicate issue for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government that proclaims itself to be the champion of 'aam aadmi' or common man in the light of protests by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party as also by outside supporters like the Left parties.
The fuel price hike last month had also seen loud protests from the Left parties forcing the Congress to ask its state governments to lower duties to minimise the burden on the common man.
In fact the last meeting of the CWC was held against the backdrop of the reservation issue and witnessed divergent views on the proposal.
Thursday's meeting is taking place a day ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Vidarbha in the wake of growing suicides by farmers in the region.
To get a first-hand view of the agrarian crisis affecting the region's cotton farmers, the prime minister is likely to visit villages in Yavatmal and Wardha districts that have been among the worst hit and announce a financial package.
Moscow, June 28 (Xinhua) A discarded American satellite passed by the International Space Station (ISS) at a close range, said Russia's flight control centre.
The Hitch Hiker satellite, weighing 79 kg and launched by the US in 1963, passed by the ISS at a distance of about 240 metres at 6.31 p.m. Moscow time (1431 GMT), said the control centre.
As the danger of a collision between the ISS and the satellite was nil, the Russian control centre and the US space agency NASA decided that there would be no need for evasive manoeuvres.
It was reported that another object, numbered 88921 in the list of space debris, also floated past the ISS at a close range 12 hours earlier.
ISS crews have reportedly dodged space debris six times on the station's trajectory.
Currently, there are about 10,000 man-made objects, including discarded satellites and other equipment, close to the earth's orbit. Experts said some 2,000 items of space debris may pose serious threats to the safety of the ISS.
Berlin, June 28 (DPA) France came from behind to beat Spain 3-1 Tuesday and set up a quarter-final against Brazil, who ended Ghana's heady World Cup run as Ronaldo got his record 15th World Cup goal.
The match in Frankfurt Saturday will be a chance for Brazil to avenge their World Cup final defeat by France in 1998, and no one will be more eager than Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane to shine again.
"Brazil is a good memory for us. We will try to prepare (for them) in the same way as for tonight. We wanted to do great things tonight to prove there's more to us than we showed in the group stages," said Zidane.
The scoreline in Hanover that also saw goals by Franck Ribery and Patrick Vieira was harsh on Spain, who had dominated the first half and had deservedly taken the lead in the 27th minute through a David Villa penalty.
But Ribery rounded Iker Casillas to equalise four minutes before half time, while Vieira headed France in front seven minutes from time, and Zidane sealed victory in the second minute of injury time.
France had Zidane back from suspension but Spain were the better side and were rewarded for their slick passing when Lilian Thuram got too close to Pablo and referee Roberto Rosetti awarded the penalty.
It was Spain's first defeat in Luis Aragones's 26-match tenure in charge.
"We didn't deserve the last goal but that is football and we are going home," said a bitterly disappointed Iker Casillas. "Maybe we relaxed after we scored."
In Dortmund, Ronaldo became the World Cup's all-time record goalscorer as Brazil beat Ghana 3-0 with Adriano and Ze Roberto also on target.
The striker, criticised for arriving at the tournament over-weight, is now also in the running to win the FIFA golden shoe, with three tournament goals.
"I know I've been under pressure but it's good for me," he said. "It allows me to laugh it off and show what's in me. Now I want to score more goals so we can be champions."
Ronaldo's strike in the fifth minute in Dortmund was historic and Adriano's goal also marked a major milestone. His effort on the stroke of half time was Brazil's 200th World Cup goal.
Brazil's coach Carlos Alberto Parreira was full of praise for tournament debutants Ghana. "It was a very difficult game the result does not express how difficult it was," he said.
Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic echoed the sentiment, who said: "I am proud of my team. It is no embarrassment to go out against Brazil."
But he was angered at Brazil's second goal and the decision to send him to the stand at half time. "The referee should have worn a yellow shirt," he said.
Ghana had started the most important match in their history without arguably their most important player, midfielder Michael Essien, who was suspended.
Brazil win was not beautiful, but it did not worry Parreira.
"History talks about champions, not beautiful football," he said. "We want to play beautiful football, but most of all we want to be world champions."
Accra, June 28 (DPA) Ghanaian fans are mourning the exit of the Black Stars who were eliminated by defending champions Brazil 3-0 Tuesday, but die hard supporters were still blowing whistles and waving flags in parts of the capital long after the match had finished.
"We have been there, and that is an achievement," said a woman still waving her flag.
"At least we were not disgraced. We were in a very tough group, but we came through," she said. "The Black Stars relied on the off-side trap and that let them down."
"The absence of (Michael) Essien had a big affect on us," said another fan.
"In a match like this, when a key player is missing, there is a disruption of play. The goals we conceded could have been avoided," he added.
Fans had been gearing themselves up for a carnival, expecting another upset, but the Brazilians doused the party with an emphatic win.
Most disappointed fans troop back home, still in their national colours of red, yellow and green, their whistles hidden in their pockets.
"I am very disappointed, but losing to Brazil is not a crime at all. We shall be back," said Joe Amenyo.
Even though the hurdle appeared insurmountable, some diehard fans believed before the match that the Black Stars could pull off a surprise.
Afterwards, however, fans could only take solace in Kwame Attos words: "No matter the outcome, we have performed creditably. We have disposed of the world number two (Czech Republic) and number five (US). We had nothing to lose."
By Syed Zarir Hussain, Guwahati, June 28 (IANS) Assam is launching a whopping Rs.2 billion beautification project by demolishing government offices and bungalows located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra.
The plan to convert the riverfront into parks and seating for people in Assam's main city of Guwahati is expected to be taken up in two months.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said officials had been asked to begin the renovations before the start of the 33rd National Games in Guwahati in October this year.
"I want to change the face of Guwahati and make it beautiful," Gogoi told IANS.
Among the major concrete structures likely to be demolished are the District Magistrate's office, the Police Superintendent's office, residences of the Assam police chief, the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court and the bungalows of a few judges as well.
"I have asked officials to relocate the offices and residences soon. Some of the ancient bungalows and buildings would be preserved and converted into museums for people to visit," Gogoi said.
The fund for the city beautification project was cleared by the central government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Apart from beautifying the riverfront, the government has also decided to repair all main city streets and by-lanes, provide proper lighting in streets and suburbs and give a facelift to numerous government buildings with fresh coats of paint.
"Guwahati is the gateway to Southeast Asia and we need to make the city bright and cheerful," Gogoi said.
Gaza, June 28. Israeli troops entered the southern Gaza Strip, starting a broad ground operation early Wednesday, following the abduction of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants.
The Israeli army has confirmed the start of the offensive, code-named "Summer Rain", adding that the military operation is aimed to secure the return of the kidnapped soldier.
It is the first major ground offensive by the Israeli army since Israel withdrew troops and soldiers from the entire Gaza Strip last summer after 38 years of occupation.
Witnesses said that Israeli tanks were moving into the Rafah town, adding that loud blasts were heard.
Earlier, Palestinian security forces said that the Israeli army demanded Palestinian security forces to withdraw from the key Rafah crossing on the southern Gaza border.
Around midnight Tuesday, Israeli air strikes destroyed three bridges linking the north and the south of Gaza in a bid to prevent Palestinian militants from moving the abducted Israeli soldier.
The only power plant in the Gaza Strip was also hit by missiles, which led to a blackout in most areas of the coastal strip.
The 19-year-old Israeli Corporal, Gilad Shalit, was abducted by Palestinian militants who mounted a deadly attack on an Israeli army post near the Gaza border Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has turned down demands by the Palestinian militants to set free Palestinian women and minors jailed by Israel in exchange for information on the abducted soldier.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and four wounded in the predawn Sunday attack. Two Palestinian militants were also shot dead in the gun battle with Israeli forces.
Israel has vowed retaliation for the cross-border assault.
Baghdad, June 28 (Xinhua) A key figure of Al Qaeda in Iraq, accused of bombing a Shia shrine in Samarra and killing an Iraqi female journalist, has been arrested by security forces, a senior official said Wednesday.
"Iraqi security forces have arrested a terrorist, a Tunisian national, Yusri Fakhir Muhammed alias Abu Qudama al-Tunisi, during a military operation in the Udhaim area in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad," said National Security Advisor Muwafaq al-Rubaie.
The capture of Muhammed is another blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq following the killing of its leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a US air strike near Baquba, 65 km northeast of Baghdad, on June 7.
By Arun Kumar, Washington, June 28 (IANS) The India-US nuclear deal cleared its first hurdle Tuesday with a key committee of the US Congress approving a "historic" bipartisan bill that gives the go-ahead to the Bush administration, but also requires it to submit the final agreement for Congressional approval in a second vote later.
The "landmark" measure approved by the International Committee of the House of Representatives by a 37-5 margin also requires the Bush administration to keep the Congress fully informed about the ongoing negotiations with India about a formal peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement and its implementation.
To ensure broader bipartisan support for the legislation, Republican chairman Henry Hyde of Illinois and Tom Lantos of California, the leading Democrat, presented an altogether new bill reflecting the consensus of the Congress to keep it safe from "killer" amendments that would have required a return to the negotiating table.
The bill was finally approved after a marathon four-hour debate after rejecting seven deal-breaker amendments and incorporating three others having no bearing on the operational aspects of the India-US nuclear agreement. These relate to reporting of the categorisation of new nuclear reactors or facilities as civilian or military by India, disposal of spent nuclear fuel and prohibition of transfer to US of spent fuel generated in India's civilian nuclear reactors.
The Senate Foreign Relations committee is expected to approve a similar bill prepared by Republican Chairman Richard Lugar of Indiana and Democrat Joseph Biden of Delaware on Thursday just before Congress goes for a ten-day recess.
The House and Senate versions are not expected to differ substantially in the operational part, as the heads of the two panels who have both extended critical support to the deal are reported to have been in touch with each other.
The Congress itself is expected to vote on the bills sometime in July. If the two houses do differ in the operative parts, they would have to be reconciled before the nuclear deal finally gets back on the president's table to sign into a law.
Hyde. who played a key role with Lantos in building a consensus around the Bill, described the measure "as an important step in transforming the strategic alliance of two of the oldest and largest democracies, while strengthening international security."
"While the world has known that India possesses nuclear weapons, India has not had a seat at the table of nuclear stakeholders. This brings India into the mainstream with other accountable countries, giving rise to the same benefits and responsibilities as other such states," he said.
Lantos, on his part, described the legislation as a historic move like the one United States made in opening to China in 1971, noting its importance in terms of the impact on "the new geo-strategic alignment between India and the United States for the balance of the 21st century, cannot be overstated."
The legislation was indeed India specific, he said, in the sense that there is no other country which is democratic, has a population of 1.1 billion and wants to build a closer relationship with the United States.
"India is unique, and this legislation is, in a very fundamental sense, unique."
Lantos said the deal also presented an unmistakeable opportunity to advance America's non-proliferation goals by rewarding a country that has nuclear weapons capability but has not used it to spread nuclear weapons capability around the globe.
"India has no A. Q. Khan," he noted in a reference to the Pakistani nuclear scientist who is said to have opened a nuclear "Walmart" for anyone willing to pay the price.
In the course of the debate, responding to a demand from Democratic Rep. Howard Berman of California that India be asked to halt fissile material production, Lantos said India's energy situation should not be used to "extort" such a decision. "That choice must be made by New Delhi" based on its assessment of national security.
Entitled the "United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006," the House legislation would grant the president a series of waivers to existing law after making several determinations that India has met a set of specified requirements, including negotiation of a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It also requires continuing consultation with Congress and a number of reports that will enable Congress to remain fully informed of the ongoing negotiation and implementation of the agreement.
As the House panel opened its session, Hyde explained he had brought forward a new bill instead of merely fine tuning the one he and Lantos had introduced last March because the original bill "conceived in a profoundly unsatisfactory manner" would have granted the administration an unprecedented and sweeping freedom of action.
In effect, Congress was being asked to vote to remove itself from the process almost entirely and abandon its constitutional role, he said, noting the new bill changes the process by which Congress will consider and pass judgment on a negotiated agreement regarding civil nuclear cooperation with India.
He said the new bill restores Congress' traditional role in these types of agreement.
However, Hyde cautioned that to open the door to amendments to a negotiated agreement would in effect be to render the process of negotiation untenable. That approval, however, is by no means assured, he said in a balancing act.
By Prasun Sonwalkar, London, June 28 (IANS) The next two days were crucial for the Doha round of world trade talks, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here Wednesday, warning that livelihood security and subsistence of the poor were not negotiable.
Expressing optimism about reaching an agreement in Geneva in the next two days, he said he would first see what developed countries would offer in terms of subsidy reduction and then put forth India's position.
India has been leading the less developed countries in the current negotiations and Kamal Nath will be in a key position during the talks in Geneva.
He said that the development challenge of the Doha round must be addressed if the current global trade negotiations were to succeed.
The minister said he was optimistic about the US and the European Union (EU) understanding and comprehending ground realities, since every one had a stake.
Kamal Nath arrived in London from Washington, where he had talks with key trade officials and also had telephonic talks with EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson.
"We know we are running out of time," he said.
"There is a growing disquiet that the contours of the development dimension of this round are not yet apparent. What does development mean? Surely, it cannot mean displacement of subsistence farmers and de-industrialisation of developing countries," Kamal Nath wrote in a letter to the trade ministers of all member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
It is not fair trade if developed countries sought market access in developing countries with subsidised production, Kamal Nath told newsmen.
Livelihood security and subsistence of the poor are not negotiable issues, he stressed and added that these two differing sets of concerns were not equal and could not be treated equally.
On industrial tariffs, he emphasised that developing countries should not be prevented from nurturing their infant industrial sectors.
"An overambitious programme of tariff liberalisation can permanently foreclose the possibility of industrial development in many developing countries - in some cases, actually leading to de-industrialisation," he said.
Kamal Nath met Lord Sainsbury, science and technology secretary, and other British officials and discussed various issues including those relating to intellectual property rights.
New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday urged people to wear handloom apparels at least once a week, while assuring a financial revival package including low interest credit within three months for the handloom sector.
An expert committee has estimated a requirement of Rs.10 billion to help master craftsmen and cooperatives wipe out crippling debts and infuse fresh life into the handloom sector that employs over 6.5 million people.
"I have asked the finance minister to consider the feasibility of extending the low interest facility provided for agricultural loans to handloom weavers as well," the prime minister said while launching the 'handloom mark' to help consumers identify genuine products.
"I have also asked the textile and finance ministers to look into the problem of debt which is afflicting handloom cooperatives so that this can be rescheduled or cooperatives recapitalised in a manner similar to that done for cooperative banks through the Vaidyanathan Committee. I am hopeful we will resolve the problem in the next three months."
Urging citizens to wear handloom apparels at least once a week to help the handloom sector, one of India's most enduring civilisational inheritance, Manmohan Singh said the handloom mark should be used to promote exports and "secure a high value-added niche market for this highly prized product."
Handloom exports have about 12 percent share in the country's total textiles and made-ups exports of around $14 billion.
With countries like China promoting powerlooms over handlooms, India is keen to cash in on the traditional skills of its weavers to garner a larger share in the global textile market.
While the country's handloom sector had been hit by competition from powerlooms and mills, sustained efforts of the government have put it back on the path of recovery.
The production of handloom fabrics, which fell by 21.6 percent in 2002-03 and 8.14 percent in 2003-04, has been on the upswing in the last two years with a growth of 4.16 percent in 2004-05 and further 8.14 percent in 2005-06.
In addition to the 20 handloom clusters developed in various parts of the country to provide design and production support to weavers, 100 more clusters would be ready by October-end, said Textile Minister Shankersinh Vaghela.
Moreover, the textile ministry would be launching a technology upgradation fund in September under which units having 10 or more looms under one roof would be able to avail of finances to upgrade the machinery.
The government has earmarked Rs.40 million to provide technology upgradation support to the handloom sector during 2006-07.
While there are 40 yarn depots in the country, the number was being raised to 230 to further facilitate raw material availability, said Vaghela, adding that all new depots would be operational by August.
New York, June 28 (IMI)Poverty for Africa’s 800 million inhabitants can be made history if the region’s wealth of natural resources is effectively, fairly and sustainably harnessed, but rapid deforestation, widespread land degradation, wasteful water use and climate change must be urgently addressed, according to a new United Nations report released today.
“The report challenges the myth that Africa is poor,� UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner said of the study, the Africa Environment Outlook-2 (AE0-2).
“Indeed, it points out that its vast natural wealth can, if sensitively, sustainably and creatively managed, be the basis for an African renaissance - a renaissance that meets and goes beyond the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),� he added of the targets to slash a host of ills, such as extreme hunger and poverty, high infant and maternal mortality and lack of access to education and health care, all by 2015.
“But this is not inevitable and, as the AE0-2 points out, African nations face stark choices,� he warned. “If policies remain unchanged, political will found wanting and sufficient funding proves to be elusive, then Africa may take a far more unsustainable track that will see an erosion of its nature-based wealth and a slide into ever deeper poverty.�
Beyond home-grown issues like deforestation and water wastage, the report notes the imported challenges, ranging from genetically modified organisms and the costs of alien invasive species to a switch of chemical manufacturing from the developed to the developing world.
But it also cites a wide range of international environment treaties to which many African countries are now parties as well as new cooperative agreements covering shared river and ecosystems like the Limpopo and the Congo basin’s globally important forests.
Initiatives like the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) also promise to propel the region onto a more prosperous path that balances economic, social and environmental concerns.
Several African countries, like the Gambia and Zambia, are mainstreaming the environment in their Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and other countries are starting to use tax and other market mechanisms to conserve ecosystems like forests.
“I am convinced that we are fast reaching a watershed in Africa’s response and that the pieces of a sustainable jigsaw puzzle are being steadily put into place,� Mr. Steiner said.
“Governments are signalling an increased willingness to cooperate and to engage over a wide range of pressing regional and global issues. The economic importance of the environment is increasingly recognized by Africa’s leaders as an instrument for development, for livelihoods, for peace and for stability. I sincerely believe we have a real opportunity to take this impetus a long way,� he concluded.
Among the many sources of possible wealth the report cites the “huge but relatively untapped� potential for tourism based around nature and cultural sites; suitable land to feed its people; abundant but little used water resources for irrigation, drinking water and power generation; and its status as “a mining giant� producing nearly 80 per cent of the world’s platinum, more than 40 per cent of the globe’s diamonds and more than a fifth of its gold and cobalt.
It calls for a transition from being a major exporter of primary resources to being one with a vibrant industrial and manufacturing base.
And it warns against the pitfalls in development: pure market forces alone in food production could lead to greater land degradation, and industrial expansion could deprive the general public of water.
It proposes solutions such as government-held lands being put into production rather than over-exploiting existing agricultural land, and proper pollution controls and greater efficiency in water management.
Dortmund, June 28 (DPA) Brazil striker Ronaldo became the highest goal scorer in the World Cup history with 15 goals to his credit when he scored in the second-round match against Ghana Tuesday.
Ronaldo sidestepped Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston to put Brazil ahead in the fifth minute, breaking the record he had shared with Gerd Mueller of Germany.
The 29-year-old Brazilian, who played in the 1998 finals and was the top goal scorer in 2002, has now scored three goals in this summer's finals.
Mueller scored 14 goals in two World Cup finals, in 1970 and 1974.
Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) Leading jewellery brand Tanishq will foray in the US market soon, the company announced Wednesday.
CEO C.K. Venkataraman said here the jewellery company under Titan Industries Ltd., aiming to take its annual turnover to Rs.10 billion from previous year's Rs.7.5 billion, is planning to start the US store in the East Coast by this year.
The company currently exports its products to Middle East and Far East.
"Exports contribute five percent of the turnover of the company," Venkataraman said.
"Eastern India will contribute Rs.1.5 billion in the turnover this year from Rs.1.1 billion last year."
Tanishq, having 84 retail store chains in 61 cities, has planned to take the number of stores to 115 in the next three years, he said.
Venkataraman was in the city to inaugurate a "concept store" having all jewellery collections offered by Tanishq.
The company is planning similar stores in New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.
Nairobi, June 28 (IMI) UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative to Somalia today discussed the world body’s role in promoting peace and security in the country with the Chairman of the Union of Islamic Courts based in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
During their telephone conversation, UN envoy Francois Lonsény Fall also briefed Somali leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on UN efforts to encourage dialogue between the Transitional Federal Government and the Union of Islamic Courts, according to a UN spokesman.
Mr. Fall reported that Sheikh Ahmed expressed a willingness to work with all parties to promote peace in Somalia. He also thanked the UN for the role it has been playing so far, and agreed to meet with Mr. Fall in the near future, the spokesman said.
Yesterday in Nairobi, Mr. Fall held separate meetings on the latest developments with the Somali Prime Minister, Ali Mohammed Gedi, and the Speaker of the Parliament.
Earlier this month, militias associated with the Union of Islamic Courts drove warlords out of Mogadishu and took control of parts of Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since the collapse of President Muhammad Siad Barre's regime in 1991.
Officials with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government and representatives of the Union of Islamic Courts reached an agreement on 22 June.
Curb Communalism to Protect Peace and Harmony
The issue that poses the most serious challenge to Indian Muslims viz. communalism, which more often than not takes the severity of fascism, makes important headlines in the vernacular Urdu press. This week also this menace emerged as the most reported issue confronting the Muslim minority in India. For it witnessed the peace and justice-loving people, both Muslim and Non-Muslim, calling upon the Government to contain this threatening phenomenon.
The Hindustan Express of June 20 gave a front-page treatment to a secular initiative to contain communalism. A delegation comprising intellectuals and social activists like Kuldip Nayar, Majeed Memon, Teesta Setalvad and Kamal Farooqui, on June 19 called on President A.P.J. Abul Kalam to express its grave concern on the rising pace of communalism in the country and seek his intervention in the matter so that this menace may be curbed.
Referring to the Modi administration of Gujarat’s bid to deprive the Muslims of the benefits of rural welfare scheme, the members of the delegation said, “Four years have passed since the Gujarat genocide but the state government is still giving step-motherly treatment to the Muslims.�
According to them, the President asked them to propose a brief, 5-point action plan to curb communalism and anti-social elements, and assured them that the rule of law will prevail in the country and the communal elements will not be allowed to disintegrate the society.
On June 22 the Inquilab covered the Indian Union Muslim League’s demand to institute an enquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge into the gun battle between the police personnel and the so-called terrorists at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. The IUML president G.M. Banatwala has also demanded a CBI enquiry into the April 6 bomb blasts at a house in Nanded. While the Nagpur ‘encounter’ questions the credibility of police system, the latter incident has put the Sangh Parivar in the dock. The Qaumi Awaz and the Awam carried these demands on June 23.
A Rashtriya Sahara report (June 24) says Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh has called for launching a movement against the communal forces that have been hell bent upon destroying peace in the country. Addressing the All India Tahaffuz-e-Madaris (Protection of Madrasas) Convention held in New Delhi under the aegis of All India Deeni Madaris Board, Mr. Singh also said that certain forces are trying to create communal hatred in the country by defaming madrasas and ulema.
Speaking on the occasion, Congress leader Satyawarat Chaturvedi and Pandit N.K. Sharma shared the view that the allegation of abetting terrorism on madrasas is the result of a conspiracy and thus entirely baseless; there are 30858 registered madrasas in the country but none of them has ever produced a terrorist.
Perhaps in his bid to knock at the conscience of authorities concerned, Nisar Sulaiman of Delhi, in a letter (the Express, June 20), has raised his voice against the provocative diatribes made by the champions of Hindutva against Indian Muslims. Citing VHP president Ashok Singhal’s statements: “whether or not Bharat is a Hindu State will be decided by the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya,� and “Ram temple will be constructed there at any cost despite all the obstacles,� and Vinay Katiyar’s repeated assertion: “what do Muslims have in this country; they should be dispatched to Pakistan,� he wondered as to why those in power fail in taking notice of such communalists and bridling their tongue.
In another development, all Urdu dailies of June 21 reported Union Minister for Minority Affairs A.R. Antulay differentiating the treatment of communal riots from maintenance of law and order, which is the duty of a state government. In an interview with U.N.I., Mr. Antulay said communal violence affects the whole nation; so it should be tackled at the national level. To make his point home, he referred to the Gujarat genocide 2002, and said that such incidents have occurred many times and have always proved detrimental to the whole country.
Mr. Antulay was next only to the RJD chief and now Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in asserting his belief that riots cannot take place if the officials are attentive, and they would rise to the occasion only when the political leadership is well determined to prevent communal riots at any cost.
In a letter entitled “Communal riots and the government� (the Awaz, June 21), Advocate Farhat Ali Usmani of Aligarh has traced some of the root causes of the rise of communal tension in the country and suggested certain measures to contain communal violence. He said the need is on the one hand to make the administration unbiased, vigilant and responsible, and on the other to groom it totally free from political pulls and pressures. Social organisations and selfless social workers also need to come forward to maintain social harmony.
The Awam of June 20 reported the night curfew still continuing in the riot-hit areas of five police stations in Aligarh since the communal violence erupted in the city following the murder of BJP leader O.P. Gupta on May 28. The paper also covered stone-pelting in a communal violence in Indore on June 19 when eight persons were detained.
In a letter in Dawat biweekly (June 19) Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, General Secretary All India Milli Council, Bhagalpur, has drawn the attention of Muslim organisations to make concerted efforts for the welfare of the victims of riots in Bhagalpur, Meerut, Gujarat, etc. He appreciated the filing of a petition in Allahabad High Court by Muslim Forum for National Unity president Iqbal Qureshi, which demands from the Central Government to release the same kind of relief and rehabilitation package for the victims of Meerut, Maliana and Hashimpura riots as was given to the victims of Sikh riots 1984 (the petition is listed for hearing by the Chief Justice Bench of Allahabad High Court in the first week of July 2006). Maulana Qasmi wants Muslim organisations to file same kind of petitions in Patna and other High Courts for the welfare of Bhagalpur and Gujarat riots victims on the basis of the Central Government policy as inferred from the release of INR 714-crore relief and rehabilitation package for Sikh riots victims.
New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) US telecom technology major Qualcomm Wednesday announced plans to sell its new third generation mobiles in India through planned tie-ups with Indian companies.
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacob said his company is currently in negotiations with Reliance Infocomm.
"I will be holding talks with Mr. Anil Ambani tomorrow (Friday), let's see what happens," Jacob said at seminar on regulatory issues here.
He said his company plans to make India an important hub for its newly developed technology called BREW (binary runtime environment for wireless).
BREW is a platform that enables application developers, publishers, content providers, device manufacturers, operators and customers to use Qualcomm's technology to build applications for mobile devices.
India has one of the fastest growing mobile subscriber base in the world adding nearly three million people users each month. According to estimates, there over 75 million subscribers using the mobile phone now, up from a minimal number five years ago.
Qualcomm is the world's largest provider of 3-G (third generation) chipset and software technology. It supplies CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) to various handset-manufacturing companies such as LG, Samsung and Nokia. The earlier generation technologies related to voice and SMS.
The US company has research and development centres in Bangalore and Hyderabad where software and hardware designs are developed.
The company plans to sell cheap CDMA handsets costing less than $30 (nearly Rs.1400) in the Indian market.