25 August 2006
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) In a significant decision, the cabinet Thursday initiated the process to change the name of the state "Uttaranchal" to "Uttarakhand", meeting the long pending demand of the state government.
"The Uttaranchal (Alternation of Name) Bill, 2006 will be submitted to the President for referring it to the state legislature of Uttaranchal for expressing its views," said an official statement.
After receiving views of the state assembly, the bill will be introduced in the parliament.
The cabinet also cleared a proposal to set up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the Railways ministry for execution of dedicated freight corridor projects.
In another decision, it approved the enactment of a central legislation to declare Kakinada-Pondicherry stretch of canals in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and union territory of Pondicherry as a national waterway.
The cabinet also decided to amend the State Bank of India Act, 1955 so that it can have better access to the capital market for raising funds. This will enable the bank to attract a larger number of small investors.
Paris, Aug 25 (DPA) French President Jacques Chirac said that 1,600 additional French soldiers would be deployed to reinforce the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
He said Thursday "the conditions that France had demanded (for deployment of its soldiers) have been fulfilled." When deployed, the new contingent will bring the number of French soldiers in UNIFIL to 2,000.
Chirac said that France was ready to continue to command the UNIFIL force "if the UN wishes." Earlier this month, Israel asked Italy to head the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, and Rome said it was willing to do so.
On national television, Chirac said he had received sufficient guarantees from the UN and from Israel and Lebanon to ensure that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) could operate at "optimum efficiency and safety".
Chirac had been widely criticised for announcing a troop contribution of only 200 additional soldiers to Lebanon, along with the existing French UNIFIL deployment of 200, following the cessation of hostilities earlier this month between Hezbollah and Israel.
US President George Bush, who had urged France to play a greater role, welcomed Chirac's announcement in a statement released by the White House.
"This is an important step towards finalising preparations to deploy the UN Interim Force of Lebanon," Bush said.
"I applaud the decision of France, as well as the significant pledges from Italy and our other important allies."
However, the French president said he wanted to have the UN peacekeeping mission more precisely defined before deploying additional soldiers.
Chirac's announcement preceded a planned meeting of EU foreign ministers with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Friday in Brussels, with pending decisions on the troop contributions of various EU nations to UNIFIL.
Earlier Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora called on Paris to deploy "new troops" to beef up the UN peacekeeping force.
"I will not deny the fact that the people here expected many more than 400 French soldiers," Seniora told Monaco's RMC radio. "The Lebanese want a strong French presence, which would stimulate the other contributing countries to do the same."
Amsterdam/Mumbai, Aug 25 (IANS) The 12 Indians arrested at Schiphol airport two days ago after a Northwest Airlines flight on its way to Mumbai was escorted back by Dutch fighters will fly back to India Friday, officials in Amsterdam said.
The 12 men, arrested after the captain of the aircraft requested help from the Dutch air force following what he said was "suspicious behaviour" by some of the passengers on board, were released without any charge, officials added.
The other passengers of the Northwest Airlines flight aircraft landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Friday - some by the same airline and the others in a Jet Airways via Singapore.
According to officials of the Dutch justice ministry, the 12 Mumbai-born Indians had not done anything seriously wrong but added their behaviour and exchange of mobile phones had aroused suspicion - a fact confirmed by fellow passengers.
"They were moving about and talking loudly. They were exchanging cell phones and laptops all that give rise to suspicion," said Kiran Dalal, a passenger of the Northwest Airlines flight who arrived in Mumbai Thursday night.
"Some passengers were frightened by their behaviour," she added.
Other passengers - as also the families of the 12 detained men in Mumbai - said they were traders and were returning back to India after attending an exhibition in Port of Spain.
In Amsterdam, once the identities of the 12 detained men was established, the Indian embassy in The Hague was granted consular access to them at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
And once the authorities found nothing wrong after questioning and a thorough examination of their belongings, including mobile phones and laptop computers, the 12 men were released.
Northwest, on its part, had earlier scheduled an extra flight from Amsterdam to bring back all the remaining passengers of the flight but cancelled it at the last moment.
"The reason for the cancellation is that the crew that had operated flight NW42 on Aug 22 had not been given the mandatory rest time," the airline said in a statement.
"Most of the stranded passengers have been re-booked on other flights out of Amsterdam," the statement added.
Jabalpur, Aug 25 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Police have booked 22 people in Jabalpur district - including doctors, lawyers and policemen - for faking insurance claims and maiming several poor people.
Suvidha Hospital Director, Dr. B.K. Daga, advocates Shishir Kewat and Arjun Sahu were among those arrested late Thursday on charges of cheating. No arrests have been made so far.
The incident came to light when a patient wrote to the Madhya Pradesh High Court that he had been cheated about two months ago. The patient, who had undergone a leg amputation operation, had filed for insurance claim but never got the money.
The court treated the letter as a public interest litigation (PIL) and ordered an inquiry into the allegation. The police found the insurance claims to be fake.
Nine more cases have come to light since.
On the modus operandi of the racket, a police source said, "These professionals would contact patients in their homes or government hospitals and offer help apart from assurance for a better treatment."
"Once a person agreed he was admitted to a private hospital and asked to lodge a complaint that he had been hit by an unknown vehicle," the source said.
Sources claim the hospital administered wrong medicines to these patients and when their condition deteriorated their limbs were amputated. Though the patients signed insurance papers, they rarely got the money.
Insurance company officials say they investigate cases before a claim is settled, but often claimants challenge their decision in court.
"If the medical and legal documents are complete and approved by the court, we have no option but to pay," said R.S. Vaidyanath, divisional manager of Oriental Insurance Co.
Agra, Aug 25 (IANS) Muslim devouts presented a record 354-metre multi-colour 'chadar' on the third and last day of the 351st Urs of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan here.
Hundreds joined the procession holding the "Hindustani Saptarangi Chadar", accompanied by music. Qawwalis, popularized by Sufis, were sung till Wednesday evening.
The whole of Wednesday huge crowds saw for free the Taj Mahal, the majestic monument built in the 17th century by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, in line with a decision taken by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Balasore (Orissa), Aug 25 (IANS) At least 52 troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were detained Thursday for creating unruly scenes and attacking civilians in a train in Orissa, police said.
The troopers led by group commandant Dilip Dhar were on their way to Howrah in the Dhauli Express on some official work, police officer Umesh Panda told IANS.
They boarded the train from state capital Bhubaneswar.
The incident took place after five civilians boarded at the Balasore railway station. The troopers protested their entry and allegedly attacked them after the train started running, Panda said quoting the complaints the civilians lodged with the police.
The train stopped at the next railway station in Jaleswar after one of the injured passengers pulled the chain. Local police officials rushed to the spot and detained the troopers.
A case has been registered against them.
In February last year, a senior district administrative official lost a leg after some CRPF men pushed him from a running train in the district.
Houston, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) Wages and weekly earnings of Arab and Muslim men living in the United States fell by 10 per cent following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a new study shows.
In addition, the adverse affects of September 11 on wages were greater in areas that reported high rates of hate crime related to religious, ethnic or country of origin bias, according to the upcoming study in the journal of human resources.
"I was surprised," Robert Kaestner, study co-author and University of Illinois at Chicago Professor of Economics, said of the findings. "We see an immediate and significant connection between personal prejudice and economic harm."
Evidence also suggests the terrorists' attacks reduced intrastate migration, making Arab and Muslim men more reluctant to seek better opportunities in new destinations due to the uncertainty of their reception.
The study measured changes in wages of first- and second-generation immigrants from countries with predominantly Arab or Muslim populations between September 1997 and September 2005 and compared them to changes in wages of first- and second-generation immigrants with similar skills from other countries.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) A forceful plea was made in parliament for accepting the findings of a probe body that held freedom icon Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in an air crash in 1945, even as the government maintained the report was inconclusive.
Replying to a short duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha late Thursday on the findings of the Justice M.K. Mukherjee report, Home Minister Shivraj Patil contended that the findings of two previous commissions on the issue were conclusive and the government had, therefore, accepted them.
Both the Shahnawaz Khan Committee and the Justice G.D. Khosla Commission had held that Netaji had died in an air crash in Formosa (now Taiwan) in 1945.
The Mukherjee commission, set up in 1999, said in its report tabled in parliament in May that Netaji Bose could not have died in a plane crash as no such accident had taken place on that day.
Initiating the discussion, Barun Mukherjee (Forward Bloc) lamented that the government had rejected the Mukherjee findings without assigning any reasons.
Murli Manohar Joshi (Bharatiya Janata Party) regretted the government could not locate crucial documents relating to the circumstances surrounding Netaji Bose's death and urged the government to conduct a probe into this.
Urging the government to go to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Netaji's death, Chandan Mitra (Nominated) said the government should approach the Mukherjee report with an open mind and accept it.
Mitra also wanted the government to ask Britain to declassify its documents of the period to enable the resolution of an issue that been a matter of concern for the country for the last six decades.
Holding that it was unlikely that Bose would still be alive as he would have been 109 years old now, Mitra said the country had the right to know how he died.
According to Mitra, this unsolved mystery was a huge blank in the history of the Indian freedom st
Colombo, Aug 25 (DPA) An estimated 8,000 civilians and aid workers registered with state authorities in the northern Jaffna peninsula to leave the conflict-torn area as Sri Lanka Air Force jets conducted air strikes on Tamil rebel targets, reports from the north said Friday.
Life in the northern Jaffna peninsula has been crippled for three weeks because of fighting between the separatist guerrillas and government troops. Most of the fighting has been limited to three areas and air strikes by the security forces, which took place in the Kilinochchi district, among other areas, on Friday.
Details on damage were not immediately available.
The army also has been firing rockets toward rebel positions in the north and northeastern parts of the country during the past three days. Civilians living in the areas have moved to safer areas.
In the northern Jaffna peninsula, meanwhile, the government relaxed its curfew for six hours, enabling civilians to purchase goods.
The relaxation was the longest time the curfew has been lifted since it went into force on Aug 11, enabling people to carrying out banking, make purchases and refuel vehicles.
Earlier, fighting was reported from northeastern Sri Lanka, where an estimated 100,000 people have been displaced by the ethnic conflict. Many of them continue to living in temporary tents, schools and other government buildings.
In other fighting, at least seven people, including a soldier, had been killed and a police officer was injured in the northern and eastern parts of the country since Thursday evening.
The soldier was killed along with an associate Thursday night in Vavuniya town, 240 km north of Colombo.
Since December, more than 1,500 people have been killed in fighting between security forces and rebels while a Scandinavian-monitored ceasefire has been under severe strain.
Rebels have called monitors from Sweden, Denmark and Finland to withdraw by Sep 1 because they are members of the European Union, which has banned the Tamil rebels' Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a terrorist organization.
Norwegian peace facilitators have named former army major general Lars Johan Solvberg as the new head of the monitoring mission, replacing Ulf Henricsson from Sweden, who is pulling out from the country. Both were due to meet with the rebel political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan, Friday evening in the rebel-held Kilinochchi area.
The monitors had withdrawn their members to Colombo before they are regrouped and sent back to the area, a spokesman for the monitoring group said.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) India will intensify its diplomatic and economic relations with Greece and Romania when Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma visits these European countries next week.
Sharma will use his trip to Greece, which will take over the presidency of the UN Security Council in September, to push the candidature of Shashi Tharoor, India's nominee for the post of UN Secretary General.
During his three-day visit to Greece starting Sunday, Sharma will meet Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Tourism Minister Fani Pali-Petralia.
Sharma will leave Athens Aug 29 for Romania for a three-day visit.
Buenos Aires, Aug 25 (DPA) Argentina plans to invest $3.5-billion in the nation's nuclear programme over the next eight years, confirming earlier reports that the nation will focus on boosting its nuclear capability.
Planning minister Julio De Vido announced Wednesday that the total investment will include $583.3-million to complete the nation's third atomic power plant, Atucha II. The move confirmed reports earlier this week in the newspaper Clarin that Argentina will renew its nuclear power efforts.
Construction of Atucha II began 25 years ago. The plant will have an output of 750 megawatts.
The output of another atomic power plant, Embalse, is also set to increase, and planning is set to begin for construction of a fourth plant with a 1,000 megawatt capacity, according to the La Nacion newspaper.
Argentina will also reportedly resume uranium enrichment after international pressure led to the cessation of the programme in the 1980s, Clarin reported earlier this week.
The country's gas and oil reserves are nearly used up, and experts warn of shortages in the wake of booming economic growth of the past years and lagging investments in energy provision.
The environmental organisation Greenpeace has criticised the plans, saying atomic energy is unnecessary to solve the country's energy problems. Instead the nation should invest in wind power, Greenpeace said.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Colombo, Aug 25 (IANS) Indian athletes won six gold medals and shooters grabbed five to take the country's golden tally to 94 on the eighth day of the 10th South Asian Games here Friday.
The archers, as expected, won two gold medals in the individual recurve category to add to India's golden kitty that has helped take its combined medal tally to 183, including 54 silver and 35 bronze, in the eight-nation biennial extravaganza.
Pakistan were placed second with 30 gold, 34 silver and 50 bronze. Hosts Sri Lanka, who have won 26 gold, 48 silver and 58 bronze, were placed third.
With only three days left in the 11-day games, Maldives remains the only country not to have won a single medal.
India's ace long jumper Anju Bobby George, returning to active competition after an injury-induced three-month layoff, won the gold medal with an effort of 6.42 metres at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Kolkata, Aug 25 (IANS) A day after a bomb hoax caused a flutter in IT major Wipro's Salt Lake complex here, the West Bengal administration was kept on its toes Friday with the discovery of pipe bombs in the bustling northern town of Siliguri even as a stationary black Ambassador car at Howrah station had police in a tizzy.
At least five live explosives were found Friday in an abandoned briefcase at a petrol pump in Siliguri town in Darjeeling district. Later, more pipe bombs resembling gelatine sticks were found near the New Jalpaiguri station in front of an Indian Oil depot.
The police bomb squad defused the explosives and took into custody at least eight people, including two constables of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department).
A news channel reported that the pipe bombs were indeed gelatine sticks.
Meanwhile, a black Ambassador near platform number 9 at Howrah Station in Kolkata caused panic, but a search yielded nothing.
The car had been parked there since morning and its owner could not be located. A briefcase and a sack were found inside the car.
On Thursday evening, a bomb scare at Wipro's Kolkata Development Centre - the city's largest business process outsourcing and IT development facility - disrupted operations.
Though nothing was found by a joint team of bomb disposal squad, Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police and intelligence bureau, the facility lost business that could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An anonymous caller had claimed that the time device would go off at precisely 10 p.m. prompting the Wipro officials to call police. Nearly 2,500 BPO and IT executives were evacuated immediately.
The call was later traced to a PCO booth in Mintoo Park area of central Kolkata.
Patna, Aug 25 (IANS) Impressed by positive changes in Bihar, a team of Trade and Investment of the British High Commission will visit the state to explore investment possibilities, Britain's High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur said here Thursday.
"We are serious about investment in Bihar but only after the team visits and submits its study report on a positive note," he said.
Arthur said that till date Britain did not invest directly in Bihar, as there was no move from both the sides.
"I am not saying Britain will invest in Bihar tomorrow, naturally it will take some time but surely chance of investment is more than ever," he said.
"British investment in Bihar will follow only after the Indian corporate houses come forward for investment. If famous Indian industries invest in the state, Britain will invest directly and will encourage British companies to do the same," Arthur told IANS.
On a two-day official visit of Bihar beginning Wednesday to explore British investment opportunities in the state, the high commissioner launched the operation of a branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp (HSBC) here.
He also met a delegation of Bihar Industries Association and the CII. Any investment depends on overall law and order situation, besides infrastructure, he said.
"If Bihar improve law and order and makes headway in infrastructure sector, investments will be attracted to it from Britain or other nations," the envoy said.
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Aug 25 (IANS) A Republican senator sought to put to rest a controversy over his use of a perceived slur against a man of Indian descent with an apology ahead of a fundraiser dinner attended by President Bush.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday Bush had no qualms about attending a fundraiser for George Allen, considered a presidential hopeful for 2008. "Senator Allen apologized," she said, "and I think it's in everyone's best interest - to accept apologies when they're offered."
As Bush arrived at the fundraiser at the home of former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie, about 50 Democrats waved signs that included phrases such as "Hey, George, macaca is a bad word." About the same number of Allen supporters offered signs saying "We love George. We support you."
On Aug 11, Allen used the word "macaca" in referring to S.R. Sidarth, a University of Virginia senior who was videotaping Allen at a campaign event. Sidarth was working for Allen's Democratic challenger in the November election, former Navy Secretary James H. Webb.
The meaning of "macaca" quickly became a subject of debate, with Democrats saying it was no compliment. Macaca is a genus of monkeys that includes macaques, and the word is considered a slur in some countries.
Allen's campaign manager called the word a variation of "mohawk," a reference to Sidarth's hairstyle. Initially, Allen said he made the name up, then said he recalled that he had a niece nicknamed "Maca Maca."
Allen soon apologized publicly for using the word, and on Wednesday he called Sidarth directly to offer an apology. Sidarth said Allen did the right thing by contacting him. "He realized how offended I was, and he was apologizing from the heart."
Sidarth said he asked Allen why it took him nearly two weeks to apologise, and the senator responded that he had expected to see Sidarth at another campaign event.
But Washington Post, that had initially broken the story, said the Allen apology suggested he was now in damage-control mode with his poularity plummeting in the polls and his re-election prospects in doubt.
In an editorial titled "The art of apologizing without really apologising", it asked, "Is the Allen campaign really sorry? Or are the senator's adversaries just making a mountain out of 'macaca'?"
Bruce E. Cain, director of the University of California Washington Center, said the controversy had turned Allen's re-election bid from a breeze to a battle.
In the latest poll of likely Virginia voters, conducted Friday through Sunday, SurveyUSA found Allen leading Webb 48 percent to 45 percent down from the 56 percent to 37 percent edge that Allen enjoyed in June.
Cain said the episode also had left Allen "dead in the water" as a presidential candidate in 2008, a possibility that the senator had been exploring.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on disinvestments has criticised the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for undervaluing public sector units.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday demanded an inquiry into the "loot of the country's public assets".
The CAG report, tabled Friday in the Lok Sabha, found that seven out of nine public sector units (PSUs), including BALCO and VSNL that were disinvested during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, were undervalued.
"Audit examination reveals instances of far too conservative assumptions made by the global advisors in seven out of nine PSUs," the report on disinvestments during 1999-2003 said.
"The assumptions had the potential of adversely impacting the business valuation, based on which the reserve price was fixed for disinvestments," it said.
The CAG also noted that majority of bidders, who had submitted expression of interest initially, had later withdrawn as it process progressed, limiting the competition. It pointed out that more than two financial bids were there only for IBP and Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd.
"(It shows) that the competitive tension generated in the process was not encouraging enough to have maximised the value of stake under disinvestments."
Pointing out that the global advisors failed to generate interest among investors, the report said: "The government also contributed to this situation by delaying crucial decisions, affecting the financial health of the PSUs."
The report suggested that the government should fix accountability and coordination at all levels in the divestment process.
Quoting the CAG report, senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said that his party's apprehension that the PSUs were undervalued has been vindicated.
"The CPI-M demands a thorough inquiry into who was responsible for the loot of the country's public assets during NDA rule and action against them", Yechury said.
"We hope that the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government will realise it," he added.
Quoting another CAG report on management of foodgrains, Yechury said the government was distributing food grains through Public Distribution System (PDS) on the basis of a wrong assessment of the number of people below poverty level.
"The CAG report says that the population below poverty level is 8.61 million but the government assessment is 32 percent less than that. This is why the states are complaining that their PDS allocation is so low," he said.
Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Gujarat completed the hearing on the promotion of senior policeman R.B. Sreekumar Friday.
Sreekumar had complained of being superseded by the Gujarat government.
Reserving the order in the case, the CAT bench comprising judges A.S. Singhvi and Shankar Prasad, asked Sreekumar and the government to file a rejoinder if the need be.
N.H. Seervai, appearing on behalf of Sreekumar, argued that the supersession of the additional director general of police (reforms) by the government by adopting the 'seal cover' method was wrong.
Citing the Jankiraman case, Seervai contended that the 'seal cover' method can be adopted only when a charge sheet is filed against the official.
Sreekumar also objected to the government's alleged attempts to tarnish his image, particularly with regard to his deputation in Kerala when a case of espionage in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was reported in the late 1990s.
Sreekumar was exonerated from the spying case in January 2005.
Raipur, Aug 25 (IANS) The Chhattisgarh government has warned industrial houses that memorandums of understanding (MoUs) not implemented within two years of being signed would be cancelled.
Dozens of small and large scale companies in the steel and power sector had signed MoUs in 2004 for expanding their existing plants and setting up units in state with investments of over Rs.210 billion ($4.5 billion). But the companies did not move on the projects.
Many of these steel and power firms are based in the government's industrial growth centres and Siltata and Urla areas on the outskirts of the capital.
State Industry Minister Rajesh Munat held detailed discussions Thursday with representatives of the companies on the issue.
"I asked them clearly to move fast on ensuring implementation of the deal latest by year 2006 otherwise the deal would be cancelled as per the government's industrial policy," Munat told IANS.
"We are reviewing the MoU implementation progress of dozens of companies that have signed deals in 2004. The deals will be revoked if the companies failed to act on the MoUs by this year despite the government's assurance of providing adequate coal and iron ore."
He added that Chhattisgarh was fast emerging as a favourite investment destination for steel and power sector players and the government was trying its best to ensure enough coal and iron ore supplies to MoU signatories.
"The Chhattisgarh government is making efforts to provide coal linkages to power firms from Coal India Limited's highest profit making unit South Eastern Coalfield Limited, which has its headquarters in Bilaspur division," Munat stated.
He said his government had an understanding with the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) to accord top priority to steel makers in Chhattisgarh for iron ore supply. NMDC, India's largest iron ore producer and exporter, procures nearly 80 percent of its total annual production from Chhattisgarh's Bastar region.
London, Aug 25 (IANS) Children who are sensitive to allergens like cat hair and have repeated wheezing in the first three years of their life may be prone to developing asthma, says a new study.
Sabina Illi and colleagues at the University Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany, investigated the role of allergen exposure in early life and sensitisation to allergens on the development of lung function and asthma, reported the latest issue of the medical journal The Lancet.
The researchers studied over 1,300 children born in 1990. Around 500 of the children were found to have known risk factors for allergen sensitivity at birth.
The children who had repeated wheezing and developed sensitivity to allergens in their first three years of life were more likely to develop a loss of lung function and asthma, the researchers said.
They also found that exposure to high levels of allergens contributed to the development of asthma.
Between birth and school age some children who experience persistent wheezing lose their lung function and develop asthma but others do not. The factors that determine which children develop asthma have been unclear until now.
Previous studies have shown that reducing children's exposure to allergens fails to prevent asthma.
The researchers have called for future studies to look at whether preventive treatment given to wheezy children susceptible to allergy can reduce their chance of developing asthma.
Beijing, Aug 25 (DPA) Charges of leaking state secrets was dismissed Friday against a Chinese journalist working for The New York Times, but he was sentenced to three years in prison on a lesser charge of fraud.
"On the charge against the defendant Zhao Yan that he provided state secrets abroad, the evidence is insufficient," the ruling by Beijing's Number Two Intermediate People's Court said.
"The charge for this crime cannot stand, and this court does not accept it."
The 44-year-old journalist who has also worked for a variety of Chinese publications has been detained since Sep 2004 when, as he was working as a Times researcher, was accused of leaking state secrets for a Times report that said former Chinese premier Jiang Zemin would step down as head of a powerful military commission, his final leadership post.
His resignation was announced two weeks later.
Zhao, who has adamantly maintained his innocence, had faced a sentence of 10 years or more if convicted of that charge.
"If the verdict is what it appears to be, we consider it a vindication," said Bill Keller, executive editor of the Times, which has also denied the charges against Zhao. "We have always said that to the best of our knowledge the only thing that Zhao Yan committed is journalism."
If the fraud conviction stands, Zhao, with time served, would be released from prison in Sept next year.
The fraud charge stemmed from an unrelated incident from 2001 while Zhao was working for a Chinese publication. He was accused of accepting 20,000 yuan ($2,500 dollars) from a detainee at a work camp for Zhao's promise to use his government connections to try to win his release, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
A witness came forward on Zhao's behalf to refute the charge, the Times said, but Zhao was convicted after his one-day trial in June, at which he was not allowed to call defence witnesses.
Zhao's case has drawn international attention and criticism, including from US President George Bush.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will use the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi as a leverage to promote India as an attractive business partner and investment destination.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between R. Seshasayee, the CII president, and Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association and chairperson of the Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010, here Friday -- marking the 1,500-day countdown to the Games.
Among the key initiatives that the CII is going to take, according to the MoU, are the formation of a Business Club India and development and coordination of a volunteers programme for the quadrennial event.
Speaking on the occasion, Seshasayee said: "Business Club India - while a concept borrowed from the Melbourne Games (Commonwealth Games 2006) - aims to project India across the globe as a preferred business partner and destination.
"Through special initiatives like informative e-newsletters, websites, business seminars and aspirations, it (the club) aspires to offer a unique business networking programme," he said.
The Business Club, with Kalmadi as chairperson and Seshasayee as co-chairperson, would plan the programme of business visits to highlight the business and investment opportunities in India as well as facilitate international presence from business and industry.
It would also facilitate the involvement of Indian industry in other global sporting events.
Another key aspect of the CII-Games Committee partnership is the marketing of the event.
"It is indeed a tremendous opportunity for India to showcase the power of brand India," Seshasayee said.
He said Infosys chief executive Nandan Nilekani would spearhead the initiative relating to positioning of brand India.
The CII would also help in the development and coordination of the volunteers programme for the Games, which would include a training programme.
"We need 30,000 to 50,000 volunteers for the event," Kalmadi said.
Stating that CII would aid in the development of a hi-tech baton that would be relayed across the 71 nations participating in the 2010 Games, he said the apex industry body would support the IOA in its bid for the 2014 Asian Games.
In this connection, IOA would take a CII delegation to the 2006 Asiad to be held in Doha, Qatar.
Coming to the organisational part of the 2010 event, Kalmadi said: "Infrastructure development and organisation process of the Games are going on in the right direction."
Srinagar, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) A three-day conference on ''Indian Federalism at Work'' will be held here from today.
It will be jointly organised by the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, University of Kashmir, University of Jammu and the Centre for Federal Studies, Hamdard University, New Delhi.
The conference, to be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here, would bring together experts, academics and practitioners to deliberate on the complexities of India's evolving federalism.
Over 300 delegates from universities and research institutions from across the country and some international experts are expected to take part in the conference
Toronto, Aug 25 (IANS) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has warned the wealthy Indo-Canadian business community in Surrey in British Columbia province to take care following a series of abduction and extortion attempts.
An RCMP statement has asked the Indo-Canadian business community in Surrey, within the Greater Vancouver Regional District, to put up security alarm systems and surveillance cameras in their homes and offices.
But the RCMP has not given any details. That, some feel, could cause confusion and needless panic.
"There are a lot of rich people in the Indo-Canadian community. To put out (the release) without an explanation, why create stresses for the businesspeople?" Harbanz Kandola, president of Surrey's Sikh Alliance Against Violence, told CBC News.
"It may give the impression to the mainstream community, or overall community, now this is a new thing starting in the Indo-Canadian community or South Asian community. That is my concern."
A Canwest News Service report quoted Surrey RCMP spokesman Roger Morrow as saying that its major crime unit "is beginning to see a trend developing as it relates to apparently affluent Indo-Canadian business people being targeted for these types of crimes.
"They are holding them, they are assaulting them and they are demanding cash from family members," he said.
Asked how many such incidents RCMP was aware of, Morrow said there was enough to issue a public warning.
South Asians, mostly of Indian origin, constitute 22 percent of Surrey's population of around 350,000.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The countdown to the 2010 Commonwealth Games began Friday with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagging off a bus to create awareness about the mega event.
Hundreds of children descended on the National Stadium here where Dikshit and the organisers unveiled a giant blimp of 'Sheru' - the mascot of the game - and flagged off the bus.
"We have started the countdown with a Delhi Tourism bus with Sheru painted on it. We have similar plans for more buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation," said Amrit Mathur, a member of the organising committee.
The bus - with sports personalities like Milkha Singh and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on board - touched several areas in the capital to promote the event.
Later in the day, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said that they will use the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi as a leverage to promote India as an attractive business partner and investment destination.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between R. Seshasayee, the CII president, and Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association and chairperson of the Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010, here Friday -- marking the 1,500-day countdown to the Games.
Among the key initiatives that the CII is going to take, according to the MoU, are the formation of a Business Club India and development and coordination of a volunteers programme for the quadrennial event.
Speaking on the occasion, Seshasayee said: "Business Club India - while a concept borrowed from the Melbourne Games (Commonwealth Games 2006) - aims to project India across the globe as a preferred business partner and destination.
"Through special initiatives like informative e-newsletters, websites, business seminars and aspirations, it (the club) aspires to offer a unique business networking programme," he said.
The Business Club, with Kalmadi as chairperson and Seshasayee as co-chairperson, would plan the programme of business visits to highlight the business and investment opportunities in India as well as facilitate international presence from business and industry.
It would also facilitate the involvement of Indian industry in other global sporting events.
Another key aspect of the CII-Games Committee partnership is the marketing of the event.
"It is indeed a tremendous opportunity for India to showcase the power of brand India," Seshasayee said.
He said Infosys chief executive Nandan Nilekani would spearhead the initiative relating to positioning of brand India.
The CII would also help in the development and coordination of the volunteers programme for the Games, which would include a training programme.
"We need 30,000 to 50,000 volunteers for the event," Kalmadi said.
Stating that CII would aid in the development of a hi-tech baton that would be relayed across the 71 nations participating in the 2010 Games, he said the apex industry body would support the IOA in its bid for the 2014 Asian Games.
In this connection, IOA would take a CII delegation to the 2006 Asiad to be held in Doha, Qatar.
Coming to the organisational part of the 2010 event, Kalmadi said: "Infrastructure development and organisation process of the Games are going on in the right direction."
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday came down heavily on Doordarshan for not screening Anand Patwardhan's award-winning documentary film "Father, Son and Holy War" on various flimsy grounds and directed it to telecast the movie within eight weeks.
A bench of judges A.R. Lakshmanan and Lokeshwar Singh Panta held that it would not be proper to deny telecast of an award-winning documentary merely on the ground that the second part of the film is certified as "A" by the censor board.
After Doordarshan refused to telecast the film, Patwardhan had filed a writ petition and the Bombay High Court directed Doordarshan to screen the film. The appeal by Doordarshan was directed against this order.
Dismissing the appeal, the bench observed "this documentary film in our considered opinion showcases a real picture of crime and violence against women and members of various religious groups perpetrated by politically motivated leaders for political, social and personal gains".
Writing the judgement for the bench, Lakshmanan said: "This film does not violate any constitutional provision nor will create any law-and-order problems as Doordarshan fears.
"The documentary is seeking to portray certain evils prevalent in our society and is not seeking to cater to the prurient interests in any person. We have no hesitation in saying that this documentary film if judged in its entirety has a theme and message to convey and the view taken by the appellants that the film is not suitable for telecast is erroneous."
The bench was of the view that Doordarshan being a state-controlled agency, funded by public funds, could not have denied access to the viewers to screen the respondent's documentary except on specified valid grounds.
Pointing out that Doordarshan had given various excuses time and again for not screening the film, the bench directed it to telecast the film in eight weeks on such convenient date and time as might be fixed by it.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The inclusion of cricket as an official event in the 2010 Commonwealth Games here is still open to speculation.
"The ICC (International Cricket Council) wants cricket to be part of the Commonwealth Games but it is for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to decide," Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, told reporters here Friday.
He said the Games organising committee had proposed to the BCCI to have Twenty20, the new super-short version of the game, to be included in the 2010 event.
"But at that time the BCCI was against this version of cricket," Kalmadi said.
The Indian cricket board has since reversed its position and has recognised Twenty20 as a new official version of the game.
The new version has each side playing 20 overs and a match lasts around three hours. Speed is the essence of this version and power batting the highlight.
First introduced in England in 2003 as a domestic event in another move to popularise cricket, Twenty20 has since gained popularity in other cricketing nations, with New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka holding their own domestic tournaments.
The only exception has been India, where cricket is equivalent to football in Brazil in terms of popularity.
Now, with the BCCI, the world's richest cricket body, accepting Twenty20 as another version of the game, efforts are on to have a Twenty20 World Cup as early as September 2007.
Coming to the Commonwealth Games, Kalmadi said it was still possible to have cricket in the New Delhi event.
"We had secured permission to hold as many as 20 events, and right now we have 18 events listed," he said.
The IOA president said while 15 events have officially been approved, three events - archery, tennis and billiards & snooker - are awaiting the official nod.
"We expect the approval for these three sports by November this year."
That still leaves the Games organising committee the freedom of selecting two more sports to include in the 71-nation event.
"Technically, it is still possible to include cricket in the 2010 Commonwealth Games," Kalmadi said.
"But it is for the BCCI to get back to us."
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Ashamed, sad, disgusted and angry - this is how Indian MPs Friday expressed their anguish over the unbecoming conduct of some of their colleagues that they admit has severely dented the dignity of parliament.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who was lucky enough not to hear much of filthy abuses that were hurled by the Bihar MPs at one another Thursday because he had left the house by then, called for serious and genuine introspection.
"I am condemning it in the strongest possible words," he said, referring to the fracas primarily involving Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sadhu Yadav and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Prabhunath Singh, who along with their supporters exchanged the most derogatory language and even came to the verge of a physical fight.
"There were reports on television and newspapers about our behaviour. We have been flooded with SMSes, e-mail and messages from different places with the harshest criticism of our behaviour," Chatterjee told the sheepish MPs.
"Is it not the time for introspection? Efforts have to be made to salvage the image of parliament and prove that the future of our country and parliamentary democracy are functional," he added.
Most of the members were embarrassed too.
"My god, what an incident it was!" remarked a minister recalling Thursday's violent scenes during which RJD and JD-U jostled with one another, one MP hurled a speaker that broke to pieces, and when at least one senior member had to sprint and jump over a desk to prevent what would have been an ugly showdown.
"People anyway do not respect politicians. Now they will think that we are straight from the fish market," lamented the visibly upset minister, who is not a Lok Sabha member.
He said he was shocked beyond belief when he watched the scenes on television.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sangeeta Singh Deo expressed a widely held opinion: "It was disgusting. Parliament's dignity is damaged. Why didn't the MPs remember that politicians are falling in people's esteem?"
She was unable to hide her hurt. "Yesterday I felt there are no words that can be termed 'un-parliamentary'. All the worst words are used in parliament these days.
"The leaders should form a code of conduct for MPs and there should be stringent action against those who do not follow it," Deo said.
Jatin Prasada, son of late Congress leader Jitendra Prasada, said the happenings had "really disappointed" him.
"I am one who entered this house (two years ago) with a lot of expectations. For the first time, I felt ashamed of being an MP. It really pains me to see how we damage the prestige of political institutions."
Said P.C. Thomas, an MP from Kerala: "It was unfortunate. We have witnessed something that has not happened in the recent past. Whatever be the provocation, the subsequent developments could have been avoided."
Orissa MP Tatagata Satpathy feels the incident had brought a bad name to the entire parliament -- and MPs, including those who were not involved in the ugly fracas.
"It is sad! Very sad! I think regional parties should have been more restrained and decent in their behaviour."
According to Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharya, the conduct and the language of the MPs involved in the incident were "unbecoming".
Noted filmmaker and Rajya Sabha MP Shyam Benegal said he was unable to stomach what had happened. "I am ashamed. It embarrasses you because you are also an MP."
But Benegal does not believe that a code of conduct or more stringent rules would prevent such incidents in the future.
"We are not school children to be regulated by rules. There should be a self-imposed restraint and regulations," he said.
Copenhagen, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) A Danish prosecutor today charged four young Muslims with helping supply weapons and explosives for a planned terror attack in Europe.
Five other suspects in the case have been charged in Bosnia, including two men accused of preparing to blow up an unidentified European target.
The four men arrested in Denmark last October helped the two main suspects in Bosnia get hold of "weapons and explosives with the aim of committing a terror act," prosecutor Henning Fode said.
All four, who cannot be named under a court order, have denied wrong doing. Danish investigators have released little information about the suspects, but said two of them are 17, and the others are 20 and 21.
If convicted they could face life in prison, although such sentences are commuted after 16 years under Danish law. A trial date has not yet been set.
The probe stems from the Oct. 19 arrests in Sarajevo of Swedish national Bektasevic, 19, and Abdulkadir Cesur, an 18-year-old Turkish national living in Denmark.
Bosnian prosecutors said Bektasevic and Cesur were planning an attack in Bosnia-Herzegovina or elsewhere in Europe with the aim of forcing the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Police raiding their Sarajevo apartment allegedly found a suicide bomber belt, explosives, firearms and other military equipment, as well as a videotape showing masked men asking for god's forgiveness.
Bektasevic and Cesur have pleaded innocent.
Three others have been charged with helping them obtain explosives.
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Aug 25 (IANS) Dhaka has joined issue with noted South Asia expert Selig S. Harrison over his suggestion that Bangladesh may be emerging as a new hub for terrorism with an Islamic movement with Al Qaeda ties on the rise.
Harrison had used information selectively and showed bias through its lack of balance, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United States, Shamsher M. Chowdhury, said in a letter published Thursday in the Washington Post, over three weeks after his article.
"Harrison, who is renowned for his knowledge, expertise and experience about South Asia, does not appear to have visited Bangladesh for some time. If he had, he would have seen a Bangladesh much different from the one he wrote about.
The column ignored the situation prevailing in Bangladesh: After the prime minister's clarion call for "abjuring religious extremism and rejection of militancy of any kind," concerted action was taken against all militants, he said.
The government's counter-terrorism crackdown following the bomb blasts last August met with tangible success. The terrorist nucleus was identified, a huge stack of explosives was unearthed and the terrorist chain of command disrupted.
All seven members of the Revolutionary Council of the Jamaat-ul-Mujaheddin Bangladesh and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh were apprehended and are on trial. The process continues; last week seven more terrorist suspects were arrested.
The Bangladesh government has chalked out a comprehensive programme of short-term and long-term measures to combat terrorism. These have all been spelled out. Importantly, there have been no further bomb blasts since the militants were rounded up.
Contrary to Harrison's assertions, the Bangladesh Armed Forces enjoy wide respect not only in the country but globally. Bangladesh is the No. 1 troop contributor to international peacekeeping efforts under the United Nations, he said.
The article deeply hurt the sentiments of the democratic and peace-loving Bangladeshis, who abhor extremism and have established their credentials as a moderate, open society, Chowdhury said..
But Harrison's op-ed does not reveal new facts, said Ziauddin Choudhury, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Washington in another letter.
"It is a compilation of news and commentary printed in the Bangladeshi media over the past few years. To dismiss an analysis based on hard realities as a smear campaign is another glaring instance of our denial syndrome," he said.
There is a strong grass-roots movement in Bangladesh taking the country toward a political path that is not ingrained in religious pluralism or secular democracy.
"Unfortunately, despite the benefits that it derives from free and open media, our expatriate community is prone to react with indignation to any critical appraisal of the political and social reality of Bangladesh. People are in constant denial that the land of Sufis and saints, poetry and music lovers, and peace and harmony could ever change," he said.
Despite the recent capture of religious extremists in Bangladesh and their proud acceptance of responsibility for the assassinations in the country, many expatriates view the Post article as another attempt by the foreign media to malign the country, Choudhury said.
While Harrison's article left some expatriate Bangladeshis astir with indignation, publication of similar articles in the past had led to a ban on magazines like the Far Eastern Economic Review and Time in 2002, he noted.
Amsterdam, Aug 25 (DPA) The emergency return of a Northwest Airlines flight to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport under fighter escort did not appear to have anything to do with terrorism, Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner said Thursday.
"Thus far there is no indication that it was terror-related," Donner said, a day after the US airline's flight to Mumbai was aborted 30 minutes after take-off shortly before noon.
Dutch authorities were still holding 12 of the 149 passengers aboard flight NW0042 from Schiphol to the Indian city. All 12 passengers who were detained were of Indian origin.
A list provided by the Indian embassy in Amsterdam to the Indian foreign ministry in New Delhi indicated all the detained people were born in Mumbai but it was not clear whether they were all Indian citizens, a TV channel said.
It said most names on the list were Muslim and the men were all in their 30s. No arrests were immediately made nor charges pressed.
Neither the Dutch justice ministry nor the border police, who detained the passengers, have commented on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The captain spoke to ground control while over Germany, and the aircraft immediately returned to Schiphol with two Dutch F-16s escorting.
The daily Telegraaf reported on the basis of comments from one of the passengers that two armed US air marshals had taken control of the DC-10 following suspicious behaviour by a group of men.
Other reports said the crew reacted after a mobile telephone rang and the men cheered in response.
The Telegraaf said the two marshals had ordered passengers to remain in their seats after a group of passengers began fiddling with mobile phones and rummaging in their hand luggage.
Sarat Menon, an Indian passenger who works in Brussels and who sat next to the group, described them as aged 30-40 and "certainly not educated."
He added that four of the Urdu-speaking men had long beards and said they had been on holiday in Tobago.
After the marshals took over, they ordered passengers to "sit upright in their chairs. We were not allowed to walk around or to go to the toilet".
Menon said the atmosphere had been calm throughout, but that there had been some tension on arrival back at Schiphol.
Analysts noted that the aircraft had parked normally among other aircraft, not on an isolated spot on the airport runway.
Normal border police had arrested the men, not a special anti-terrorism unit, and security arrangements at Dutch airports were not altered.
The Dutch national terrorism coordinator said through a spokesperson that no changes to the security level had been implemented.
New York, Aug 25 (IANS) Eating berries may be good for mental health, shows a test conducted on mice, though scientists say it is too early to apply the findings to humans.
Barbara Shukitt-Hale and colleagues at Tufts University studied 60 young male rats, splitting them into three groups, reported the online edition of the health magazine WebMD.
One group of rats got plain chow with no berries. A second group got the same chow laced with strawberry extract. The third group got chow laced with blueberry extract.
After two months of such a diet, the researchers measured the rats' brain levels of dopamine, a chemical that has many functions in the brain. A decrease in dopamine can cause a drop in memory, attention and problem solving skills.
The researchers found improvement in the health of the brain of the rats that had eaten berries.
Shukitt-Hale's team, however, does not tout any particular type of berry as having the best brain benefits. "Berries vary in their nutrient mixes and may have different brain effects, but that's not certain yet," said the researcher.
Diets rich in berries may help the aging brain stay sharp, the researchers write in the online edition of the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
The scientists are not making any promises for people just yet. "It's unknown if these findings apply to human brains," said Shukitt-Hale.
London, Aug 25 (Xinhua) The European Space Agency's lunar orbiter SMART-1 is being controlled to crash into the Moon on Sep 3 as its mission comes to a close.
Mission controllers have used the last remaining fuel on the spacecraft to make it crash into the nearside of the Moon at a speed of about 7,000 km per hour, New Scientist reported Thursday on its website.
The crash should happen at approximately 0530 GMT as the spacecraft lands on a volcanic plain called the "Lake of Excellence" on the southwest of the Moon's disc, the report said, adding the impact might occur about 5 hours earlier if the low-flying spacecraft happens to hit a mountainside.
Scientists expected the lunar orbiter to gouge out a crater 3 metres to 10 metres wide.
Astronomers will look for the blanket of ejecta that settles back down to the lunar surface after the crash, possibly covering an area of about one square km.
According to chief mission scientist Bernard Foing, the impact site will be in darkness to prevent the glare of moonlight from overwhelming observations of the crash and ground-based telescopes should see dust thrown up by the plume reflecting "Earthshine" -- light reflected from Earth.
Large telescopes might detect a tiny flash on impact when the spacecraft's hydrazine fuel vaporizes and the observations could also reveal the composition of the plume of soil that SMART-1 throws up.
The probe was launched in Sep 2003 and took 14 months to reach the Moon. The spacecraft's primary purpose was to test new "cheap-and-cheerful" technologies, including miniaturised detectors and an innovative new "ion drive" engine that nudged the spacecraft through space by expelling xenon ions.
The spacecraft has now orbited the Moon more than 2,000 times, mapping minerals in the lunar surface. Its cameras have beamed back the best digital maps of the Moon ever made.
Analysis of the observations will help scientists piece together the history of the Moon, and determine whether it was first formed when a Mars-sized body slammed into Earth, spewing debris into space.
Kolkata, Aug 25 (IANS) The raging unrest over acquisition of farmlands for industrial units in West Bengal might force the investors to shift their projects to other states, a top official of an industry lobby said here Friday.
Talking to reporters, C.K. Dhanuka, eastern regional council chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), said the issue should not be politicised.
The farmers of Singur in Hooghly district have gone on a warpath with the ruling Left Front over acquisition of their lands for the Tata's economy car project.
Dhanuka said only a small portion of the 13.6 million acres of agricultural land in the state would be used for industrial purposes.
Seventy percent of the land required for industrial uses should be single cropland, he said, while ruling out the possibility of setting up new industry at the land available in the closed factory as suggested by some political leaders.
FICCI believes a better compensation package for the affected farmers can solve the problem.
"We feel a cash compensation which will be two-and-a-half times more than the present market price of one acre of land should be given to the affected farmers," Dhanuka said.
FICCI has suggested that the West Bengal government should follow the models adopted by other state governments in procuring the land for the industrial uses.
"The process of land procurement should be completed in six months. An inordinate delay in completing the process might force the investors to go to other states," Dhanuka said.
Suva (Fiji), Aug 25 (IANS) An inquiry commission will be set up in Fiji to look into complaints of unfair hiring practices in the country's civil service.
The move comes in the wake of allegations of discrimination against ethnic Indians in the civil service appointments, according to the Fiji Times.
Fiji's Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Stuart Huggett told the newspaper that an urgent assessment of the government's recruitment style amid constitutional breaches was needed.
According to Fiji Public Service Association (FPSA) figures, there are 11,617 indigenous Fijian civil servants compared to 6,306 Indo-Fijians.
Indo-Fijians comprise 44 percent of this Pacific island nation's population of around 900,000.
"It's very bad. The racial balance of people employed in the civil service does not reflect the total population of the groups in the country," Huggett told the Fiji Times.
He, however, said that this anomaly in appointments has also to do with the lack of applications from Indo-Fijians.
Huggett said he was awaiting the appointment of two more commissioners before a commission could be set up.
Meanwhile, FPSA general secretary Rajeshwar Singh has said a partnership agreement signed with PSC in April was expected to ensure an end to race-based recruitment policies.
"Under the constitution, the recruitment of people into the civil service should be reflective of the population numbers, which is not happening," he was quoted as saying.
By Kazem al-Atabi
Baghdad, Aug 25 (DPA) More and more Iraqis are being uprooted by forced displacement, threatening the country's social fabric, and the government seems powerless to take effective action.
Such displacements, where people have been forced by threats to abandon their homes, have affected 35,593 families, including those in refugee camps and shelters, according to the ministry of immigration and emigration.
The true figure could be far higher because many families simply move in with relatives in other areas of the country. Others leave Iraq altogether. Iraqis of all sects and ethnicities are affected - but the majority are Shias.
Shia displacements have been markedly high since the attacks on the Shia shrines of Imam Ali Hadi and al-Hassan al-Askari, which took place Feb 22 in the city of Samarra.
The worst hit city is Baghdad with 4,624 families officially listed as displaced. The districts of al-Ameriya, Abu Ghraib, al-Hadra, al-Mada'en, Khan Dari, al-Ghazaliya and Taji have been particularly affected.
Displaced families speak of death threats and demands for immediate evacuation coming in the form of leaflets, letters and notes by armed groups. Sometimes the extremists send an envelope with a bullet.
Abu Mohanad, a former Iraqi army officer, says he left his home in Baghdad's Jihad district after witnessing an escalation of armed acts including the kidnapping of his neighbour's son.
The boy's body was found last month bearing evidence of torture and a fatal bullet wound. "This led me to move my family into my father's home," says Mohanad.
Om Abdallah tells how she moved from Baghdad's al-Shaab district to Mosul after she paid the ransom money demanded by kidnappers who abducted her father.
She says the kidnappers had also told her family to leave their home, warning that otherwise her father would be killed.
Religious parties and the Iraqi Red Crescent have set up basic shelters and camps for the homeless.
However, these camps lack many essential services and offer no respite from the relentless Iraqi summer, where temperatures have reached 49 degrees Celsius over the last three months.
The Iraqi government has also provided millions of dollars in assistance to displaced Iraqis. But this has proved insufficient, helping neither the unemployed nor children needing to go to school.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been meeting with Iraqi clan leaders as part of a recently announced national reconciliation plan involving the resettlement of the displaced.
However, al-Maliki and local Iraqi leaders are still discussing ways of bringing this about - while the need for immediate action and concrete measures gets ever more urgent.
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 25 (DPA) Trade ministers from southeast Asian nations and India agreed Thursday to resume previously suspended trade talks as part of efforts to speed up a free trade agreement.
Trade ministers from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) took the decision to "resume negotiations as soon as possible" after talks with India's Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, said Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz.
"We have come to some understanding on the way forward and we hope it can be completed expeditiously," Rafidah said at a news conference here.
"These were key areas which, in the past, brought about a standstill," she said.
However, trade ministers "achieved some very basic agreements" during Thursday's talks, she said, adding that India had submitted a revised list of its goods to be removed from a free trade pact with ASEAN.
The revised list, she said, has been brought down to 560 types of goods, which India imports from southeast Asia and wanted to be excluded from the pact. India's list had previously compiled 850 goods.
"We cannot say we are satisfied (with India's list) because we disagree," said ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong.
"But that's why we go back to the negotiation table and look at all these again," he told reporters.
Kamal Nath said India remained committed to resuming negotiations in order to expedite the signing of a free trade agreement with ASEAN, but needed to protect its own markets.
"India, as all countries and as ASEAN, has its sensitivities," he said.
"But at the end of the day, the bottom line is the expansion of trade."
Rafidah said there was a pressing need to conclude the talks with India in order for ASEAN to achieve its goal of creating an EU-style single market system, dubbed the ASEAN Economic Community, by the year 2015.
"If anything we do with a trading partner goes beyond 2022 or 2020, it doesn't live or go in sync with ASEAN's vision of having ASEAN Economic Community by 2015," said Rafidah.
Despite the problems in coming to an agreement, total trade between ASEAN and India increased by 30.4 percent last year to $23.1 billion.
New York, Aug 25 (IANS) Few in the US know that on Sep 11, 1906, Mahatma Gandhi launched his first public non-violent campaign in Johannesburg, South Africa and to mark the occasion, a US-based institute will organise a rally in Washington.
The Tennessee-based M.K. Gandhi Institute is organising a public rally on the historic Lincoln Memorial grounds on the Mall in Washington, as a dramatic pro-active "Day of prayer, peace, reconciliation, and non-violence", against terrorism and other forms of violence worldwide.
"While for all American people, September 11, 2001, is a black day of mourning and hopelessness, it can be transformed into a day of hope and harmony," said Arun Gandhi, founder of the institute.
The rally will be preceded by a daylong conference on peace and non-violence Sep 10 at Georgetown University, Washington.
Krishna K. Roy, chair of the M.K. Gandhi Institute, said she expects the rally to attract a significant gathering.
"I chose the Lincoln Memorial grounds for this rally because this is where, in 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King delivered his historic 'I have a dream' speech, turning the tide against segregation in the United States that led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act," Roy said.
"This conference is designed to bring together policy makers, mediators, activists, educators, game developers and others to explore how diverse peace actors can work together to increase their impact," she added.
Berlin, Aug 25 (DPA) German Economics Minister Michael Glos begins a six-day visit to India and Malaysia Saturday accompanied by a high-powered business delegation, the government said.
Both countries are of major interest to German business leaders who are eager to expand beyond the recent focus in Germany on forging trade ties with China.
In India, Glos is expected to meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other top officials.
Topping the agenda will be the WTO's Doha round as well as security of global energy supplies, said the statement.
Glos is due to take part in a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the German-Indian Chamber of Commerce. With over 6,000 members, the chamber based in Mumbai is the largest German foreign chamber of commerce in the world.
Trade between Germany and India has been growing fast in recent years. German exports to India rose to 4.2 billion euros last year - an increase of 28 per cent over 2004, said the statement.
Imports from India grew by 15 per cent to 3.4 billion euros in 2005.
German exports are dominated mechanical engineering products, which constitute nearly a third of total exports to India. Other major exports are chemicals and electrical goods.
Direct investment of German business in India was worth about 1.6 billion euros at the end of 2003 - the latest date for which figures are available.
Talks between the two ministers will focus on the future of the Doha round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade liberalisation talks which collapsed last month in Geneva, the statement said.
Among those accompanying Glos are the CEO of Germany's BASF - the world's biggest chemicals company - and the chairman of the influential Asia-Pacific Committee business lobby.
Other members of the delegation include CEOs from the mechanical engineering, logistics and the automotive sector.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) To check spiralling prices of wheat and pulses, the central government Friday restored the powers of state governments for undertaking de-hoarding operations under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
"This has been done by enforcing restrictions on licensing requirements, stock limits and movement in respect to wheat and pulses for a period of six months only," the food ministry said in a statement.
There will, however, be no restriction on inter-state movement of wheat and pulses, the ministry has clarified.
"Further, imports of these two items would also be kept out of the purview of any controls by the state governments in order not to impede imports, but to augment domestic supplies."
A central government directive is to be soon issued under which the central or state governments may direct wheat and pulses importers to declare receipts of stocks of these commodities and stocks retained by them.
London, Aug 25 (IANS) Controversial cricket umpire Darrell Hair of Australia had offered to quit in the wake of the ball-tampering issue in return for a payment of $500,000, the International Cricket Committee (ICC) revealed Friday.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told reporters here that on Aug 22 he was handed a letter written by Darrell Hair to Doug Cowie, who is the ICC umpires and referees manager.
"When I received the letter it is fair to say I was extremely surprised by the content and concerned as to how I should deal with it. In the letter, Darrell Hair offered to leave his job as a top official in the ICC in exchange for a payment of $500,000," Speed said.
Hair wrote that the amount can be paid directly into his account by Aug 31 and also pleaded that the deal should be kept confidential by both parties.
Hair is in the news after the controversial Oval Test was awarded to England after Pakistan refused to come out of their dressing room following ball-tempering charges against them.
Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies awarded five penalty runs to England after the Pakistan team refused to take the field as it was accused of tampering with the ball.
The ICC later awarded the match to the hosts.
Speed said Hair was under great stress when he wrote the letter.
"I am confident that Darrell Hair had no dishonest, underhand or malice intent - he was seeking to find a solution in the interests of the game."
Speed said he was advised by lawyers to disclose the contents of the letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board as they were relevant to the disciplinary case against captain Inzamam-ul Haq.
Having informed the PCB, Speed then felt compelled to make the letter public.
New York, Aug 25 (IANS) Honey is sweeter, has lesser calories, healthful antioxidants and pre-biotic properties which scientists say may be better than table sugar for people who want to lose weight.
Jennifer Ilana Ischayek and researchers at the San Diego State University studied buckwheat honey and clover honey from Oregon, cotton honey from California and tupelo honey from Florida, reported the online edition of the health magazine WebMD.
They investigated claims that certain types of honey have a better glycemic index than others and found that one honey is as good as another - at least as far as glucose content is concerned.
Glycemic index is a measure of a food's effect on blood sugar. The researchers found very little difference in the honeys' glycemic indices. They ranged from 69.13 to 74.14. All were very close to table sugar's glycemic index of 68.
Foods with a high glycemic index, like starchy foods, are not good for people with diabetes and for those trying to lose weight.
The researchers note that honey is sweeter, but consumes fewer calories. The study appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) In what could prove to be a boon for diabetic patients, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed a new wheat variety that promises to not only control sugar level in blood but also cholesterol.
The new variety 'Dicoccum' wheat called DDK 1029 has been developed under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) at Dharwad centre of University of Agricultural Sciences.
"Food products made from Dicoccum variety called DDK 1029, slowly dissolve in the body and release very less amount of calories. This helps to control the sugar as well as cholesterol level in blood," an ICAR statement said Friday.
DDK 1029 has a yield of nearly 3 quintal per hectare more than the best Dicoccum check DDK 1009 variety besides being better disease resistant.
"The average yield of this variety is 40.9 quintal per hectare and has been identified for cultivation in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, plains of Tamil Nadu, hilly areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala comprising the Nilgiri and Palni hills of southern plateau," the ICAR statement said.
The leading agriculture research body has also identified five new improved wheat varieties, two varieties of barley and one variety of Triticale for various agro-climatic regions of the country.
The ICAR has decided to develop new wheat varieties suited to zero-tillage system, furrow irrigated raised bed system (FIRBS) and surface seeding in network mode.
These decisions were taken at the 45th All India Wheat and Barley Research Workers' Meet held at Kanpur earlier this week.
Among the new varieties of wheat developed by ICAR is a variety DBW 17 that has yielded 1.2 quintals more than the present best variety PBW 343.
The DBW 17 variety has proven to be resistant to new yellow rust race, unlike PBW 343 and PBW 302 varieties that are susceptible to the disease.
"It also has shown better Karnal rust resistance than PBW 343. Besides this, DBW 17 has better chapatti making quality (score 7.96 out of 10) and gives average yield of 49.0 quintal per hectare," states ICAR.
The wheat variety has been identified for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan (except Kota and Udaipur divisions) and western Uttar Pradesh (except Jhansi division), parts of Jammu and Kathua districts, besides Una district and Paonta Valley in Himachal Pradesh and Tarai region in Uttaranchal under timely sown irrigated conditions.
By Saeed Khan,
Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) Muslims in Gujarat are angry at the administration after six members of the minority community were killed in recent months in police firings which they say were avoidable and in violation of the police manual.
While the killings of three Muslims in Vadodara in the first week of May are still fresh in memory, three members of the community, Rizwana Abdul Husain (25), Abdul Husain Ghanchi (38) and Magan Divshi Makwana (30), lost their lives to police firing Tuesday in Radhanpur of Patan district, 200 km from here.
The two episodes are similar in many ways.
It was the apparent necessity to demolish an ancient shrine for road expansion in Vadodara that led to violence while in Radhanpur it was the need to remove a graveyard compound wall that sparked trouble.
In both incidents, the Muslim community was not consulted before the administration moved ahead. Senior subdivision magistrate Ashok Mehta ordered the compound wall near Mina Darwaja in Radhanpur pulled down.
Official arguments that the wall had to be razed to tackle the surging floods have been countered by Muslims of that north Gujarat town.
They insist that the wall had been constructed to prevent drainage water from entering the graveyard.
Mohammed Hanif Modhwadia, a resident of the town whose sister-in-law was killed in the police firing, told IANS: "Under the pretext of letting out flood waters, the administration killed three people."
As in Vadodara, the police have been accused of not following the police manual while firing at the mob. The policemen fired at people's chests and heads, not at their feet.
"There was no caning or tear gassing, neither did police fire in air. It was direct firing," said Khan.
"Though they also fired at knee level, it was only later, to show they had followed the procedure," he added.
Refuting the charges, Patan District Collector J.D. Bhad said: "The official information is that when all methods to disperse the mob proved futile, the police were forced to open fire."
District Superintendent of Police D.B. Vaghela also termed the Muslim charges as false.
All six killed in the police firing had bullet injuries above the waist level, either in their chests or in heads. "How else can you explain a woman losing her life and a girl being hit by a bullet on her face?" questioned Modhvadia.
Many point out that consulting community leaders ahead of taking any drastic action could have avoided bloodshed.
Why did the administration not talk to the Muslims? Bhad refused to answer the question and maintained: "The wall was an encroachment. We had asked them to remove it earlier too."
The only difference between the two incidents is that while the police action led to communal tension in Vadodara and curfew had to be imposed, in Radhanpur no such thing happened.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Colombo, Aug 25 (IANS) India Thursday launched its athletics campaign at the 10th South Asian Games here in style by winning six out of 10 gold medals on offer to take its golden tally to a whopping 80 on the seventh day of the eight-nation competition.
India, with 43 silver and 26 bronze by close Thursday for a grand total of 149, is way ahead of second-placed Pakistan that have so far bagged 22 gold, 25 silver and 41 bronze medals for a tally of 88.
Sri Lanka have 20 gold, 43 silver and 47 bronze medals.
It was a day when Indian shooters also excelled, winning three gold medals, two silver and a bronze.
Athletics was, however, the most sought after event for the locals and the packed Sugathadasa Outdoor Stadium that can accommodate almost 30,000 people proved it.
Most of them had come to see their most popular athlete Susanthika Jayasinghe, who won the 200 metres race with consummate ease.
Overall, it was India that took the day's honours in the track and field events, also winning three silver and four bronze medals.
Saroj Sihag (women's shot put, 14.96 metres), S. Shanti (women's 1,500m, 4:14.26 seconds), Hamsa Chatholi (men's 1,500m, 3:44.50 sec), Surinder Singh (men's 10,000m, 29:41.30 sec), O.P. Jaisha (women's 5,000m, 16:03.11 sec) and Wayne Pepin (men's long jump, 7.73m) won the gold medals for India.
The silver medal winners were Vishal Saxena (men's 200m, 21.51 sec), Regunath Sadasivam (men's 10,000m, 29:43.09 sec), Sinimoule Paulose (women's 1,500m, 4:14.71 sec), while Pareeja Shreedharan (women's 5,000m, 16:52.51 sec), Poonam Tomar (women's 200m, 24.62 sec), Gurmeet Kaur (women's javelin throw, 46.45 sec) and Vadivelu (men's pole vault, 4.50m) clinched bronze medals.
But it was the women's 200 m event that drew loudest cheers from the crowd. Their star athlete, 200m ace Damyanthi Dharsha, had pulled out with an injury a few days ago.
But Susanthika, coming back from an injury-induced lay-off, did not disappoint as she won the race with much to spare, though her timing (22.99 sec) was not good enough to beat Dharsha's games record of 22.68 seconds set at the 1999 Kathmandu Games.
Susanthika's compatriot H.P.S. Buddhika won the silver with a time of 22.24 seconds and Poonam came third.
In the men's 10 metres air pistol individual competition, Amanpreet Singh captured the gold with an aggregate of 673.7 points (577 in prelims and 96.7 in the finals), while his compatriot Om Prakash won the silver with 667.9 (571 + 96.9). Pakistan's Muhammad Boota settled for the bronze with 666.4 points.
In the team competition of the men's 10 metres air pistol, Amanpreet Singh, Bapo Vanjare and Om Prakash combined to win the gold with an aggregate of 1,722 points.
The Sri Lankan team, comprising E.M. Senanayake, N.A. Hemantha and Nelson Nishshanka Pedige, won the silver with an aggregate of 1,688, while Pakistan's team of Muhammad Boota, Irshad Ali and Tariq Manzoor settled for the bronze with 1,684 points.
In men's 50m rifle prone, Mangala Samarakoon of Sri Lanka won the gold with a games record of 695.2 points (593 + 102.2), breaking the previous mark of 695.2 held by India's Nasiruddin Mohammed who achieved that feat in 1995.
The Indian pair of Imran Khan (588 + 102.1) and S.S.
Rathod (586 + 101.1) bagged the silver and bronze.
In the team competition of the same event, the India's Imran (589), Rathod (586) and Manoj Kumar (582) totalled 1,757 points to clinch the gold, while Sri Lanka (1,745) and Pakistan (1,713) clinched the silver and bronze.
In karate, India bagged two bronze medals in individual kata category. In the men's section, D. Syngkon was third behind Pakistan's Ghulam Ali (gold) and Sri Lankan K.V.S.V. Kumara (silver), while in women's individual competition, S. Ratangatu finished behind Nepal's S. Sijekhawa (gold) and Sri Lanka's R.P.S. Lakmali (silver).
In volleyball, defending men's team champion Indian thrashed Afghanistan 25-11, 25-16, 25-7 in their opening league match, while their women counterparts defeated Nepal 25-9, 25-17, 25-1 at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium.
Dhaka, Aug 25 (IANS) Discussing border management at the seventh home secretary level meeting in Dhaka, India and Bangladesh agreed to send fact-finding teams to enclaves and territories in adverse possession and also exchanged lists of wanted criminals alleged to be taking shelter in each other's territory.
India and Bangladesh agreed to send fact-finding teams of the Bangladesh-India Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWC) to enclaves and territories in adverse possession and report to their respective governments so as to resolve a long-pending issue between the two South Asian neighbours.
"India and Bangladesh were friends, are friends and must remain friends. We must work towards making the relationship more solid, more concrete," Indian Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said in Dhaka Thursday, after meeting Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan.
Duggal emphasised that "some perceptions have to be cleared and perhaps the transition has to be managed well".
Duggal is leading an 18-member delegation to the secretary level talks.
The JBWC had last met in Dhaka on July 16 and 17 and discussed the outstanding border issues that cause frequent skirmishes between BDR and BSF, The Daily Star said quoting a report by UNB news agency.
India and Bangladesh have accused each other of harbouring wanted criminals. India has alleged that insurgents from its northeastern states and Islamist terrorists have been allowed to operate in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, has claimed that criminals wanted by its police have been hiding in the Indian side of the border. Last week its Minister of State for Home Lutfozzaman Babar said that the Islamist militants who threw grenades at an opposition rally in August 2004 are hiding in India.
Highlighting the need to fight terrorism collectively, Duggal said, "terrorism is nobody's friend and has no nationality."
The meeting also agreed on coordinated efforts to stop smuggling of drugs, illegal arms and explosives, and providing consular access to detainees.
The last home secretary-level talks were held in New Delhi on Oct 27 last year.
Dhaka, Aug 25 (IANS) Bangladesh and India began four-day talks at the home secretaries level Friday amid pockets of tension along their 4,300 km border.
There have been mutual accusations of kidnapping, smuggling and firing, leading to casualties in the recent weeks. Disputes have also arisen during monsoon when rivers that dot the border change course or their embankments get washed away, flooding farms and homes.
Bangladesh Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain is leading an 18-member team and his Indian counterpart V.K. Duggal a 16-member delegation to the seventh round of home secretary-level talks.
"Peaceful border management will be the key issue on the agenda," the Bangladesh home secretary told reporters after the Indian delegation met him, The Daily Star said.
He said Bangladesh will clear its position on recent border skirmishes. Discussion about transfer of enclaves and territories in adverse possession, demarcation of a 6.5-km border, smuggling of drugs and narcotics and trafficking of women and children are among other issues on the agenda.
The delegation will visit Sundarbans Friday and resume the meeting at 11.00 a.m. tomorrow to finalise agreed summary of the talks.
The last home secretary-level talks were held in New Delhi on Oct 27 last year.
The two sides have in the recent past exchanged lists of criminals that are supposed to be taking shelter in each other's territory.
Insurgents from India's northeastern region operate from camps in Bangladesh territory. Dhaka claims that individuals and groups are taking shelter in India after fleeing from the law.
Last week Minister of State for Home Lutfozzaman Babar said that Islamist militants who threw grenades at an opposition rally in August 2004 were hiding in India.
The two sides agreed that teams of the Bangladesh-India Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWC) will visit enclaves and territories in adverse possession in the next one month, a long-pending issue between the two South Asian neighbours and report to their respective governments.
The meeting agreed on coordinated efforts to stop smuggling of drugs, illegal arms and explosives, and providing consular access to detainees.
"India and Bangladesh were friends, are friends and must remain friends. We must work towards making the relationship more solid, more concrete so that the coming generation should not fault us on anything," Indian Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said in Dhaka Thursday, after a courtesy call on Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan.
The JBWC last met in Dhaka on July 16 and discussed the outstanding border issues that cause frequent skirmishes between BDR and BSF, The Daily Star said, quoting a report by UNB news agency.
Commenting on the overall Dhaka-Delhi relations, Duggal said: "some perceptions have to be cleared and perhaps the transition has to be managed well."
About the long-standing issues that frequently cause unpleasant situation along the border between the two close door neighbours, Duggal said: "Desire should be there to take a few steps forward in resolving the issues."
He said both the countries should jointly tackle the problem of terrorism as "terrorism is nobody's friend and terrorists have no nationality".
By Arun Kumar,
Washington, Aug 25 (IANS) Super-hot atoms in space hold the key to an astronomical mystery-the black holes-and an Indian American astronomer is leading an effort to study those atoms here on Earth.
Anil Pradhan, professor of astronomy at the Ohio State University, and his team have used supercomputers to perform the most precise energy calculations ever made for these atoms and their properties.
As a result, astronomers, in particular, those hunting black holes, will have a better idea of what they are looking at when they examine faraway space matter using X-ray telescopes, according to a press release from the university.
The results appear in the September issue of the Journal of Physics B:
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics.
And while the paper's subject matter is highly technical, it tells a story that weaves together atomic physics, Einstein's theory of relativity, cutting edge astronomical observations and some of the world's fastest supercomputers.
Astronomers have spied seas of super-hot atoms in plasma form, circling the centres of very bright galaxies, called active galactic nuclei. The plasma is thought to be a telltale sign of a black hole; the black hole itself is invisible, but any material spiralling into it should be very hot, and shine brightly with X-rays.
Before anyone can prove definitively whether active galaxies contain black holes, astronomers need to measure the energy levels of the excited atoms in the plasma very precisely, and match the measurements with what they know about atomic physics.
Assuring the accuracy of atomic data doesn't sound like the most exciting job in astronomy, Pradhan admitted-but it is fundamentally important.
"Most astronomers take it for granted that the atomic data they are referencing are correct-they have to, in order to interpret their observations," he said.
For 30 years, the professor of astronomy has worked on the problem. The new, high-resolution X-ray data gathered by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's X-ray Multi-mirror Mission-Newton satellite spurred him on.
Believing that such high-quality observations demanded good atomic data, he and his team-which is also led by Ohio State senior research scientist Sultana Nahar-decided to make the most precise atomic calculations possible.
After years of writing computer codes and thousands of hours of computing time at the Ohio Supercomputer Centre, they calculated the energy levels of high-temperature atoms ranging from carbon to iron-the atoms found in these plasmas.
Some of the previously accepted values for these atoms had acknowledged error rates from 30 percent to as high as factors of two or three. With the new calculations reported in this study, the error for all the atoms has been reduced to a few percent.
This means that from now on, when astronomers record X-ray images of objects in space, they will have a much better idea of what atoms make up the material they are looking at, and the physical conditions inside that object.
The atom that most black-hole hunters are interested in is iron, and that's where Einstein's general theory of relativity comes in.
The immense gravity of a black hole should, according to relativity, distort the X-ray signal as seen from Earth, particularly for iron atoms. The signal is a spectrum, and looks like a series of lines, with each atom having its own line.
One line in particular, called the iron K-alpha line, appears broadened for X-rays emanating from the centre of active galaxies, and it is often cited as a key indication of a black hole.
Thirteen years ago, Pradhan, Nahar, and their colleagues began a study called the Iron Project. Their goal, in part, is to find out why the iron K-alpha line is broadened and what the implications are for X-ray astronomy.
"The most direct observation of a black hole is considered to be the iron K-alpha line," Pradhan said. "So it's very important to find out whether it's been broadened because there is a black hole nearby, or if there is some other cause."
He is hopeful that astronomers will apply his new data to studies of the iron K-alpha line and help solve the mystery.
Coauthors on the paper include Claude J. Zeippen and former Ohio State graduate student Franck Delahaye, both of the Observatoire de Paris.
Pradhan studied in India during his high school years. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Canada and his Ph.D from the University College, London. His postdoctoral and subsequent appointments have been in the United States.
He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and has served on review and advisory panels for the National Science Foundation and NASA.
Pradhan jokingly said he has no interests outside of his work, but then confessed that he does enjoy reading and running. He used to play soccer until an injury forced him to stop.
New York, Aug 25 (IANS) Indian American Ramesh C. Verma has been reappointed as commissioner on the services to the aging in Michigan.
Michigan governor's office said Verma, who represents the Democrats, was reappointed after his term expired July 28.
Verma, a former Indian Army captain and ex-director of design, construction and utilities, University of Michigan Medical Centre, said he advised the commission on issues affecting South Asian Americans.
Born in Burma and brought up in India, Verma left the Indian Army after the Bangladesh War and came to the US in 1974.
He retired from the University of Michigan in 1996 and worked at the Henry Ford Health System as director of design construction for corporate facilities till 1998.
"Frankly, the first time in 2003, when Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm wanted to appoint me, I was not so enthusiastic. But she said she wanted my participation. When I went to the office, I realised that no Indian was on it. I am representing the South Asians on the commission and conveying what our needs are. They appreciate my inputs," Verma said.
"I must have got good marks for my performance and that's why I was reappointed. Usually, no one is reappointed," he added.
In 1996, the University of Michigan Medical Centre named an award after him called the Ramesh Verma Diversity Award for outstanding commitment to honouring the strengths and differences amongst the South Asian community. He was the first recipient of this award.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Colombo, Aug 25 (IANS) India made a rousing start to the athletics competition winning five gold medals, two silver and one bronze on the opening day of the 10th South Asian Games here Thursday.
Saroj Sihag (women's shot put), Sinimoule Paulose (women's 1,500 metres), Hamsa Chatholi (men's 1500m), Surinder Singh (men's 10,000m) and O.P. Jaisha (women's 5,000m) won gold medals in the eight-nation competition.
By Harish C. Menon,
Mumbai, Aug 25 (IANS) Protests over the Hitler's Cross restaurant have subsided with the owners agreeing to change the name, but now Indian Jews want to ensure this is not being repeated elsewhere and are contemplating legal action against 10 odd other ventures using the fuehrer and Nazi symbolism.
The Indian Jewish Federation (IJF) has been told about 10 business establishments in the country allegedly using the German dictator and his Nazi Party symbols as a promotion gimmick and is planning to sue them.
"We have been informed that around 10 ventures are using these insensitive symbols in their business promotions. Now that the Hitler's Cross issue is settled, we will look into other establishments too," IJF chairman Jonathan Solomon told IANS.
"We will first have to look into whether these names and symbols are being used in active businesses and whether these ventures are still functioning or are defunct," the city-based solicitor noted.
Hitler's Cross, a restaurant in Kharghar in Navi Mumbai area of Thane district, was Thursday forced to decide to change its name after the city's Jews vociferously protested the use of symbolism that hurt their sentiments.
Germany and Israel joined the protests with the Israeli consul-general in Mumbai writing to city authorities urging them to take steps to get the restaurant's name changed.
The eatery, which opened Aug 18, used posters of Hitler and Nazi swastikas for publicity and had initially refused to change its name, but agreed to cover its signboards with white cloth Thursday.
Ironically, the information about the other business establishments doing the same came from the restaurant owners.
"We have informed the Indian Jewish Federation that there are at least 10 ventures that have used similar symbols for promotion in Mumbai, Delhi and other cities of the country," Puneet Sabhlok, the owner of Hitler's Cross said.
According to Sabhlok, the ventures range from kidswear outlets to breweries and cigarette brands and have these symbols even registered with the trademark registry.
"Thanks to the media we have got to know about such a trend. These issues concern not just the Jews but the entire society," Solomon observed.
Earlier, the management of the controversial eatery had removed a photograph of Hitler - dressed in full military fatigues, with the trademark swastika armband on his sleeve - from the restaurant's window after protests by Mumbai's Jews. But it had refused to change the name.
The swastika, reviled in many parts of the world for its association with Nazi Germany, is also an ancient Hindu religious symbol and is seen as a symbol of prosperity. The Nazi symbol is the diagonal clockwise continuation.
There are about 5,500 Jews in India, mostly in Mumbai, Kochi (Kerala), north-east and some in Delhi and other cities.
By Alfred de Tavares,
Stockholm, Aug 25 (IANS) Indian origin scientist Asit K. Biswas, a tireless water proponent who constantly challenges the status quo, received the 2006 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate (SWP) known as the Nobel prize in environment.
Biswas, an Indian-born Canadian and president of the Mexico City-based Third World Centre for Water Management, received the award from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall attended by some 800 people.
Biswas is the third Indian recipient of the award since its inception in 1990. Prabhakar Chitale received it in 1993 and Sunita Narain in 2005.
"India is quite on its way to monopolize the SWP," said Dave Trouba, in charge of the prestigious annual event that has come to be known as the Nobel Prize in Environment.
Akissa Bahri of the independent international Nominating Committee read the citation: "Professor Biswas is awarded the Stockholm Water Prize for his outstanding and multi-faceted contributions to global water resource issues, including research, education and awareness, water management, human and international relations in both developed and developing countries.
"While many highly-qualified experts in aquatic disciplines distinguish themselves as academicians, others as practitioners, others as government advisors, and others as writers and lecturers, Professor Biswas with his wide knowledge is highly recognised in all of these areas and, most importantly, has over a broad front applied his skills internationally, thereby adding new dimensions to the wise use and management of the global water resources."
The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1990 and presented annually to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding water-related activities. The activities can be within fields like education and awareness-raising, human and international relations, research, water management and water-related aid.
The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives US $150,000 along with a glass sculpture. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is the Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize.
"While many water experts have through the years contributed highly effective methodologies to the rational use and management of water resources, Professor Asit K. Biswas, as a science-driven water advocate fostered a pioneering socio-economic and political climate which enabled the effective translation of scientific -- both natural and social -- and technical advances into meaningful measures," explains Gunnar Jacks of the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, and the University of Coimbatore, India.
"Four of his many achievements exemplify his role as a global facilitator of international platforms where organisations and individuals can take concrete action on water," said Jacks, a renowned water scientist who has known Biswas for a long time.
Biswas has a breath-taking bio-data:
He was the main scientific advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Water Conference in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1977. In that capacity he helped to formulate and promote the International Water Supply and Sanitation Decade.
After approval of this initiative by the UN General Assembly, Biswas advised international and national institutions on how the Decade could be implemented. By all accounts, the Decade significantly improved the lives of millions of people in the developing world.
While conventional wisdom holds that water problems are similar in the developed and developing worlds, and that the same solutions apply, Biswas has always argued otherwise.
He also chaired the Middle East Water Commission from 1993 to 1997, with the support of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He managed to involve high-level personalities from most countries in the region to review and assess the water problems in the region face to face.
The actual treaties on water issues between several countries were based on many of the recommendations of this Commission.
In water circles today, many experts counter the argument that water may be a source of conflict in the future with the empirical evidence that it, in fact, promotes collaboration of the kind which Biswas encouraged.
He also initiated a three-year programme with the support of the Nippon Foundation, to select and mentor potential water leaders from all over the world who were below 40 years.
The remarkable success of this programme is demonstrated by the fact that all the eight potential leaders he mentored now hold very senior positions.
In his multi-faceted roles as a scientist and educator, he has acted as an advisor and confidant to policymakers in water and environmental management in 17 countries, to six heads of the United Nations agencies and to other intergovernmental and international organisations.
The Third World Centre for Water Management, a "think tank" initially set up by Biswas to give independent and authoritative policy and knowledge support to developing countries, also regularly advises many industrialised countries.
He founded the International Journal of Water Resources Development and continued as Editor-in-Chief for the past 21 years. He has been involved in the writing of 64 books, among them "Water as a Focus for Regional Development", "Integrated Water Resources Management in South and Southeast Asia" and "Water Institutions: Policies, Performance and Prospects".
Under his leadership, additional books on burning issues are presently in preparation, including "Water Management in Mega-cities" and "Impacts of Large Dams and Poverty Alleviation and Water as a Human Right". He has also published over 600 scientific and technical articles (mostly on interdisciplinary topics). His work has been translated into 31 languages.
Amsterdam, Aug 25 (DPA) The 12 Indian men arrested in the Netherlands in connection with an incident aboard a Northwest Airlines aircraft that made an emergency return to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport have been released without charge, Justice Ministry officials said.
The 12 were arrested after the aircraft returned to Schiphol at noon Wednesday, escorted by Dutch F-16 fighters.
The captain of the DC-10 on route from Schiphol to Mumbai turned the aircraft round half an hour into the flight, saying the men had behaved suspiciously.
Dutch Justice Ministry press officer Ed Hartjes said Thursday the 12 had done nothing seriously wrong, nor had they planned anything untoward.
Their mobile phones, laptop computers and other equipment had been inspected for explosives and detonators. The aircraft, which left for Mumbai Thursday morning, had also been inspected, he said.
The 12 had been held on suspicion of attempting an act of violence against an aircraft, Hartjes said.
All 12 were of Indian origin, an Indian news channel reported.
A list provided by the Indian embassy in Amsterdam to the Indian External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi indicated all the detained people had been born in Mumbai but it was not clear whether they were all Indian citizens, the channel reported.
Shortly after take-off on Wednesday morning, the captain of the DC-10 spoke to ground control while over Germany, and the aircraft immediately returned to Schiphol.
The daily Telegraaf reported on the basis of comments from one of the passengers that two armed US air marshals had taken control following suspicious behaviour by a group of men.
Other reports said the crew reacted after a mobile telephone rang and the men cheered in response.
The Telegraaf said the two marshals had ordered passengers to remain in their seats after a group of passengers began fiddling with mobile phones and rummaging in their hand luggage.
Sarat Menon, an Indian passenger who works in Brussels and who sat next to the group, described them as aged 30-40 and "certainly not educated".
He added that four of the Urdu-speaking men had long beards and said they had been on holiday in Tobago.
After the marshals took over, they ordered passengers to "sit upright in their chairs ... We were not allowed to walk around or to go to the toilet."
Menon said the atmosphere had been calm throughout, but that there had been some tension on arrival back at Schiphol.
Analysts noted that the aircraft had parked normally among other aircraft, not on an isolated spot on the airport runway.
Normal border police had arrested the men, not a special anti-terrorism unit, and security arrangements at Dutch airports were not altered.
The Dutch national terrorism coordinator said through a spokesperson that no changes to the security level had been implemented.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Low-cost carrier IndiGo Thursday took delivery of its second new Airbus A320 aircraft from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France.
"With our second aircraft we will connect the Delhi-Kolkata, Kolkata-Guwahati sectors from Aug 30 this year and commence non-stop service on the Delhi-Bangalore sector," Bruce Ashby, president and CEO Indigo, said after the delivery.
"IndiGo will get one new aircraft from Airbus every month this year. We have placed a firm order of 100 brand new Airbus A320 family aircraft that will be delivered at a steady pace over the next 10 years," he said.
Indigo had taken delivery of its first Airbus July 28 and commenced operations on the Delhi-Guwahati-Imphal sector from Aug 4.
Tel Aviv, Aug 25 (DPA) Israeli Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz has appointed a top Israeli officer to be in charge of preparing a possible war with Iran, the Ha'aretz daily reported Friday, quoting a security official.
Air Force Commander Eliezer Shkedy is to manage Israel's armed forces if war breaks out and is responsible for preparing battle plans, the daily said.
The paper pointed out that the appointment was made before this summer's crisis with Lebanon, which has led many Israelis to accuse their political and military leadership of having failed to prepare adequately for the possibility of another war in Lebanon.
The security official told Ha'aretz that the appointment was an implementation of lessons from the 1991 Gulf War, during which the Israeli army did not have a "campaign manager" for Iraq.
Instead, the Israel Air Force, the ground forces and the intelligence agencies each operated within their own areas of responsibility without having a single coordinator linking them.
According to Ha'aretz, Major General Shkedy is to be in charge of all conflicts with "countries not bordering Israel," which effectively means both Iraq and Iran.
An army spokeswoman would not confirm or deny the report, saying the army does not disclose information on its operational tactics.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Jamia Milia Islamia university in Delhi would start two new post-graduate courses to encourage research and documentation on fine arts.
"Soon the department will be given the status of a full-fledged faculty in the university along with introduction of two new courses at the masters' level - in history of art and printmaking," a statement said.
The two-year masters programme in history of art would emphasise on the 20th century Indian art and trace the evolution of the modern movement of art in the country.
"The course will encourage research, in an attempt to document the known as well as the not so known artists - those who have had an immense contribution in the evolution of Indian art into its present form but have not got due attention," the statement said.
The masters in printmaking would cover all areas of the subject including lithography, linocut, woodcut, etching and silk-screen printing among others.
The specialisation is open to graduates in any discipline of fine arts and would enable them to produce art forms like book illustrations and poster making in different printmaking techniques in addition to creating an individual work of art.
Currently, the central university offers a four-year degree programme in Fine Arts in four disciplines - painting, sculpture, applied art and art education, along with a two-year masters degree programme in each of the four.
Ranchi, Aug 25 (IANS) Jharkhand has directed all its district authorities to strictly implement the anti-cow slaughter law and keep a check on illegal slaughter houses.
Replying to a call attention notice in the state assembly, Chief Minister Arjun Munda Thursday said: "The deputy commissioners and police superintendents of all the districts have been made responsible for any cow slaughtered in their respective districts. They have been directed to strictly enforce the ban."
The BJP-led state government had framed legislation banning cow slaughter in the state last year. The cow is considered by Hindus to be a sacred animal.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief whip C.P. Singh raised the issue of cow slaughter saying the ban had not been effectively implemented in the state.
"Cow slaughter is taking place in the state despite the ban as the law is not implemented strictly," he said.
Assuring the house that the law would be strictly followed, the chief minister said: "The district administration has been asked to keep a close watch on the illegal slaughter houses thriving in the state."
Official sources said the district administration and district police chiefs have been directed to form cells at the village level also to keep a watch on animal smuggling and cow slaughter.
"Any person caught for such a crime can end up in jail for a period of six months to three years," said a government official.
Dhananjay Mahapatra
NEW DELHI: Fresh trouble appears to be brewing for the Gujarat government as the district judge, assigned to scrutinise major post-Godhra riot cases has in his report to the Supreme Court, underlined the shoddy probe carried out by the police into several incidents of mass murder.
On the grounds of shoddy probe, the court had earlier entrusted the CBI with the investigation of the Bilkis Bano rape case. It had also transferred the trial of the Best Bakery case to Mumbai. Later, the trial of the rape case was also transferred outside Gujarat.
Additional Sessions and District Judge M L Mehta, who was entrusted the task of going through the bulky case records of 21 major post-Godhra riot cases, submitted his report on Wednesday to the apex court in a sealed cover.
The causal manner in which the police went about in investigating the cases appeared to be the focus of Mehta's report, though it is not known whether he has recommended re-investigation of these cases and that too by an independent probe agency.
Mehta, who took the assistance of lawyers to scrutiny the records, went into the cases that were lodged after major incidents of rioting, arson and murders at Godhra, Sardarpura in Mehsana district, Gulbarga society in Meghani Nagar at Ahmedabad, Naroda Patiya and Ode...
Any adverse remarks by the scrutiny judge on the probes would vindicate petitioner NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace, which had filed a petition three years ago alleging that no proper probe of these cases was carried out by the police with the motive of shielding the accused.
Three years ago, SC, hearing a PIL filed by CJP seeking transfer of the investigation to an independent agency, had stayed the trial proceedings. Mehta's report, along with the PIL, is listed for hearing before the apex court on August 29.
During the last hearing, a Bench headed by Justice K G Balakrishnan had assigned the task to the ASDJ asking him to go through the records as well as affidavits filed by the victims and their relatives alleging non-registration of FIRs, non-recording of statements by witnesses and lack of proper probe into the cases.
The ASDJ, an officer from the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, had started his work on July 17 and worked even on holidays to go through the records to meet the deadline set by SC.
The NGO had submitted before SC that there is a change in the approach of CBI and Centre since UPA came to power in May 2004 and the premier investigating agency is ready to look into these matters.
Source :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1924269.cms
Lucknow, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) The Uttar Pradesh Assembly will honour today 14 members of the first House constituted in 1952. Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey has sent personal invitations to the 14 members, officials said here.
The members are: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari, Kamal Ahmad, Karan Singh, Tej Pratap Singh, Ram Harish Chandra Asthana, Kali Charan Tandon, Nageshwar Diwedi, Guru Prasad Singh, Tula Ram Rawat and Rajeshwar Singh.
The state assembly will also honour all former MLAs at a special function on August 30.
Islamabad, Aug 25 (IANS) A Karachi-Dubai ferry will link the ancient route to the Gulf region, but the focus now will be on foreign and local tourists looking for luxury.
Compared to about two hours of flying undertaken by thousands who work in the Gulf region, a two-day cruise will cost a whopping $549.
The maiden voyage is scheduled for Nov 2, the Dawn newspaper said.
Captain (retd) Anwar Shah, Director General of Pakistan Ports and Shipping, told a TV channel that the government was encouraging private operators to run the ferry service.
"We have already awarded licences to five operators and Gulf Dream Cruise will be the first to operate its cruise in November," he said.
The official said the service would be extended to other Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Oman and Qatar in the coming years.
Gulf Dream Cruise will run a weekly ferry service between Dubai and Karachi. The ship will take two days to travel between the two destinations and dock in Dubai for a day before taking a reverse course to Karachi. Passengers will be able to take a one-way trip as well, APP news agency reported.
"The regular ferry for fast transfer of passengers between Karachi and Dubai is not feasible because of the cheap airfare between the two destinations.
Also, expatriates living in the UAE don't want to spend days on the ship when they go on annual leave to their country," said Shah.
"This is a unique idea with a lot of potential due to a big demand from foreign and Pakistani tourists who love to go on a cruise for a short distance, and Dubai is the most sought-after destination," Shah said.
Gulf Dream Cruise weighs 23,000 tonnes with a length of 196 metres. It has 540 rooms and can accommodate up to 1,250 passengers, besides 400 crewmembers.
"The cruise will have all the facilities available on an international cruise liner, like restaurants, theatre, games, music and other entertainment facilities," he said.
Tour operators in Dubai have also welcomed the new service. "It will definitely give a boost to tourism between the two countries," said the administration and operations manager at Lama Tour, which receives tourist groups from Pakistan.
Jammu, Aug 25 (IANS) Militants gunned down a middle-aged woman in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, suspecting her to be a police informer, police official said.
They barged into Yaseena alias Guddi's house in Gindin village in the district's Bhaderwah area late Thursday and shot her, the official said.
Five years ago, Yaseena's husband Mukhtiar Ahmed had been shot dead by militants on the suspicion of being an informer of the security forces. Police said the militants might have suspected her of being an informer as well.
No group has claimed responsibility for the killing but police suspect the separatist Hizbul Mujahideen, the group behind Ahmed's murder.
A case has been registered and investigations are under way.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 25 (IANS) Kerala Education Minister M.A. Baby Friday said the government accepts the interim verdict of the Supreme Court on admissions to self-financing professional colleges.
A division bench of the court Friday passed an interim order upholding a single bench verdict of the Kerala High Court which said admission to this year's medical and engineering colleges should be done on the basis of 50 percent merit and 50 percent management quota.
Kerala government had passed the Kerala Professional Colleges (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non-Exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence in Professional Education) Act on July 2 which states that the college managements will have the right to just 30 percent seats.
But soon after the law was passed the self-financing professional colleges' management association approached the apex court.
The apex court asked the petitioners to approach the Kerala High Court. On July 21 the high court ruled that status quo should be maintained by going ahead with the 50 percent merit and 50 percent management quota.
Following the verdict the government appealed to the division bench, which upheld the single bench verdict of July 29. It then approached the Supreme Court.
Baby said they would now work out an admission procedure based on the new verdict.
"This is not a setback for the government. If there are flaws in the entrance examination conducted by the self-financing medical colleges then Justice P.A. Mohammed Committee can look into it," said Baby.
The committee was appointed by the government after the new law was passed by the Kerala Assembly on July 2.
Ten students had approached the high court saying they did not see the advertisement that the medical college managements had put out regarding entrance exams.
These students have already approached the Mohammed Committee and Friday's verdict directed the committee to look into their complaints before September 8.
The verdict also gives a clean chit to the Engineering and Bachelor of Education admissions done prior to the new law was passed on July 2.
Counsel for medical college managements, George Poonthotam, said, "This is a victory for the self-financing colleges and the complaint of the 10 students is not going to help the government."
"These medical colleges had advertised in two leading Malayalam dailies," said Poonthotam.
There are 70 engineering and eight medical colleges in the self-financing sector in the state. These colleges have close to 10,000 seats in engineering and 800 seats in medical colleges.
Former chief minister A.K. Antony who was instrumental in coming out with the 50:50 quota, said, "It is time that the government sorts out the issue in an amicable way with the managements."
"Students and parents have suffered a lot and the only beneficiaries have been professional colleges in neighbouring states," he added.
Antony George Paul, secretary of the medical colleges' association, said, "The victory is finally ours."
Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) A twenty-year-old madrassa student in Jamnagar district of Gujarat was allegedly beaten to death by his teacher, police said Friday.
Nazir Ahmed, a student of the Dar-ul-Uloom madrassa in Lalpur, 350 km from here, was hit by his teacher and five others Thursday.
All the six persons have been detained by the police. The student was allegedly beaten up over an incident of eve teasing.
"The accused have been detained and we will make arrests soon," said Jamnagar district superintendent of police, R.R. Bhagat.
The incident is the second of its kind in the state. Two months ago an eight-year-old died in Panchmahal after his teacher spanked him for not remembering his lessons district.
Tel Aviv, Aug 25 (DPA) A clear majority of Israelis believe their prime minister, Ehud Olmert, should resign over his handling of Israel's offensive in Lebanon, a poll published Friday indicated.
Some 74 percent of Israelis asked thought Olmert's performance during the month-long war was "bad", and 63 percent said he should resign as a result, said the poll commissioned by the biggest-selling Yediot Ahronot daily.
The prime minister took office in early May, after his centrist Kadima party won elections in March and crushed the former ruling hardline Likud party.
According to the poll, Kadima would lose 12 of its 29 seats if elections were held today and the Likud of former finance minister and premier Benjamin Netanyahu would recover its position as the biggest party with 20 seats.
The Likud had plummeted from 41 seats to 12 in the March 28 elections.
A large majority of Israelis also believe Defence Minister Amir Peretz and Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz failed during the war, with 79 percent saying Peretz's performance was "bad" and 63 percent saying that of Halutz was bad.
The war in Lebanon erupted on July 12 after Hezbollah guerrillas movement abducted two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. A ceasefire took effect on Aug 14.
Some 499 adult Israelis were questioned for the poll, which had a margin of error of 4.5 per cent.
Jakarta, Aug 25 (DPA) Most Indonesians reject the implementation of Islamic law despite calls by radical groups to make the world's largest Muslim-majority nation a theocratic state, according to a survey.
About 64 percent of 700 respondents across the country, both Muslims and Christians, disagreed with implementing Islamic law, or Sharia.
More than 70 percent also rejected the implementation of Islamic criminal codes, called hudud, which includes forcing women to wear headscarves, amputating the hands of thieves, and flogging and stoning adulterers.
Aceh province is the only region of Indonesia allowed to implement Sharia, and only because it was granted as part of a plan to end a decades-long civil war there. The ongoing implementation has been controversial, with morality police overstepping their authority and illegally arresting women and searching homes without warrants.
A few provincial districts on Java and Sumatra islands have adopted local regulations in the spirit of Sharia, including banning alcohol sales and not allowing women to walk outside unescorted at night.
Although Indonesia has 190 million Muslims, it also has large minority populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. The country is made up of more than 300 different ethnic groups, and successive governments since its independence in 1945 have rejected Sharia as contrary to its multi-cultural society.
Sharia has been a controversial political topic since the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the United States and several subsequent bombings in Indonesia, with moderate and radical Muslim groups battling it out in the media.
The survey, conducted in July and early August by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI), a respected private polling group, has a margin of error of 3.8 percent.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) A 42-year-old who set himself afire in police custody in a satellite town close to the national capital late Thursday died here Friday.
Rajeev Kapoor was arrested by the special operation group of the Noida Police on charges of fraud.
"Kapoor used to persuade women to marry him. When the women would agree he would flee with their valuables," said Soumitra Yadva, superintendent of police, Noida.
"There are several other cases of fraud pending against him," said Yadav.
Kapoor, who was at the sector 39 police station in Noida, was shifted to a room when he complained of uneasiness.
Kapoor used the lubricating oil of a sewing machine to set himself afire. He was taken to a private hospital at 2.30 a.m. where he later died.
Yadav said an independent inquiry has been started to ascertain the reason for his immolation. "We have suspended the station house officer and three other policemen. If any police officer is found guilty of harassing Kapoor we will take action," Yadav added.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) After 20 years of fighting the battle against the Narmada dam, rights activist Medha Patkar says that democratic spaces are closing and she feels "ashamed and shattered".
"Twenty years after the Narmada movement I feel ashamed and shattered. The democratic spaces are closing," Patkar said late Thursday while delivering the eighth D.S. Borker Memorial lecture here.
"The whole state has become corporatised. This is a disease, which is killing democracy. Business houses like Reliance - a divided family - are being given land overnight to build special economic zones. Reliance will now divide the nation."
India cannot march ahead unless it learns to rely on its natural and human resources, Patkar said at the lecture series held in memory of civil servant D.S. Borker.
Talking about her vision of India in 2047, she asserted: "We have enough resources to fulfil our needs. There is no crisis of resources. This crisis is fictitious."
"Unless we empower communities and make them self-reliant, we cannot deal with the vulgar inequality and vulgar consumerism in India," Patkar, who has been fighting tirelessly for the rights of those displaced by the Narmada dam project, said.
"For this we should all stand up and voice our concerns. We need a more participatory form of democracy and we need to decentralise our management of resources."
Patkar said we needed to junk the outdated theory of development.
"That is why the godowns are full, but stomachs empty. We should be ashamed to celebrate a century of freedom if this scenario continues."
Referring to the tragedy in Rajasthan where five members of a family drowned earlier this week while the entire town watched, she said: "The world's largest democracy just stood and watched the 11-hour drama and all five members of a family drowned one by one standing atop an Indica car. You can imagine the plight of the communities waiting to be submerged standing on a land called India."
She added that the organisers of the lecture were being threatened for associating with the Narmada movement.
Sitaram Yechury, Rajya Sabha MP, who chaired the session said "unless we bridge the divide between Real India and Shining India our vision for 2047 will just remain a dream".
"People should control the resources. Their future should be in their hands and not under corporate control," Yechury said.
"There is a clash of three visions - growth vs equity; control of resources and man-nature dialectic. Unless we resolve this in favour of democracy, secularism, economic empowerment of people we cannot change much before 2047."
Columnist Praful Bidwai said Patkar with her Narmada movement had exposed the contradictions between development and environment protection.
Describing the displacement of people as "cultural genocide", Bidwai said: "Thirty-five million people have been displaced in the name of development. Only five million have been rehabilitated.
He said Patkar may have opposed dams but has built many "bridges". "She has built the bridge between activism centred on Gandhian and Sarvodaya values; civil society and political parties; and between the reds (Left) and the greens (civil society)."
Mumbai, Aug 25 (IANS) Over 150 students and doctors here courted arrest Saturday as a mark of protest against the government's decision to introduce a bill in parliament for caste-based reservation in institutions of higher learning.
The students and doctors included senior members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), activists of Youth For Equality, members of Maratha Mahasangh and Bhiwandi Vyapari Association. They were arrested when they attempted to proceed towards the chief minister's residence at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai.
They were arrested for unlawful assembly under section 37 of the Bombay Police Act and the offence was bailable, said a police official. The doctors will be released once the bail is furnished, he added.
While some senior student leaders and doctors were detained in Gamdevi police station, many were taken to the V.P. Marg and D.P. Marg police stations.
Hundreds of students and doctors here had joined the nationwide agitation against the bill earlier in April-May also.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The hundreds of resident doctors in Delhi who had gone on mass leave to protest caste based quotas Friday suspended their agitation for the next three months with the reservation bill being referred to a parliamentary standing committee.
"As the parliament has referred the reservation bill to the standing committee, we have called off the agitation for the time being. The bill will be placed in the floor of the house in the winter session and till that time we will not take to the streets," said Manish Nathani, senior resident doctor of the Maulana Azad Medical Science (MAMC).
"The decision of the parliament is a vindication of our demand. The bill will now be debated more elaborately before the winter session. Some of the resident doctors have already returned to work and most of us are joining duty by tomorrow morning," Nathani told IANS.
Resident doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College (Safdarjung Hospital), University College of Medical Sciences (Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital), Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC-LNJP hospital) and the Hindu Rao Hospital had gone on mass casual leave for the second day Friday, paralysing healthcare in the capital.
On Thursday, scores of resident doctors were detained and police had filed a case of rioting against them.
"The general body meeting is going decide the course of action till the winter session," said Arun Pal Singh, a senior resident doctor of UCMS.
A majority of resident doctors at AIIMS have already joined work, much to the relief of the thousands of patients, many of whom come to the premier facility from various corners of the country.
"My wife has been suffering from ulcers and relatives in Patna told me to come to AIIMS but I was refused treatment yesterday. I have come again today, but it is a futile effort as they stopped registration at 10 a.m. instead of the usual 10.30 a.m.," said Raghubir Yadav in the morning.
Some patients had complained that officials manning the registration desk were asking for "bribes" to give early numbers.
"They are taking Rs.30-40 to give an early number in the registration list," said Kamlesh Singh, who is suffering from tuberculosis and came to the capital from neighbouring Ghaziabad.
Initially, the nationwide protests had started in April-May.
The protests restarted when the cabinet decided on Monday to introduce a bill in the ongoing session of parliament to implement the reservations.
Jerusalem, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) Disapproving the arrest of many elected Palestinian representatives and ministers by Israel, India has said the peace process does not exist anymore in the Middle East.
India's special envoy to West Asia, Chinmaya R Garekhan, who is on a 10-day visit to the region, met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib in Amman.
The visit, which followed the month-long bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, "is meant to show solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinians masses in their hour of crisis and also to form first hand impression and assessment of the situation," Gharekhan said over phone from Amman today.
India has sent relief assistance to both Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Garekhan expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the Palestinian masses and undermining of their democratically elected leadership.
"The peace process does not exist anymore. Israel has arrested so many elected Palestinian representatives and ministers which India thoroughly disapproves", he said. "India has also condemned the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier."
During the meeting yesterday, Abbas expressed his deep appreciation for India's gesture towards Palestinian masses. "We are deeply moved and grateful for the assistance that India has given. It is typical to India. Whenever we are in difficulty it is always there for us," he told Garekhan.
Garekhan will also be visiting Lebanon and Syria this week.
Bangkok, Aug 25 (Xinhua) Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday that at least four military officers were involved in the plot to assassinate him with car bomb on Thursday.
Thaksin said most of the officers are still in military services.
A car loaded with explosives was intercepted by police early Thursday morning near the residence of Thaksin and the driver of the car, Thawatchai Klinchana, was later detained. Thaksin said the car was to be used in an attempt to kill him while he was traveling in his motorcade.
Soon after the incident on Thursday, General Pallop Pinmanee, the Internal Security Operation Command deputy director, was informed of immediate dismissal by Thaksin since Thawatchai was the driver of Pallop.
Referring to some doubts about the assassination, Thaksin said on Friday that the investigation so far did not find any involvement by Chamlong Srimuang, a leader of the anti-Thaksin group People's Alliance for Democracy, who is a close friend of General Pallop.
New Delhi, Aug 24 (IMI) Thousands of people and workers of All India Momin Conference, an organization of Muslim Weavers and Artisans and its State Units from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pardesh, Delhi and Uttaranchal etc staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on August 22, 2006 protesting against atrocities to innocent muslims in Mumbai Bomb Blast case and demanded immediate release of innocent muslims who have been arrested in connection with the Mumbai Blast case. The demonstrators were addressed amongst others by Mr. Furqan Ansari, the President of All India Momin Conference and the member of Parliament. Mr. Furqan Ansari accompanied by his other colleagues including Mr.Sunil Mahatov, Member of Parliament, Mr Srivastava Rao, Member of Parliament, Mr. Maulan Junaid Banarasi, working President, Mr. Haji Ahmad Ali Ansari, General Secretary, Mr Imran Ansari, Vice President, All India Momin Conference, Mr Khursheed Ansari, Ex M.L.A. and President of U.P. State Momin Conferece handed over a memorandum to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India. The memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister states as under:
“ Respected Sir, This grand gathering of All India Momin Conference strongly condemns the Mumbai bomb blast and declares that the word Islam itself stands for peace and tranquility and Islam never allows to harm innocent people in any way and always condemns the act of terrorism. The All India Momin Conference submits the following demands for immediate and effective action by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
1. To stop the atrocities being committed to innocent muslim youth on the false allegation in connection with the Mumbai Blast case.
2. All those innocent people should immediately be released unconditionally who have been arrested in connection with the Mumbai Blast case.
3. Unnecessary harassment of muslim minority community should be immediately stopped.
4. Muslims should be recruited in Police and paramilitary forces in proportion to their population.
5. A CBI enquiry of the whole episode of Mumbai Blast case so that the culprits are taken to task.
We also declare that if our demands are not fulfilled, the whole Ansari (Momin) section of community under the banner of All India Momin Conference will start agitation through out the country in a peaceful manner. It is the historic fact that the Muslims of India have always stood for secularism and shall remain ready to sacrifice their last drop of blood for their Mother Land. The communal organizations are trying to malign the good image of the Nationalist Muslims. The Government should take effective steps immediately to stop the false propaganda being spread by communal organizations against the Muslim Community.�
Those who addressed the gathering before the memorandum was handed over to the Prime Minister and those who made immense contributions for the success of this grand demonstration include amongst others Mr. Imran Ansari, Mr.Junaid Ahmad Ansari, Mr. Haji Ahmad Ansari, Mr. Khursheed Ahmad Ansari, Mr. Abdul Mannan Ansari, Mr. Nadeem Dehlvi, President, Delhi State Momin Conference, Mr. Shujauddin Ahmad Ansari, President, Maharashtra State Momin Conference, Mr. Abdul Hai Ansari, Mr Yaqoob Ansari, Mr. Saeed Ahmad Ansari, Bijnori, Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, kanpuri and Mr. Maulana Fusail Ahmad Qasmi etc.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Despite occasional ups and downs, many more people in India and Pakistan today desire peace between the two neighbours, says noted journalist Kuldip Nayar.
From the time when 12 years ago the annual candle lighting event began at the Wagah border, the number of people attending the event has swelled considerably, said Nayar at a book release event at the India International Centre. The National Book Trust has published Anita Inder Singh's "Partition of India".
This year, there were over 500,000 people from both countries to light candles for peace between the two countries on the midnight of Aug 14/15 - the intervening night of the days when they celebrate their respective independence days.
The crowd was shouting "India-Pakistan Zindabad", despite the shadow of the July 11 train bombings in Mumbai that killed around 200 people and which cast a strain on India-Pakistan ties.
It was the Indo-Pakistan Friendship Front headed by Kuldip Nayar that started the candle lighting ritual at the Wagah border.
"The responsibility is ours (India's). There is no option other than good relations with our neighbours," he said.
"We should think in terms of South Asia and take pride in being South Asians, not as Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis."
Nayar, who is from Sialkot (now in Pakistan's Punjab province), recalled his early days in Pakistan when partition of British India was looming.
"I have been through the partition period. I was in Law College in Lahore. Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Muslim League leader who became the first governor general of Pakistan following partition) came to the college in early 1947 to address Muslim League students. I asked him two questions.
"'I see so much hatred wherever I go - Hindus and Muslims killing each other. What would happen if partition takes place?' Jinnah's reply was: 'We will then be the best of brothers, like Germany and France who fought for years but are now best of friends. Blood is thicker than water.'
"My second question was: 'If a third country attacks us, then what will happen?' Jinnah replied: 'Then we shall be fighting by your side against the third country. After partition comes into being, all this (hatred) will be forgotten. We will be like America and Canada, prosperous brothers.'"
"If the bitter experience of partition has taught us any lessons - it is of the values of secularism and democracy," observed Nayar.
He recalled how his extended family, comprising of about 100 people, had been sheltered by a Muslim friend of his father for more than a month - between Aug 11 and Sep 13, 1947 - till they managed to flee to India safely.
"My father offered him money but he refused to accept it. There were innumerable people like that among Hindus and Muslims who saved the lives of their friends belonging to the other community. It is time someone writes a book on such brave people," he said.
"We (Indians and Pakistanis) have lived together for centuries. Now our future is of South Asia - free and secular."
According to him, many people in Pakistan are now talking in terms of secularism and democracy in their country.
"I see that in Pakistan, after so many years, people in the middle classes are thinking of a state like India, with democracy and secularism," he said.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The uproarious scenes in the Lok Sabha Thursday with two MPs exchanging profanities and almost coming to blows only served to prove that the code of conduct for parliamentarians is observed more in breach than in practice.
According to the Rules of Procedures, the following are some of the rules that Lok Sabha MPs are expected to observe when the house is in session:
The members:
(i) shall not read any book, newspaper or letter except in connection with the business of the house;
(ii) shall not interrupt any member while speaking by disorderly expression or noises or in any other disorderly manner;
(iii) shall bow to the chair while entering or leaving the house, and also when taking or leaving his seat;
(iv) shall not pass between the chair and any member who is speaking;
(v) shall not leave the house when the speaker is addressing the house;
(vi) shall always address the chair;
(vii) shall keep to his usual seat while addressing the house;
(viii) shall maintain silence when not speaking in the house;
(ix) shall not obstruct proceedings, hiss or interrupt and shall avoid making running commentaries while another member is speaking;
(x) shall not applaud when a stranger enters any of the galleries, or the special box; shall not shout slogans in the house, shall not sit or stand with his back towards the chair;
(xiii) shall not approach the chair personally in the house. He may send chits to the officers at the table, if necessary;
(xiv) shall not wear to display badges of any kind in the house;
(xv) shall not bring or display arms in the house;
(xvi) shall not display flags, emblems or any exhibits in the house;
(xvii) shall not leave the house immediately after delivering his speech;
(xviii) shall not distribute within the precincts of the parliament house any literature, questionnaire, pamphlets, press notes, leaflets, etc. not connected with the business of the house;
(xix) shall not place his hat/cap on the desk in the house, bring boards in the chamber for keeping files or for writing purposes, smoke or enter the house with his coat hanging on the arms;
(xx) shall not carry walking stick into the house unless permitted by the speaker on health grounds;
(xxi) shall not tear off documents in the house in protest;
(xxii) shall not bring or play cassette or tape recorder in the house; and
(xxiii) shall avoid talking or laughing in lobby loud enough to be heard in the house.
Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) The Gujarat government Thursday evening denied any existence of plague in the south Gujarat city of Surat.
Following the news of two deaths due to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the last two days in Surat, rumours of plague spread across the state, forcing Chief Minister Narendra Modi to rush to Surat early Thursday morning.
He held urgent meeting with officials of health department there.
The officials maintained that the spread of epidemic and existence of plague in Surat were nothing but rumours.
Meanwhile, the administration has been put on alert following the deaths caused by suspected HPS.
According to the head of the preventive social medicine department Vikas Desai, that the tests did not reveal any plague symptoms.
Desai said the report of the serum and blood samples sent to the New Delhi based National Institute of Communicable Diseases was awaited.
After the weeklong deluge, people began fleeing the city in large numbers fearing epidemics. Memories of the 1994 plague continue to haunt the people of Surat and not too many are ready to take any chances.
Meanwhile, the rains and flooding in Gujarat have also led to an outbreak of chikungunya across the state, especially in the capital.
Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever caused by bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
By Thursday evening, 5,755 cases of the diseases were reported in the government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation hospitals and dispensaries, said an official.
There was, however, no count of cases that might have reported in private hospitals in the city.
According to the city municipal commissioner I.P. Gautam, 43 urban health centres were assigned the task of distributing chikungunya medicines.
Islamabad, Aug 25 (IANS) The Pakistan National Assembly is likely to take up the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion Aug 29, allowing for a discussion on the issues that are being furiously debated outside.
Only the second motion against a government in Pakistan's parliamentary history, this one against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's government is unlikely to go through for want of numbers, media reports have indicated.
Aziz and ruling coalition partners, who enjoy a comfortable majority in the house, completed consultations and drew up a strategy to thwart the combined opposition's motion, the Dawn reported.
However, there is little doubt that the real target is not Aziz but President Pervez Musharraf, the military strongman whom the opposition wants to corner, say observers.
The first no-trust move was against the Benazir Bhutto government in 1979. It was defeated.
Four members from the opposition would speak on the motion while the prime minister would use his right of defence before a division on the motion.
Playing down any significant political impact of the opposition's motion, Aziz Thursday vowed to defend himself in the house when allegations levelled against him would be debated.
He said: "If you go through the 500-page chargesheet, you will find nothing new as it contains all the old charges."
"In a political democratic system moving and defending of no-trust motions was not a strange thing, and the onus of proving the majority is always on the opposition which challenges the government."
The HRD ministry was wrong, in the first place, to issue a directive that all students must sing Vande Mataram on September 7 to commemorate 100 years of India’s national song. Wearing one’s patriotism on one’s sleeve, and introducing compulsory rituals in its name, serve little purpose.
When Arjun Singh later retracted to say that singing Vande Mataram on September 7 was voluntary, not compulsory, it wasn’t out of a newly discovered respect for liberal principles, but because of a counter-blast coming from Imam Syed Bukhari.
According to Bukhari, Indian Muslims ought to love the nation enough to lay down their lives for it, but it doesn’t follow that they should worship the nation, as Vande Mataram enjoins them to do.
Bukhari may reprise another oft-played tune – that of Muslim victimisation – and his claim to speak on behalf of all Indian Muslims may be questioned.
But shorn of that there is something in his objection to Vande Mataram that Muslims as well as non-Muslims can sympathise with.
Worshipping the nation is going to solve few contemporary problems – in fact a narrow view of national interests compounds many of today’s crises.
Twentieth century nationalism could be out of sync with the requirements of a globalised 21st century. Take greenhouse gases and other forms of environmental pollution which, by their very nature, transcend national boundaries.
Fixing them will require international agreements, but the US bucked the Kyoto Protocol regulating greenhouse gases. The result may be runaway climate change that will affect all countries, the US included.
Washington displays similar unilateral inclinations in the war against terror, leading to better coordination between terrorists than the democracies they attack. The WTO cannot take trade liberalisation forward due to domestic farmers’ lobbies in rich countries.
BPOs face similar obstacles. Asia is supposed to be resurgent, but different nationalisms are coming into conflict over Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi’s frequent visits to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, commemorating Japan’s war dead, never mind that they include some war criminals.
While Tokyo takes a hard line on North Korea, Beijing says that any declaration of independence by Taiwan’s parliament will trigger an invasion of that country.
If conflict breaks out on any of these fronts Asia’s resurgence would be over – although the hopeful thing is that the economies of China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are so interdependent as to preclude conflict.
Such interdependence looks threatening to many in India, who evoke an unreflective and overly emotional nationalism as a charm to ward it off.
If we are moved by them India will fail to capitalise on the manifold opportunities that globalisation offers, while its destabilising effects will still be with us.
From India
Source: © Times of India - Pritish Nandy
By Lola Nayar,
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) State-owned power major NTPC is seeking to import 1.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through spot cargoes for bridging the current shortfall in fuel supplies in its seven gas-based power plants.
"We are seeking to import LNG for immediate use. We are on the look-out for more than one spot cargo," NTPC chairman and managing director T. Sankarlingam told IANS.
"Our LNG requirement is of 1.5 million tonnes. So far we have not finalised any spot cargo," the official said, declining to give detail of countries it is in talks with for sourcing gas.
Earlier this year, NTPC (National Thermal Power Corp) had sent a delegation to Nigeria for sourcing gas supplies for its power plants. The company has also been scouting for equity participation in gas blocks overseas to secure its fuel requirements.
Price of gas has remained a major concern for the company, rated as the sixth largest thermal power generator in the world. NTPC operates 21 power plants on its own with an installed generation capacity of 25,140 MW of which seven with 3,955 MW installed capacity are gas based.
In addition, NTPC has stakes in four joint venture projects including Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd, formerly known as Dabhol power project.
Shortfall of gas supplies has hit NTPC's operations in several plants. In 2005-06 (April-March), NTPC secured about 11 million standard cubic metres of gas per day (mscmd) against a requirement of 17.5 mscmd for its seven gas-based plants.
According to power ministry, India saw 8.0 billion units (BU) generation loss in gas based power stations during April-July 2006, though these stations are capable of operating at 90 percent plant load factor.
Though an LNG cargo of three trillion British thermal unit or equivalent of 80 mscm of natural gas at $7.5-$9.3 delivered price is much higher than long-term contracts, NTPC is keen to clinch gas supplies to increase the efficiency of its power plants.
In addition, it is still to have firm commitments for gas supplies to re-commission the 2,100-MW Ratnagiri power plant, which is estimated to require around 1.1 million tonnes of gas for operation of its two units totalling 1,400 MW.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 25 (IANS) The Orissa government has ordered administrations of all 30 districts to collect Pepsi and Coca-Cola soft drink samples within the next three days.
The officials were Thursday asked to send the samples to the state capital Bhubaneswar, said a senior health department official.
These would then be sent to a laboratory in Pune, Maharashtra, as the state government does not have testing facilities to confirm the presence of pesticides. If the tests prove conclusively that the drinks contain harmful pesticides, the state government may ban products from the two soft drink giants.
The New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had recently announced that dangerous levels of pesticide were found in all the samples of the 11 soft drinks brands collected from 25 different manufacturing units of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spread over 12 states.
As a result, several states in India, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, recently banned colas in schools, colleges and government departments.
Orissa government has been under pressure from different social groups for not taking adequate steps to test the drinks.
Kathua (Jammu), Aug 25 (IANS) Petrol pumps are to come up all over Jammu and Kashmir with family members of policemen who died fighting separatists getting employment in them.
Around 5,000 security personnel have lost their lives in the 16 years of militancy in the state. Among them almost a thousand are from Jammu and Kashmir Police, a Muslim-majority force.
The state has a provision to give government jobs to one of the family members of slain police personnel.
"But the government is unable to adjust everyone under this provision due to reasons like age and educational qualification," said Shesh Pal Vaid, inspector general of police, Jammu zone.
"But we can provide jobs to such people in petrol pumps," he added. Employees earn Rs.1,800-2,000 a month.
At one such pump in Kathua town, 100 km south of Jammu, all the employees are orphans or close relatives of policemen killed in action.
"This is a big help for my family and me," said Jagdish Kumar, 20, who lost his father fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir four years ago. There are 12 such employees here.
The police used to raise funds for welfare schemes through fairs earlier. It has to spend over Rs.2.5 million approximately on such families annually.
The petrol pump at Kathua makes a profit of about Rs.50,000 a month. The police are naturally happy.
"We can also think of other welfare measures like the education of the dead policemen or contributing to the marriages of their daughters or even helping to get the kin self-employment schemes," Vaid said.
The state-owned Bharat Petroleum has already set up petrol pumps for the police and is willing to do more.
Vaid said the Kathua pump was doing better business compared to other stations "because we are committed to give the purest form of fuel to customers".
Customers agree. Said Subhash Chander Gupta, a property dealer: "My scooter now gives better mileage after I started buying fuel from this pump."
Bangalore, Aug 25 (IANS) The commerce ministry has empowered commodity boards to hire more experts and scientists to improve the productivity and quality of coffee, tea, spices and rubber plantations.
"The statutory commodity boards have been delegated powers to restructure their manpower profile. With rejuvenation of the age-old coffee, tea, spices and rubber plantations becoming a top priority to enhance productivity and improve quality, there is an urgent need to increase the technical staff with more scientists and technocrats," said central Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh here Friday.
After reviewing the functioning of the boards here, Ramesh told reporters the boards have been directed to work with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on special projects to fight the menace of pests like white stem borer in coffee plants and chikangunia in tea plants and other diseases affecting pepper and rubber plants.
To boost domestic consumption of coffee, tea and spices, the boards have been asked to devise special promos by involving growers, producers and other intermediaries. In the case of coffee, the Coffee Board is expected to roll out a special programme based on the recommendations of Carlos Brando, a Brazilian expert, to boost domestic consumption.
"Over the last six-eight years, the domestic consumption of coffee has shot up to 80,000 tonnes per year from a stagnant 55,000 tonnes even without the intervention of the Coffee Board and other state agencies, thanks to the proliferation of coffee cafes like Barista, vending machines and increasing consumerism," Ramesh pointed out.
The Coffee Board has decided to double the domestic consumption to 160,000 tonnes per annum in the 11th plan period (2007-12).
To step up tea exports, the ministry has decided to target new markets such as Pakistan, Iran and Egypt and devise new strategies to increase the share of Indian teas in the traditional markets like Russia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Britain.
Bangalore, Aug 25 (IANS) The central government will come out soon with a special price stabilisation trust fund (PSTF) to insulate small plantation growers from price fluctuations in the domestic and export markets, central Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here Friday.
"A special financial package has been finalised by the commerce ministry. It will be put up for cabinet approval next month and the details of the fund will be announced in the next 45 days," he told reporters here.
Unlike the previous fund, which was a non-starter, the proposed fund is intended to provide financial assistance of Rs.5,000 a year to each small grower of tea, coffee and spices (pepper and cardamom) to neutralise the impact of crash in prices in the domestic or export markets.
The earlier fund of 2003 failed to take off as the limit of Rs.1,000 per grower had no takers as it did not factor the long-term impact of price volatility in the auction or export trade.
"In addition to the PSTF, we are also considering an insurance package to address the cyclical price fluctuations in the long-term. A four-member expert committee has been set up to make recommendations for stabilising the income of the plantation economy, with an effective insurance package for small and medium growers of coffee, tea and spices," Ramesh said.
The committee is headed by former finance secretary Vijay Kelkar and consists of former insurance regulatory and development authority (IRDA) chairman N. Rangachari, Bharat Ramaswamy of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), New Delhi, and Subashis Gangopadhyaya of the CII (confederation of Indian industry).
The committee has been directed to submit the report to the ministry by November. Its terms of reference are wide enough to evaluate the socio-economic aspects of the plantation sector and find a viable solution to smoothen price fluctuation.
Ramesh, who reviewed the functioning of the plantation sector with the heads of coffee, spices and rubber boards here, said special financial packages were being worked out for the re-plantation of ageing plantations on the lines of the special purpose tea fund (SPTF).
"We have earmarked Rs.47 billion for re-plantation of tea plants in 40,000 hectares over a 15-year period. The ministry will provide an initial capital of Rs.1 billion. About 50 percent of the funds will be raised from banks and financial institutions and the balance from corporates and growers," the minister said.
"We are targeting about 90,000 hectares of coffee plants in seven years, 50,000 hectares of pepper plants in five years and 50,000 hectares of rubber plants in seven years for re-plantation. The game plan is to become competitive in terms of production and variety in the export markets, where Kenya, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Guatemala are calling the shots," Ramesh said.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice Friday as agitated Samajwadi Party (SP) members sought to raise the issue of three Muslim policemen in Maharashtra being asked to shave off their beards.
The trouble began during zero hour as a Samajwadi Party MP got up waving copies of a media report that the police chief of Beed district in Maharashtra had told three policemen that they could not keep the beard without their superiors' permission.
Congress members countered by waving the latest issue of the newsmagazine Tehelka in which former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah alleged it was at the instance of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L.K. Advani that dreaded terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar was released for the passengers of an Indian Airlines jet hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999.
As MPs from both sides continued raising slogans, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat adjourned the house till 12.30 p.m. When the tumult continued even after that, the house was again adjourned till 2 p.m.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The 208th session of the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die Friday with Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thanking members for the serious, purposeful and effective conduct of business "despite turbulence".
"We can look back with satisfaction at the business transacted despite turbulence," Mannohan Singh said in his address to the final sitting of the session.
He also urged members "to explore ways and means to improve the process of governance, including the parliamentary system", saying: "Parliament should find ways and means of improving its functioning."
Noting that 16 important bills had been passed during the session, Manmohan Singh complemented Shekhawat for the "outstanding functioning" of the house. The prime minister also greeted the chairman in advance for his 83rd birthday October 23.
Shekhawat had completed four years as Rajya Sabha presiding officer Aug 19 and question hour had been suspended for the day, with member after member fondly recollecting how he had managed to maintain order under the most trying circumstances.
Noting that the house had discussed a variety of issues ranging from economics, to politics, to terrorism, to law and order, Manmohan Singh singled out the debates on the India-US nuclear deal and on the Office of Profit Bill for the "high quality of deliberations" they had evoked.
Shekhawat also referred to these two debates, saying that "serious and purposeful discussion in the house not only brings out transparency of actions but goes to build up public confidence and credibility in the system of governance".
Noting that several wide-ranging issues were discussed and debated, in addition to which about 100 special mentions were made by members, Shekhawat added: "Much more could have been accomplished but for the lost opportunity due to occasional discords and disturbances.
"The lesson for us is to build a shared ethos of transacting business as per rules without disturbance, and for this we need a mechanism whereby pro-actively engage ourselves in dialogue and discussion to speedily resolve any differences or conflict that may arise on any sensitive issue," the chairman added.
Friday's sitting, however, ended on a not too happy note with the house being adjourned four times with Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress members raising slogans on diametrically opposite issues.
The trouble began during zero hour when Abu Asim Azmi (SP) sought to raise the issue of three Muslim policemen in Maharashtra being asked to shave off their beards, even as other party members vociferously supported him.
Azmi waved copies of a media report saying the police chief of Beed district in Maharashtra had told the policemen they could not keep their beards without their superiors' permission.
Congress members had their own issue.
Led by Rajeev Shukla, they waved the latest issue of the newsmagazine Tehelka in which former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah alleged it was at the instance of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L.K. Advani that Maulana Masood Azhar, who later formed the Jaish-e-Muhammad militant group, was released in exchange of the passengers of an Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999.
As MPs from both sides continued to raise slogans, Shekhawat adjourned the house till 12.30 p.m. When the tumult continued even after that, the house was again adjourned till 2 p.m.
When the house reassembled, presiding officer adjourned the proceedings till 2.30 p.m. Shekhawat thereafter took the chair and called for the introduction of private members' bills that had been listed. Five bills were tabled even as the slogan shouting from both sides continued. The chairman then adjourned the house till 5 p.m.
When the house re-assembled, he read out his close-of-session speech and then called on the prime to address the house.
In the process, a short-duration discussion on the report of the Justice R.S. Pathak Inquiry Authority into the involvement of former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh in Iraq's oil-for-food scam along with the government's Action Taken Report could not be taken up.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Matale (Sri Lanka), Aug 25 (IANS) Pakistan edged out India 3-2 in the hockey final to win the gold while Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh for the bronze medal in the South Asian Games here Friday.
Imran Warsi converted two penalty corners, in the 37th and 42nd minute, after Shabir Khan had given Pakistan a 1-0 lead as early as the sixth minute of the match played at refurbished Nandamithra Ekanayake Stadium here, 90 miles from Colombo.
For India, Sardara Singh (35th) and Vikram Kanth (56th) scored the goals.
In the third fourth places match, T.M.P.P. Abeyrathna (8th minute) and M.M. Gazzaly (54th) scored the goals for the Sri Lankans.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday ruled out a mid-term poll, dismissing rumours that the ruling party wanted to go for an election in the wake of a survey suggesting rising support for it.
"I don't believe in opinion polls and surveys. I don't take them seriously", she told reporters in parliament house when asked about the speculation over a snap poll.
A survey, conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies for the Hindu newspaper and CNN-IBN television channel, had said the Congress party alone could win 240 seats if elections were to be held now.
The Congress won 146 seats in the 2004 general elections, while the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had won 222 seats.
The poll said the UPA coalition could win 306 seats. The next general election is scheduled in 2009.
Ahmedabad, Aug 25 (IANS) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Thursday directed the central government to clarify guidelines on promotion of officials and comment on a method adopted in the case of senior cop R.B. Sreekumar, who has complained of being sidelined by the Gujarat government.
The CAT bench, comprising judges A.S. Singhvi and Shankar Prasad, during the course of hearing, directed the central government to interpret the promotion guidelines, particularly on the 'seal cover' method employed by the Gujarat government in the case of Sreekumar.
Sreekumar, additional director general of police (reforms), approached CAT last year filing a complaint against the state government for sidelining him and for superseding him in promotion after he "refused to toe" the government line while deposing before a panel investigating Gujarat's communal violence of 2002.
He challenged the seal cover method adopted in his case by the state government citing a criminal case pending against him. Sreekumar has argued that no criminal charge or prosecution was pending against him.
Kolkata, Aug 25 (IANS) Tata Motors has set up a new subsidiary for its vehicle financing operations, a company official said Friday.
The new entity, TML Financial Services Ltd. (TMLFSL), is a 100 percent subsidiary and will function as an NBFC (Non Banking Finance Company), for which it has received the necessary approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
TMLFSL will support and enhance the vehicle financing activities of Tata Motorfinance.
The overall vehicle financing done by Tata Motors' auto financing arm in 2005-06 was about Rs.55 billion, a 60 percent increase over Rs.34 billion the previous fiscal.
In 2005-06, Tata Motorfinance accounted for 23.8 percent of Tata Motors domestic sales.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) A discussion over "derogatory" remarks against Hindu deities in some college textbooks snowballed into an uproar in the Lok Sabha Friday after an opposition MP made certain comments about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had to stop the discussion - on a calling attention motion on the use of derogatory and insulting language about Hindu deities in the textbooks of post graduation course of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) - abruptly after the pandemonium led to mayhem and adjournment of proceedings twice.
Chatterjee condemned the remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Neeta Pateria against Gandhi after the ruling and opposition MPs indulged in heated exchanges.
Moving the motion, BJP deputy leader V.K. Malhotra accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of allowing "derogatory and insulting" comments on Hindu deities in the textbooks.
In his reply, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh admitted that some objectionable portions came to the notice of the government in the study materials for the M.A students of IGNOU. However, he clarified the university would edit and amend such portions but the BJP MPs continued their attack on the government.
Arjun Singh said an expert committee had been set up to review the entire course and make suggestions and modifications. "It has also decided to discontinue the course for future candidates till it is reviewed and finalised by the committee," Singh said.
Alleging there had been a consistent attempt to malign the Hindu gods, Malhotra said there were many "derogatory references and remarks against Hindu gods and goddesses in many other text books."
But Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee charged the BJP with "distorting" scriptures.
Despite Chatterjee's repeated pleas not to offend any one, Pateria persisted in her criticism of Gandhi, the Italian widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, and accused her of being "ignorant of Indian civilisation and culture".
This provoked the Congress MPs and ministers who were on their legs to protest the attack on their leader.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Around 200 tribals demanding an amendment in the Forest Bill-2005 called off their strike here Friday, promising to return when parliament meets in winter.
The tribals from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa were protesting against the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, at Jantar Mantar, in the heart of the city since Aug 21.
"We have called off our strike but we will return in November. Scores of leaders from across the political spectrum have expressed solidarity with us," Shankar Gopalkrishnan, general secretary of the campaign, said.
The tribals are demanding a transparent system to award forest rights to inhabitants; amendment in the cut-off date to get habitation rights; change in law that calls for mass displacement of tribals; and inclusion of non-tribal residents as stakeholders of forests.
On the last day of the protest, senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan, activist Aruna Roy, and former scheduled caste/scheduled tribes commissioner B.D. Sharma addressed the tribals.
Tens of thousands of tribals will come to New Delhi on the first day of the winter session of parliament with one demand - 'Karo Ya Maro' (do or die), a protester said.
By Sujit Chakraborty,
Agartala, Aug 25 (IANS) Tripura's fledgling tea industry is on a comeback trail with tribal insurgency on the wane after it took a heavy toll on the northeastern state's economic growth.
The tea industry suffered heavily from two decades of violence during which period gunmen killed two senior planters and shot dead a dozen garden executives besides routinely extorting money from the 60 plantations in Tripura.
"Better security measures have prevented the tribal militants from creating violence in and around tea gardens. The industry's prospects look definitely bright," Industry and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said.
Tripura, which borders Bangladesh, produces about 7.5 million kg of tea annually with an area of 6,430 hectares under tea cultivation.
About 13,500 people are directly employed in the 60 gardens, with another 3,000 people growing tea on a small scale but contributing immensely to the growth of the state's overall economy.
"There is considerable scope to increase the area under plantation and boost production," industry and commerce director Abheshek Chandra told IANS.
Tripura is the fifth largest among 14 tea producing states after Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
To further help the tea industry, the Tripura government, in collaboration with the Tea Board, is soon expected to prepare an action plan by undertaking a technometric survey.
Tea Board chairman Basudev Banerjee would formalise the action plan when he visits Tripura next month.
"Irrigational facilities would be provided to the tea gardens to increase production," Chandra said.
The Tea Association of India (TAI), the apex body, has also formulated plans to boost tea output in the state.
"Unlike in other places uprooting and replanting are not advisable in Tripura as 70 percent of the plantation areas are in the hills. Rejuvenation and pruning should be introduced here like in Darjeeling and South India," said P.K. Sarkar, secretary of the Tripura chapter of TAI.
There were also plans to focus on research activities so that garden managements could improve the quality and boost production.
"We are taking steps to improve the quality and also the packaging part so as to compete in the market," Chandra said.
Planters in the state have asked the government to provide transport subsidy for carrying the beverage from remote gardens.
"Transporting tea is very expensive due to the remoteness of the region and the isolated location of many gardens. We want restoration of the transport subsidy in the tea sector that was discontinued in 1998," said Santi Pada Chakraborty, a senior planter.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Colombo, Aug 25 (IANS) The exhilarating game of tug of war should be brought back into the Olympics fold, feels an Indian official who is striving to spread the sport among South Asian countries.
Gautam Kaul, president of South Asian Tug-of-War Federation (SATWF), is busy trying to raise the membership of the Tug-of-war International Federation (TWIF) so that it can eventually apply for being included as an Olympics event.
Tug of war, or tug o' war, is a simple sport in which two eight-member teams pull at a thick rope in opposite directions. Whichever team manages to yank the rope with brute strength across the designated mark wins.
It was scrapped from the Olympics Games as the International Olympic Council (IOA) felt it was "too European a game" and wanted other nations to embrace it.
It was last held in the Olympics in 1920 when Great Britain was declared champion.
"We hope that some day tug-of-war will return to the Olympic fold," Gautam Kaul told IANS. He is using the South Asian Games here to make the game popular.
His immediate aim is to have the seven South Asian countries embrace the simple sport in a big way and become members of the world governing body. Pakistan is already a TWIF member.
"TWIF currently has 38 member countries. The IOC has said that TWIF can apply for inclusion of the sport in the Olympics Games once it has 50 members," said Kaul, formerly director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Kaul, who has also served the Delhi Police, is grateful to the South Asian Games organisers for allowing SATWF to include tug of war as a demonstration sport. He hopes this will help in popularising the sport among the participating nations.
There are already encouraging signs in India as well as South Asia.
Bhutan recently placed an order for 541 ropes for its villages. But due to lack of funds, SATWF was prevented from sending the consignment to Bhutan.
"We have no money. So we even wrote to India's foreign ministry for subsidy on the ropes that were to be sent to Bhutan, but have got no response," rued Kaul.
Spreading the sport in the Maldives is posing a challenge for SATWF due to lack of funds and travel cost from India.
"We are meeting Maldives officials here to see if we can revive the connection," said Kaul.
The Madhya Pradesh government in India had earmarked Rs.10 million for tug of war and asked the village councils to take up the sport.
"Interestingly, the state government said local police stations would distribute the money. Now, even the Rajasthan government is taking steps to popularise the sport," Kaul said.
"But first we have to start playing it in schools and colleges."
Guwahati, Aug 25 (IANS) The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has rejected New Delhi's precondition that the outfit name its members for direct peace talks with the government before its five jailed leaders are released.
"There is nothing to say about the fresh conditions imposed by the government," ULFA chairperson Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a statement released by a rebel mediator.
The People's Consultative Group (PCG), an 11-member team of civil society leaders nominated by the ULFA to begin exploratory talks with the government, is meeting over the weekend to break the impasse and help jumpstart the peace talks.
"The ULFA has rejected the new conditions set by the government and so we are meeting shortly to decide on our future course of action," Lachit Bordoloi, a rights leader and a PCG member, told IANS.
Government peace emissaries during talks Wednesday with two PCG members in New Delhi said the five jailed rebels would be released the moment the authorities received a formal communication from the outfit stating it was ready for direct talks, name the outfit's negotiating team members, and specify a timeframe for the dialogue.
The government also announced extension of suspension of military operations against the ULFA by another 15 days to facilitate direct peace talks.
The ULFA, however, stuck to decisions taken at a meeting between the PCG and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil in New Delhi June 22. In the June 22 meeting, the two sides called for restraint with the home minister announcing that the government could consider the release of five jailed ULFA leaders to the pave the way for direct talks with the rebel leadership.
"We would be able to take further steps on the issue (holding direct talks) only after the decisions taken at the June 22 meeting was implemented by the government," Rajkhowa said.
The main issue now blocking the start of formal face-to-face talks between the ULFA and Indian government negotiators is the rebels' demand for release of five of their jailed leaders. The ULFA maintains that the outfit was not in a position to take a decision without their five central committee leaders who are currently in jail and hence insisting on their release.
The Indian government on the other hand is apprehensive that the ULFA might depute the five jailed leaders for the direct talks instead of the top rebel leaders like Rajkhowa or Commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah participating in the negotiations.
"Talks would be productive if the ULFA top brass come for talks instead of the second rung leaders (jailed ULFA leaders) and hence we want to know for sure before releasing the jailed leaders the names of those willing to participate in the talks," a home ministry official said requesting anonymity.
San Francisco, Aug 25 (ZEENEWS.COM) The army has opened a re-examination of casualty reports on American soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere since 2001, a response to complaints that it has not always given families accurate information.
The review covers hundreds of casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom - the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, two senior military officials said. It also includes American soldiers killed in neighbouring countries in support of the two operations.
In coming weeks, the army will issue a directive formalizing the review, according to two military officials. One spoke yesterday on condition of anonymity because officers at the highest levels of the army are still making minor changes. The other described the initiative in memos obtained by a news agency.
The step follows high-profile mistakes in informing families of the circumstances of soldiers' deaths.
The best-known is that of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the one-time American football star who quit football to join the US Army Rangers and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004.
Tillman's family was originally told he had been killed by enemy fire. Five weeks later, Tillman's family learned the truth: he was shot dead by fellow rangers after an ambush.
Two months after Tillman died, Lt. Andre Tyson and Spc. Patrick McCaffrey, two California national guardsmen, were murdered by the Iraqi civil-defence soldiers whom they were training.
Washington, Aug 25 (DPA) The US State Department has opened an investigation into Israel's use of US-made cluster bombs in Lebanon and whether it violated pacts Israel had made with America, a newspaper report said Friday.
"We have heard the allegations that these munitions were used, and we are seeking more information," department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told The New York Times without giving further comment.
Israel made secret agreements with the US in return for being sold the weapons, which spray bomblets over wide areas. News reports over the years have said that in the pacts, which began with the cluster-bomb sales to Israel in 1976, Israel agreed to only use the munitions against organised Arab armies and clearly defined military targets.
The State Department inquiry began this week after it received reports from the UN and non-governmental organisations that the munitions were found in "many areas" of southern Lebanon and had been responsible for civilian casualties, the Times said in its report, which also cited unnamed government officials.
Current and former officials told the Times that they believed the inquiry would not lead to sanctions against Israel but was a way for President George Bush's administration to deflect criticism of its support for Israel's military operations.
It was not the first time that such accusations have been levelled against Israel. An investigation by the US Congress found it guilty of using cluster bombs in civilian areas in its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. In response, Washington halted cluster-bomb sales to Israel for six months.
New York, Aug 25 (IANS) The United States Department of Commerce is organising a business development mission to India in November-December to be led by Undersecretary for International Trade Franklin L. Lavin.
Targeted at helping US companies and individuals establish sales and business contacts in India, the mission will be coordinated by the US Commercial Service in the US and India, according to a report on US government website www.export.gov.
Presenting the forthcoming mission to India as a chance for American companies to develop or to hone their existing strategy to tap the booming Indian market, the report said India, the world's fastest growing free-market democracy, offers lucrative opportunities for all types of businesses.
In 2005, US merchandise exports to India were almost $8 billion, double that of 2002.
In the course of the mission, delegates will also participate in the Mumbai Business Summit to be held on Nov 29-30. Participants in that event will have access to India's high-level business, industry and government representatives and opportunities to gain insights into the country's trade and investment climate during strategic breakout sessions.
After the summit, the delegates will join one of six spin-off business matchmaking missions to Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, or New Delhi on Dec 4-5. This leg will be aimed at helping delegates get serious about doing business in India.
Delegates who attend the Mumbai Business Summit and participate in one of the six spin-off missions may also request a day of business appointments in Mumbai on Dec 1 before proceeding to the spin-off missions.
The US Commercial Service will arrange market briefings, networking receptions, and business appointments with prospective agents, distributors, partners, and end-users for each US company.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The US and German companies have made investment proposals worth about Rs.100 billion in a special economic zone (SEZ) for manufacturing renewable energy devices and systems, Minister for Non-Conventional Energy Sources Vilas Muttemwar said here Friday.
"By month end we will identify the location for setting up the SEZ for manufacture of devices and systems for non-conventional energy projects based on various logistics issues like ports and roads," said Muttemwar at a meet organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).
"We are studying locations in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and have had talks with the chief ministers of the five states. All of them have assured logistic and other infrastructure support for the proposed SEZ," the minister said.
To cover 1,000 hectares the proposed SEZ has already attracted keen interest from the overseas.
Muttemwar assured that the MNES would shortly finalise the new bio fuel policy.
Stressing the need for a different approach to motivate independent power producers and investors to park their funds in the Indian renewable energy sector, the minister said the government would soon put into place a more appropriate fiscal regime to entice investors.
At present the government offers 80 percent accelerated depreciation in the first year as an incentive making investments in the sector very attractive for profit making companies.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) United Technologies Corporation (UTC), a $43 billion company manufacturing air-conditioners, jet engines, elevators, aircraft systems, helicopters and fire and security systems, says it is keenly looking at increasing its business in India.
Louis R. Chenevert, president and COO of the company that makes Otis elevators and Carrier air-conditioners, said at an interactive session organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here Friday: "We see a lot of opportunity in India and look forward to growing with you. A little over a quarter of our Indian revenues were from exported sales to the US and a majority of the Indian revenue was generated from in-country sales."
He emphasised that UTC's Asia revenues were $8 billion in 2005, and over $300 million, about four percent of the total revenue of Asia, was from India. "And with India's strong growth in the foreseeable future, I can see Otis has a bright future in India."
According to the company, Otis elevators and Carrier air-conditioners were the biggest contributors to the UTC's Indian revenues.
Chenevert pointed out, "The refrigeration segment is projected to grow 17 percent annually from $80 million in 2005 to $180 million in 2010. This growth represents a great opportunity for Carrier in India."
The fire and security market in India is valued at approximately $345 million and the projected growth rate for the security segment is 30 percent, a FICCI release said.
Lucknow, Aug 25 (IANS) Former prime minister V.P. Singh said he would not be deterred in his "mission" to ensure that Uttar Pradesh farmers affected by a mega Anil Ambani power project in the state get their dues.
A multiplex mall being built by the former prime minister's son, Ajeya Singh, in their hometown of Allahabad was Thursday ransacked allegedly by ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) activists.
The former prime minister has aroused the ire of the SP over his tirade against the state government's acquisition of a massive chunk of land for the proposed mega gas-based power project at Dadri by Reliance Energy, owned by industrialist Anil Ambani.
Singh has been demanding higher compensation for the farmers whose land was acquired for the project on the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border. He has accused Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav of "sacrificing the interests of the farmer for the sake of an industrialist".
He has also charged Yadav of getting land for Ambani far disproportionate to the requirement of the proposed plant.
The SP workers had stormed the multiplex, broken into the McDonald's restaurant and ransacked the place while raising anti-V.P. Singh slogans. The policemen present at the spot apparently did not do anything to stop them, Singh's men have alleged.
Asked to comment on the destruction by the SP workers, Singh replied: "All I would like to say is that I have nothing to do with the project that is owned by my son. However, let me tell you that such tactics would not affect my mission of getting the farmers their due in Dadri," he told mediapersons late Thursday.
The former prime minister is in Lucknow to address a meeting of his recently formed Jan Morcha and announce his decision to lead a 49-day march from Deoria to Dadri.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Indian government Friday asserted that an alleged conversation purported to be between Minister of State for Home Manik Rao Gavit and a criminal in Bulandshahar jail in Uttar Pradesh never took place and the voice played out on a television channel was not that of the minister.
Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and detailed forensic tests on the tapes showed that the voice did not tally with the minister's.
"The voices of the tapes were examined on audio spectrography by experts who have opined that they do not tally and are not of the same person. The expert report is authenticated and laid on the table of the house," said Patil.
About a fortnight back, a television channel aired an alleged conversation said to be between Gavit and jailed outlaw Sundar Singh Bhati on the latter's mobile telephone during which the minister sought his help in settling a land case involving his son-in-law.
The channel claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police had taped the conversation.
In the tape, the so-called Gavit promised Bhati that the appointment of a jail superintendent by the state government would be stalled.
However, the minister, who represents Nandurbar constituency of Maharashtra, has flatly denied having any conversation with the outlaw. He claimed the voice attributed to him in the tape was not his. He also said that he had never spoken to the alleged outlaw.
The CBI, asked to inquire into the matter, collected the tapes from the channel and recorded Gavit on tape in the presence of independent witnesses and experts.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Saying that the US is planning to expand its visa operations in India in view of spiralling demand, the US Friday clarified that there was no religious discrimination against Muslims while granting visas.
"We do not have special procedures or special rules for Muslims. Visas are refused in a majority of cases because applicants are not able to convince the authorities that they would come back to their country," Peter G. Kaestner, consul general at the US embassy, said.
"We are not targeting Muslims. We don't have differential refusal rules for Muslims. We treat Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or people professing any religion in the same manner," Kaestner, who took charge of the US visa department here recently, said.
He added that post 9/11, there was a worldwide decline in the number of visa applications, and in India also the number of people applying for the US visas had declined by 100,000. But, he stressed, since 2003 the demand for US visas has been steadily increasing.
"Fewer Muslims are getting visas after 9/11, but the reason for that is fewer people of all types, regardless of their religion, including Muslims, are applying for visas," Kaestner said when he was asked whether there was a decline in the number of visas granted to Muslims after the 9/11 attacks in Washington and New York.
In fiscal year 2003, the US embassy issued 277,000 non-immigrant visas and in 2004 305,000 such visas. "Last year, we gave 30,000 immigrant visas," Kaestner, who first came to India as a visa official in the eighties, said.
To cope up with the growing demand, the US plans to open a new consulate general building in Mumbai and another in Hyderabad. The new consulate general building in Mumbai costing $100 million is expected to be operational by 2008.
There is also an ambitious renovation plan for the consulate section in New Delhi and a proposal to introduce 10 new interviewing windows. Likewise, in Kolkata and Chennai new facilities will be introduced in the visa office, Kaestner said.
The refusal rate for US visas has dropped for the past five years, he said, while underlining that he would encourage more and more Indian students to apply for visas as studying in the US would help build strong bridges of friendship between the two countries.
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) The Wall Street Journal Friday said its branded pages on news and information will be published in the new business newspaper of the Hindustan Times group that is being launched in India soon.
Under the pact with India's HT Media, the new business paper of the Hindustan Times group will contain news and information from the Journal, The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com and Marketwatch.com, a statement issued here said.
"This new agreement will offer leading global news resources from Dow Jones on an exclusive basis for Indian readers," the statement added.
"This unique content partnership between HT Media and The Wall Street Journal emphasizes our desire to offer a business newspaper to Indian readers at a time when India has become a global player in myriad industries."
HT Media recently disclosed plans to launch its national business newspaper in India, written and edited for global Indian business readers and international business travellers.
Raju Narisetti who, until June, was a deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal in New York and editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe, will edit the new newspaper.
In India, HT Media publishes The Hindustan Times, which was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1924.
"To create a world-class business paper in India, we need the best global talent as well as compelling and relevant content," said Rajiv Verma, chief executive officer of HT Media.
"We are excited the Journal will soon offer Indian business readers, through the pages of HT Media's business newspaper and website, access to incomparable global business information that readers across the globe have come to expect," said L. Gordon Crovitz, executive vice president, Dow Jones and Company.
"India has emerged as a vibrant and expanding part of the global economy that we have sought better to serve with the right partner and we look forward to a role in helping spur those global connections between India and rest of the business world," Crovitz, who is also the publisher of the Journal, added.
The Wall Street Journal now publishes special editions as part of 39 newspapers in 41 countries in 10 different languages, serving a combined circulation of nearly 5.4 million, the statement said.