18 April 2007
Baghdad, April 18 (Xinhua) Ten people were killed and twelve others wounded in a car bomb explosion near a private hospital in central Baghdad Wednesday, an Interior Ministry source said.
"A car bomb ripped through a main road near the Abdul Majid private hospital in Karradah district, killing ten people and wounding twelve others," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
"A suicide bomber driving a explosive-borne car hit a police patrol around midday in Uwairij area in southern Baghdad, killing two policemen and wounding two others," the source said.
Two more civilians were wounded in the attack, he added.
In a separate incident, an explosive charge detonated inside KIA mini-van at the Amin intersection near the commercial area of Shorjah in central Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding five others, the source said.
In another incident earlier, US troops raided an area near the city of Fallujah Wednesday morning, killing five insurgents, injuring four and detaining 26 suspects, the US military said.
The US troops raided a group of buildings known to be used by "terrorists" in the rural area of Karmah and found explosive materials in one of the buildings, the military said in a statement.
According to the statement, a US helicopter gunship was called in and dropped precision-guided munitions to strike the contents of a building.
"During the operation, coalition forces were engaged by a group of armed men and returned fire in self-defence, killing five and wounding four," the statement said.
Violence persists in Baghdad despite the presence of tens of thousands of US and Iraqi soldiers across the capital in a major security crackdown aimed at curbing insurgency and sectarian violence in the war-torn country.
Baghdad, April 18 (Xinhua) At least 120 people were killed Wednesday in a string of violent incidents across Iraq, sources said.
Sources said that at least 90 people were killed and 110 injured when an explosives-laden truck went off at the Kifah Street near the Sadriyah neighborhood at about 4.15 p.m. (local time).
The Kifah Street is a busy commercial street with many shops inside.
In February, a truck bombing left at least 95 people killed and 200 wounded in the region.
A car bomb detonated in Mothafer Square in Sadr city east of Baghdad, killing at least 20 and injuring 30 others, the sources said.
A remote-controlled car bomb went off in Karada district central Baghdad, killing at least 10 Iraqis and wounding 10.
US troops raided an area near the city of Fallujah Wednesday morning, killing five insurgents, injuring four and detaining 26 suspects, the US military said.
The US troops raided a group of buildings known to be used by "terrorists" in the rural area of Karmah and found explosives in one of the buildings, the military said in a statement.
According to the statement, a US helicopter gunship was called in and dropped precision-guided munitions at specific targets in the building.
Insurgents frequently attack US and Iraqi forces in the western province of Anbar, which includes Fallujah and Ramadi, despite US-Iraqi military operations in the city to stamp out insurgency and hunting foreign fighters.
Tehran, April 18 (NNN-IRNA) -- The biggest International Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exhibition of the Middle East was inaugurated here at Tehran's International Fairground on Wednesday.
First Vice President Parviz Davoudi and Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 12th International Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Exhibition.
According to the Oil Ministry's Public Relations Department, some 797 domestic and 510 foreign companies from 35 countries are participating in the event.
The number of participants in the event indicates an increase of 15 foreign and seven domestic companies compared to the figures for the previous round.
Attracting foreign investments, introducing final products, increasing market share, studying marketing, identifying joint ventures and holding meetings with end consumers of products as well as current purchasers are among the most important objectives of the exhibition.
Four meetings dealing with privatization and Article 44 of the Constitution, optimization of fuel consumption, self-sufficiency and upgrading the quality of domestic-made goods as well as job-creation will be held during the exhibition.
The strategy of attracting foreign investments will be considered in each session.
Cairo, April 18 (DPA) At least 16 Egyptian secondary school students were killed when the truck carrying them to school in a Giza village collided with another truck, a security source said.
Eight students were injured.
Shenyang (China), April 18 (Xinhua) At least 32 workers were killed in China when a steel ladle used for pouring molten steel suddenly sheared off from the blast furnace, spilling its boiling content on employees.
Two others were injured in the accident in Tieling city in northeast China's Liaoning province, authorities said.
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) Good weather boosting their enthusiasm, about 52 percent of the electorate voted Wednesday in the third leg of staggered assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh - with balloting once again being peaceful and orderly.
Election Commission officials were beaming as they reported that there was not a single complaint of fraud in the 10-hour balloting in 57 constituencies spread across 10 districts, thanks in part to the deployment of 100,000 security forces including 65,000 men and women from the paramilitary.
"We have never seen elections like this. But we do have our fingers crossed," Chief Election Officer A.K. Bishnoi said, announcing that 52 percent of the over 15 million eligible to vote Wednesday had exercised their franchise.
"The best part is there was not even one complaint of wrongdoing," he pointed out.
Many see this round as a make-or-break test for Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party won 25 of the 57 seats in 2002.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came second and third respectively with 11 and nine seats.
Most seats in this round fall in the Rohilkhand region that has a large Muslim population. In Rampur, Moradabad and Bijnore districts, Muslims constitute as much as 40 percent of the population.
The Samajwadi Party, which traditionally has enjoyed the support of Muslims, is hoping to get the overwhelming backing of the community. But with pundits giving BSP solid points and a Congress rejuvenated by Rahul Gandhi's intense campaign, the chief minister has reasons to worry.
With the mercury dropping, voters turned out in large numbers during the day, unlike in the first two rounds of polling May 7 and 13 when a killer sun kept many voters indoors who may have otherwise exercised their franchise. High voting was seen in Rampur, Moradabad and Bijnore districts.
But there were some hiccups involving missing names from voters' list, but these were handled quickly - and in many cases to the satisfaction of those affected.
Among the 861 candidates in the fray was Mulayam Singh Yadav from Gunnaur in Budaun district. It is the second seat he is contesting after Bhartana in Etawah district, which went to the polls May 7.
Interestingly, the voting this time in Gunnaur, which the Samajwadi Party is determined to win and win by a whopping landslide, the voter turnout was around 55 percent - much less than the 90 percent recorded last time.
The 10 districts that saw polling also included Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Budaun, Barielly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad and Kannauj.
Prominent among key contenders in this round were Uttar Pradesh Congress president Salman Khurshid's wife Louise Khurshid, who is seeking re-election from Kaimganj in Farrukhabad, state urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan, as well as D.P. Yadav, father of Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. The senior Yadav himself faces several criminal charges.
But when the Khurshids turned up at their polling center in Farukhabad, they found their names missing from the voters' list. But a careful scrutiny of the Master Voters List where their names existed made officials admit the lapse.
The importance of this phase to the Congress could be gauged by the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flew down Sunday to address two rallies in pockets that were extremely crucial for the party.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, also addressed a series of meetings over the past three days. Besides his well-attended road shows, Rahul Gandhi left no stone unturned to woo Muslims.
Gandhi also paid obeisance at the popular shrine of Ala Hazrat in Bareilly.
Besides 114 micro-observers sent to the constituencies, the Election Commission has sent one additional observer for each district.
In addition, 10 police officers of the rank of inspector general and deputy inspector general were assigned special duties to oversee security arrangements.
Deputy Election Commissioner Jay P. Prakash hopped from one constituency to constituency in his helicopter.
Ultimately, the weather played a role.
Election officer Bishnoi attributed the improved polling percentage to a "sudden drop in the summer heat". Bishnoi told IANS: "To me it seems that the improved weather is brought out more voters today."
Geneva, April 18 (NNN-SANA) Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Faisal al-Miqdad stressed Tuesday Syria's stand by the different spectrums of the Iraqi people, condemning targeting the Iraqi civilians and their national institutions and what they are exposed to of terrorism and destruction.
He iterated that at the International Conference on Addressing the Humanitarian Needs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons inside Iraq and in Neighbouring Countries.
" Syria has always opened its heart and doors to her brothers and neighbours and honoured them," Al-Miqdad said.
"The Iraqi refugees problem, that the conference is discussing its causes and ways of handling and putting solutions to it, is no more than an aspect and a reflection to what Iraq is passing through of developments that catastrophically affected Iraq and its neighbours," he said.
Al-Miqdad urged the international community to back steps of the political reconciliation and work on the pull out of foreign troops from Iraq.
He said the international community should also contribute in rebuilding a unified Iraq as well as to help the Iraqi government and people to achieve security and stability to ensure proper circumstances for return of the refugees to their home.
The conference started deliberations at Geneva based-UN headquarters where the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for solving tragedy of the Iraqi displaced.
Ban highly appreciated Syria for opening her doors to the Iraqi refugees and ensured them all means of the respectable life.
Earlier, al-Miqdad met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres for talks on the internationally exerted efforts for treating the human tragedy of the Iraqi refugees.
Guterres thanked Syria for doing her best to ensure a good life to the incoming Iraqis."
Algiers, April 18 (NNN-APS) Algerian Foreign Minister Mohammed Bedjaoui and his Mozambican counterpart, Alcinda Antonio De Abreu have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations following talks here Monday.
In a statement issued after their meeting, they added that the discussions had also included exchanges on international issues of common interest between Algeria and Mozambique.
Antonio de Abreu, who described Algerian-Mozambican relations as historic relations, told the press that the signing of the joint statement represented a very important moment for their consolidation".
"We are sealing the reinforcement of co-operation between the two governments by expressing the friendship and solidarity between the two peoples," she said.
She added that this "will be achieved through the common fight against poverty as well as the improvement of living conditions of our two peoples for a better world".
Earlier, Minister for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel and Antonio de Abreu held a working session focused particularly on bilateral cooperation.
After this meeting, Messahel told APS that the two parties had agreed to bring together the Algerian-Mozambican Main Joint Committee by the end of this year to review the legal framework supervising bilateral co-operation.
The Main Joint Committee will also be based on some main lines of co-operation, especially in agriculture, health, training and energy, he said, stressing that a group of experts would go to Mozambique to prepare for the meeting of the Main Committee.
The working session was also an opportunity to deal with issues of common interest, notably the next African elections, the Accra summit, the issue of Europe-Africa relations and the next Lisbon Summit, he added.
"We have agreed,� he said, “that the participation of Zimbabwe, an integral part of Africa, is essential for partnership that we have with Europe" and other continents.
The Mozambican minister, who is on a three-day official visit in Algeria, at the invitation of Bedjaoui, said Sunday that her country intended to benefit from co-operation with Algeria in different domains of development.
She noted that through the beneficial support and assistance of Algeria, Mozambique at present enjoyed an 8.9 percent annual growth rate and was able to control inflation while reducing the incidence of poverty.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday said it take up at 2 p.m. the union government's plea to revive quotas for other backward classes (OBC) students in centrally funded higher educational institutions.
As Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati approached the apex court bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and L.S. Panta and formally informed it about the government's application for revival of the caste-based quota law, suspended March 29, the judges asked him to approach the court at 2 p.m.
The bench told him that it wanted to have a look at the petition before fixing the date for its hearing.
The government is seeking an early hearing of its petition seeking vacation of the court's March 29 order and revival of the quota law.
Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan had Tuesday constituted the requisite bench of Justices Pasayat and Panta to facilitate early hearing of the government's plea. The same bench had stayed the law March 29.
Geneva, April 18 (NNN-KUNA) Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa called for achieving national reconciliation in Iraq and a timetable for withdrawal of coalition forces as a prerequisite for peace and stability.
Addressing the Conference on Iraqi displacement, Arab League ambassador Saad Alfarargi, who read the statement, added that these are core factors for solving the Iraqi crisis.
He added that the Arab League shares the views of the High Commissioner for Refugees that the situation in Iraq is catastrophic and stressed the right of Palestinians who have been living in Iraq for protection.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Meqdad said that Syria today hosts refugees that form more than 12 percent of its population, about half a million Palestinian and three-quarters of a million of Iraqis.
He added that the total amount of assistance that Syria has presented to those who came in from Iraq over two years exceeds USD 161 million.
He stressed that Syria does not welcome any resettlement of Iraqi asylum seekers outside Iraq in order to keep their identity and cultural heritage.
Egyptian deputy foreign minister Hani Khallaf said the Egyptian government is examining many demands for asylum from Iraqis in Egypt.
However, he noted that some Iraqis have entered without proper documents and therefore there must be an agreement on an Iraqi, regional and international mechanism to monitor such movements.
Secretary-General of the Jordanian ministry of Interior Mekheimar Al-Mekheimar told the conference that all services to Iraqi asylum seekers in Jordan are subsidies by the Jordanian government.
Lebanon's ambassador to the UN in Geneva Gebran Soufan told the conference that according to official Lebanese statistics there are more than 100,000 Iraqis in Jordan who have entered legally or illegally to the country.
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari in his media conference warned against any unprepared withdrawal of coalition troops from Iraq.
He said that Iraq has to be prepared to deal with the security situation before the coalitions troops withdraw.
Zebari said that the coalition forces are in Iraq with the consent of the government of Iraq who has a legal to review the need for their presence every 6 months.
He stressed that if the coalition forces leave Iraq in an unprepared manner for the Iraqis, then the situation would unfold into a divided Iraq and a civil war.
He added that the opposition would like to spoil the security plan for Bahgdad and therefore the coming few months are crucial and we have to be patient because 90 percent of violence takes place in Baghdad and "we" have to secure the capital.
Manama, April 18 (NNN-BNA) Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman, unveiled a major programme to turn the company around and to get it well again.
The plan consists of two pillars to completely reshape the network to better serve the needs of the Bahrain and Oman economies and to improve customer service through higher punctuality, better reliability and lower connection times.
This will require investments in aircraft and ground facilities. The total cost of the programme is Bd310 million (usd825 million).
Gulf Air board of directors Deputy Chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji said Tuesday that the airline operation was currently losing more than usd 1million a day and including other costs such as financing, the figure would even be substantially higher.
Accumulated losses and costs, including 2007, would amount to BD254M (US 675M).
Gulf Air plays an important role in the economic development of Bahrain and Oman. But to do this effectively the airline has to be financially sound, efficient and fully focused on the needs of its customers, said Al Kooheji.
To achieve its financial and operational goals, Gulf Air will downsize its fleet from 34 to 28 aircraft. In line with its goal to radically simplify the business, the company will move to an all Airbus fleet.
"We will stop operating to our heavily loss-making long-haul services to Dublin, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Sydney and Singapore.
Instead, we will allocate more assets to better serve all important countries in the Gulf and Middle Eastern region," said president and Chief Executive Andri Dosi.
Parallel to the downsizing of its fleet by 25 per cent, Gulf Air workforce will be reduced from its current nearly 6,000 employees.
Dhaka, April 18 (IANS) Curbs on the media in Bangladesh may finally be imposed, 13 weeks after a national emergency came into force in the country.
In a letter by the principal information officer (PIO) to all editors Tuesday, the media has been accused of publishing/telecasting "misinformative reports" and of "causing confusion". It has also been told that "the government has been flexible and tolerant in implementing the provisions of the Emergency Powers Act, 2007".
The PIO heads the Press Information Department (PID) and is the government's chief spokesperson.
The Daily Star newspaper said the PID's advice to journalists was "strange".
The letter signed by PIO Iftekhar Hossain stated: "Recently we have noticed that some of the media are publishing or broadcasting dishonest and unprofessional political statements, satirical sketches, cartoons, features, etc, which are creating confusion among the people.
"You are requested to be more vigilant to ensure that the mass media do not provide any room for activities, propaganda or reports that are unnecessarily harassing or misinformative about anyone."
He said it had also been noticed that some newspapers were publishing motivated and exaggerated reports about government officials, businessmen, professionals, intellectuals, and politicians in an effort to create confusion among the people.
"A few of the news media are spreading intentional misinformation about people of different classes and professions as a strategy for illegally extorting money, which is counterproductive to healthy, constructive and responsible journalism," Hossain said.
The letter also stated: "The mass media's role in carrying out the government's ongoing multifaceted reform programmes has been praised by all quarters. Because of this positive role, the government is always proactive in maintaining the freedom of the electronic and print media in spite of the country being under a state of emergency."
By Mahendra Ved,
New Delhi/Dhaka, April 18 (IANS) The impending exile of former Bangladesh prime ministeof Pakistan, has also lived in London for much longer.
Prospects of a 'deal' between Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf regime only underscore the point that politics and politicians have to survive in the two countries on the basis of 'deals'.
While Hasina is currently in the US, Khaleda is headed for Jeddah along with her family. The hard bargaining she appears to have driven before agreeing to quit may ensure that her detained elder son Tareq, whose trial is to begin soon, is spared.
Details of the Dhaka deal are not known. But it does remind one of the "understanding" President Pervez Musharraf reached with Sharif, with the Saudi royalty playing the facilitator. Sharif cannot return home for 10 years - till 2009. Similarly the Zia family's return may also be time-barred.
The Bush administration has been quick to approve of Bangladesh's developments. Nothing else can explain the "courtesy call" to Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed by US envoy Patricia A. Butenis Monday afternoon even as the former's officials were negotiating with Zia. Butenis expressed 'satisfaction' at the Ahmed administration's 'actions' on deciding a time frame for elections.
Both the US State Department and Butenis have been harping on early elections. But according to Dhaka media reports, Ahmed reminded Butenis of what he had told Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, at the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi - that the stalled general elections will not be held till end-2008.
There is a seeming contrast in the way the US wants to deal with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It could not prevent Musharraf's emergence, partly thanks to 9/11. But in Bangladesh, it seems to be discouraging a direct military takeover.
Martial law is unlikely and the civilian façade would remain. The Bangladesh Army has already been reminded that its role as a UN peacekeeper - Dhaka has dispatched over 40,000 soldiers over the years in an undoubtedly lucrative opportunity - could be lost if it takes power directly.
This may not be needed either. Serving and influential retired soldiers are in key positions. The armed forces are part of the "Joint Forces" conducting raids and investigations against the corrupt - a euphemism for the leading role they are playing along with the paramilitary Rapid Action Battallion (RAB).
The new political scenario seriously threatens the nation's secular polity and opens the vast political space to Islamist forces.
This is because most Islamist politicians, particularly those of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), are free after 13 weeks of a nationwide drive by the Ahmed regime against crime, corruption and religious extremism. There seems a clear lack of will to touch political activists wedded to religion.
When murder and extortion charges can be slapped on Hasina and Tareq Rahman and a score of former ministers and lawmakers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are being detained and prosecuted, the absence of JEI and other Islamists in the list appears glaring.
JeI was part of the Zia-led coalition that ruled Bangladesh during 2001-06. Its chief, Motiur Rahman Nizami, was the industry minister. But neither Nizami nor two other ministers nor a dozen lawmakers of the party have been arraigned.
It is well known that they were part of the political culture of "chandaabaazi" (extortion) and utilised power to consolidate their political base, setting up banks and hospitals.
The prolonged ban on political activity thanks to the national emergency could, however, allow for realignment of forces.
There could be a move to set up the much-speculated National Government, taking in people of different hues, probably led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. Minus the two women leaders, cadres of the Awami League and BNP could desert these parties to join Yunus' nascent Nagorik Shakti.
Ultimately, the democratic process that Bangladesh experienced between 1991 and 2006 could be undone or an institutionalised role for the civil-military bureaucracy could be consolidated, as has happened in Pakistan.
Bridgetown (Barbados), April 18 (IANS-CMC) Michael Vaughan confesses it was a horrible feeling to walk off the stadium and get booed by disappointed English supporters after his team's nine-wicket defeat against South Africa in a Super Eight match of the World Cup.
The rout at the Kensington Oval here Tuesday meant that England had conceded their slim hope of reaching the semi-finals to the Proteas.
"I have been a supporter at a football stadium, and watched England teams that haven't produced a winning performance, and they have had to face the same treatment from fans," the England skipper told reporters at the post-match news conference.
"So I understand why the fans have given us that reception. We have not produced the performances, and this is a massive letdown in a tournament in which they expected us to produce something.
"I felt we had the players with the talent and the right attitude that could do it on the big stage, and we haven't done it, so we have to accept whatever criticism comes our way."
Vaughan admitted that his side would have to acknowledge they have not got the best out of their ability in the competition.
"At 111 for three with 18 overs left, we felt we were on course for a total of 230 to 240 which we felt would have been sufficient.
"Unfortunately, a batting collapse happened again, and this has been our story at the World Cup. We have got into decent positions and have not been able to capitalise on them."
Andrew Hall collected career-best figures of five wickets for 18 runs from 10 overs to undermine England's batting and turn the match decisively South Africa's way, as England, choosing to bat, were dismissed for 154 in 48 overs.
"We knew exactly what Andrew Hall was going to produce and know a lot about the South African attack," he said.
"Our strategy was to target 230 or 240 if we won the toss and batted, then try to put South Africa under pressure if we did that.
"I thought we handled it well until 111 for three, and then we lost the two guys that had got stuck in (Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood), and it is always difficult for the new guy that's coming in when the ball is 'reverse-swinging'.
"There is no excuse why we did not play it well at all. We have players who have faced that kind of bowling before, and they should be able to adapt, but we did not adapt that well in this match."
Vaughan feels winning the three-nation limited-overs series at the tail end of their tour of Australia earlier this year was a false dawn.
"There needs to be a lot of honesty at this time," Vaughan said. "The England team has had a disappointing six months.
"We got hammered in the ICC Champions Trophy in India last year. We went to the Ashes with a lot of expectations and lost 5-0.
"And I guess we held on the four victories we had in ODI series in Australia, and smiled our way on the flight home feeling that it was a great time coming to the World Cup, since we were playing well."
Vaughan believes being knocked out of the World Cup in the manner that his side has been does not justify the talent in the England dressing room.
"This is something which we have to examine," he said. "Ww have performed at a standard that is not acceptable."
England now face hosts West Indies Saturday at Kensington Oval to bring the curtain down on the Super Eight stage of the competition.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Gujarat was arrested at the international airport here Wednesday along with a woman and her son who were trying to go to Canada on the passports of his wife and son, officials said.
Delhi Police arrested Babubhai Khimabhai Katara, who represents the Dahod constituency in the Lok Sabha, in the afternoon when he allegedly tried to escort a woman called Paramjeet Kaur to Toronto on his wife Sharadaben Katara's passport.
"He was also taking Paramjit Kaur's 12-year-old son Amarjeet to Toronto on his younger son's passport," a senior police official told IANS.
The three of them were scheduled to fly out on the Air India flight 187.
"We have arrested the trio on the charges of impersonation, forged documents and cheating under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), he added.
But the official said that no case of human trafficking was registered against the parliamentarian. They were to be produced in a Patiala House court later in the day.
Earlier, immigration officials detained Katara with Paramjeet and her son at the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) during a security check at the immigration counter.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters that Katara would be removed from the party if the charges against him were true.
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 17 (DPA) A bomb threat was reported at the campus of Virginia Polytechnical Institute on Wednesday, two days after the gun massacre which claimed 33 lives, the US television network Fox News reported.
The TV network said armed security forces had surrounded an administration building where the university president's office was located. Employees were ordered to evacuate their offices.
The administration building is located directly next to the lecture hall where some of the killings took place on Monday when 23- year-old South Korean student Cho Seung-Hui went on a rampage, killing 32 persons and then himself in the worst such killing spree in US history.
Los Angeles, April 18 (IndianMuslims.info newsdesk) Breastfeeding can offset the increased risk of invasive breast cancer for women who had their first full-term pregnancy after the age of 25, a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) suggests.
The findings of the study were presented at a news conference on Monday, April 16 at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in Los Angeles.
"Breastfeeding may have a protective effect that negates the increased risk of breast cancer associated with late pregnancies," says Giske Ursin, M.D., Ph.D, associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. "As more women may choose to delay pregnancy until after 25, it is important to note that breastfeeding provides protection against both estrogen and progesterone receptor positive and negative tumors."
While having a first full-term pregnancy before the age of 25 and having many children protect against the type of breast cancers that express estrogen and progesterone receptors, these factors do not protect against the rarer tumors that do not have these receptors. Breastfeeding, however, appears to protect against both types of breast tumors, Ursin says.
Researchers analyzed data for women aged 55 and older�including 995 invasive breast cancer patients–who participated in the Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences (CARE) Study. The women varied by their age at first birth, their breastfeeding history and hormone receptor status.
Previous results from the Women's CARE Study have shown that early age at first pregnancy (younger than 25) and having many children (defined as four or more) are associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, Ursin says. Researchers sought to gain a better understanding of the associations between reproductive factors and breast cancer risk in women with a late age at first birth, she says.
Breastfeeding appears to have a protective effect regardless of when women started giving birth, Ursin says. This is important since having many children was only protective among women who gave birth early, she says. Giving birth after age 25 was associated with increased risk of hormone receptor negative breast cancer.
"Evidence suggests that women who have children after age 25 can reduce their risk of breast cancer by choosing to breastfeed," Ursin says.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and by the National Cancer Institute.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) BRIC comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, which are set to emerge as the world's top four economies by 2050, have the potential to shape the global power system, said an Indian diplomat here.
"There is an inbuilt complementarity between these four countries. To sustain their growth, India and China needs a lot of raw materials which Russia and Brazil have in abundance," R. Viswanathan, joint secretary in charge of the Latin America and Caribbean division in the external affairs ministry, said Wednesday.
The foreign ministers of the BRIC countries will be meeting here later this year to promote business and investment between these countries and to cement BRIC as an economic bloc.
"All these aspiring powers that are changing the status quo and seeking a multi-polar world have the potential to reshape the world order," Viswanathan later told IANS on the sidelines of the function to launch the BRIC Business Alliance sponsored by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM).
Former foreign secretary Shashank also outlined synergies between the four BRIC countries and envisioned a robust future of their emergence as the world's leading economic and political powers in the next three-four decades.
According to Goldman Sachs, India will become a motor for global economy by quadrupling its per capita income by 2020, increasing consumption of cars five times, crude oil three times and multiplying manifold housing, real estate and urban infrastructure.
Tushar Poddar, an economist with Goldman Sachs, said that incomes will rise dramatically in the BRIC countries. Nearly 210 million people in these countries will have income of $15,000 and more by 2025, which will be more than the combined population of Japan, Germany, the UK, France and Italy, Poddar said.
In a pioneering study in 2003, Goldman Sachs predicted that China will overtake as the world's leading economy followed by India, the US, Brazil and Russia and the combined economies of BRIC could outperform those of the six leading developed countries in monetary terms by 2050.
Luis Balduino, counsellor (economic), embassy of Brazil, Nikolay Stepanov, acting trade representative, embassy of Russia, and Jenny Deng, second secretary, embassy of China, represented their respective countries at the launch of the BRIC business group.
The BRIC countries should deepen economic cooperation among them and cash in on each other's strengths, Jenny Deng said.
The growth of BRIC economies has profound implications for the evolving world order and would signal a shift in economic power towards Asia and would entail a reshaping of international institutions. The explosion in the middle class in these countries will be a key driver of global growth in the decades to come.
Holding out the possibility of Brazil, a country which is two and a half times the size of India, emerging as an agricultural superpower, Viswanathan said that God and history had been kind to Brazil in so far as in its 180-year-old history as an independent nation it has enjoyed stability and now is surging ahead to take its rightful place as a leading country on the world stage.
Besides agriculture, Brazil has already emerged as the world's leader in eco-friendly ethanol fuel and plans to collaborate with India and other important powers to form an international forum for marketing biofuels.
Baghdad, April 18 (NNN-KUNA) The British forces in Iraq will officially handover the Misan Province security duties to the Iraqi security forces on Wednesday in a ceremony held at the military airport west of Al-Amara, capital city of Misan, 336 kilometers south of Baghdad.
British forces handed over Al-Muthanna province duties last July, Dhi Qar Province last September, and Al-Najaf was transferred to Iraqi control last December.
Hassan Al-Sineid, the Iraqi Prime Minister's advisor and member of the security and defense committee at the Iraqi parliament told KUNA the British forces will be transferring the Misan's security file to the Iraqi authorities.
Al-Sineid expects the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to attend the ceremony in addition to a number of Iraqi security officials, including National Security Advisor Dr. Muwafaq Al-Rubaei.
Governor of Misan Adel Mahoudar said the ceremony will witness the signing of an agreement that guarantees the sovereignty of Misan.
Britain's Defense Secretary Des Browne said the mission of the troops that will remain in Iraq is to mainly train the Iraqi army and police and protect the multinational forces in Iraq.
The British troops in Iraq had reached 7,000 soldiers.
By Chris Cermak
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 18 (DPA) Thousands of students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute gathered for a moving candlelight vigil, capping a day of intense mourning for the worst shooting in US history.
The scenes of grieving and community spirit Tuesday evening came as a picture emerged of the lone gunman who turned university classrooms and stairwells into execution chambers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
The 23-year-old South Korean student, Cho Seung-Hui, who spent much of his life in a Washington suburb and whose disturbing essays worried his teachers, reportedly laughed as he emptied up to three shots into his victims Monday at Virginia Tech.
Students stood in silence Tuesday night for nearly 10 minutes, holding up candles in central grass field only steps from Norris Hall, where Cho killed 30 of his 32 victims in a rampage that lasted all of 15 minutes.
One of the slain, Liviu Librescu, a professor and Holocaust survivor from Israel, blocked a classroom door while students jumped from Norris Hall windows to safety, before falling victim to Cho's assault.
Authorities said it could still be days before all the names of the dead are released as authorities worked to conclusively identify victims and notify families.
Two handguns, a 9-millimetre Glock and a 22-calibre Walther, were found in the Norris Hall classroom building where most of the victims were shot and the gunman killed himself, officials said. State police said that Cho had purchased the guns "recently" and legally in Virginia.
The White House ordered flags flown at half-mast for a week nationwide.
US President George W. Bush, speaking at a memorial service Tuesday in Blacksburg, a small city 750 km south-west of Washington, urged the university community to turn to their community's "source of strength".
A popular university official rallied the mood at the end, leading the crowd in a clapping cheer of "We are the Hokies. ... We will prevail" - a reference to the schools' invented nickname for its famous sports teams.
Chants of "Let's Go Hokies" broke the silence of the vigil later that evening.
Eyewitnesses Tuesday continued to recount the terror of Monday's massacre. Tina Harrison was taking a test in Norris Hall when the carnage began.
"We heard horrible screams, screams of agony, and then sort of maniacal laughter in the first minutes of the shots being fired," she told CNN.
The campus mood Tuesday was more sadness than anger. With classes cancelled for the week, students said it had an eerie feel. "It's never like this," said Joanne Volpe, a recent graduate.
The rampage, bizarrely, began a full two hours earlier than its climax, as Cho killed two people in a dormitory room across campus from Norris Hall, in what police first believed was a domestic incident.
One of the dead identified in the first shooting was Ryan Clark, a dorm resident advisor whose loss was mourned by a student, Drew Densmore, who called him "the most important person I've ever met in my entire life".
University President Charles Steger has come under criticism for taking two hours to notify students of the first shooting before the second round had started.
The crowd at the coliseum - as if to answer the charges - gave Steger a stronger, longer and louder applause than Bush.
Student body president Adeel Khan seemed to echo those feelings hours later at the vigil, saying: "The Virginia Tech community looks not to dwell, but to heal."
Another of Cho's victims was instructor Jamie Bishop, who taught German and was remembered by colleagues as "a very funny man ... full of energy".
Cho was known as a loner on campus. Faculty members had expressed concern about what Cho, an English major in his last year of undergraduate education, had written in class and had passed their worries along to administrators, the chairwoman of the university's English Department, Carolyn Rude, told the Chronicle of Higher Education online.
A classmate told the campus newspaper, Collegiate Times, about a playwriting class she took with Cho.
"His writing, the plays, were really morbid and grotesque," Stephanie Derry, a senior English major, told the newspaper. One of the plays was "about a son who hated his stepfather. In the play, the boy threw a chain saw around, and hammers at him," then suffocated him with a snack bar.
Derry said her classmates always joked about how they were "just waiting for him to do something." She said she started "crying, bawling," when she heard news of the killing spree.
A writing professor, Lucinda Roy, told CNN she had counselled Cho for a year because of his violent writings.
Some Asian students expressed fear that Cho's actions could lead to discrimination on campus. Sarah Wang, 28, a second-year student from China, said she and her Asian roommates "worry about racial conflict".
"I don't believe this will be seen as an excuse to exercise prejudice," Virginia Governor Tim Caine said in a news conference, adding that an independent "after-action review" of the massacre and the university's actions would be conducted.
Police were still looking into possible motives, but there was speculation that the shootings followed an argument between a young couple over alleged infidelity.
Cho came to the US as a child and had lived with his parents in Centreville, Virginia, a Washington suburb, where he graduated from Westfield High School, the Washington Post reported.
South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun said in a statement Tuesday that he was "shocked by the unimaginable incident" and expressed condolences to the families.
Dozens of investigators were still working around the clock on "a horrific crime scene," Virginia State Police Chief Steve Flaherty told a news conference.
The shooting was the worst in US history, eclipsing a 1991 spree in Texas when a man rammed his car through a restaurant window and shot patrons and staff. He killed 23 people, and then fatally shot himself.
In the worst US school shooting, 15 people died in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.
World leaders expressed shock. The Vatican said Pope Benedict XVI was saddened by the "senseless tragedy". Iran sent condolences through foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini.
Port-Of-Spain, April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Over 37,000 visas have been granted by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for free circulation of the people among nine of the member countries, Mia Mottley, who is responsible for the bloc's security issues, confirmed in a report Tuesday.
The procedure is part of the Feb 1 creation of a Common Domestic Space and the Special Caricom Visa, to assure safe and uncomplicated flow of people during the World Cricket Cup.
The strategy is seen as a trial for extending that facility to the whole region. (It will work only in the nine venues of the tournament and Dominica until May 15).
The competition will take place in Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Another measure to encourage free movement of people is the Caricom passport, which is already enjoyed in Grenada, Suriname, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Kitts and Nevis.
The document has the Caricom logo and acronym, and will be valid for a 10-year period.
All these decisions are to benefit Caribbean economic integration, which is conceived in two phases -- the first in 2008 and 2009, including those considered the simplest elements.
Porlamar (Venezuela), April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has proposed that the new South American Nations Union (Unasur in Spanish) starts working on an energy treaty for its member nations.
The initiative was presented during Chavez' inaugural speech at the First South American Energy Summit which concludes Tuesday in Isla Margarita, the most important tourist resort in the country.
"We propose that our Unasur starts coordinating the work for what may become in the next few years the Energy Treaty to be subscribed by all the governments of the region," the summit host said. He called for such initiative to start now.
It will be an integrated secure system of production, distribution and supply of energy to all our peoples, he said.
On the controversial issue of ethanol, Chavez confirmed the biofuels represent a viable solution, but without affecting food production for human consumption.
He recalled that recently even the International Monetary Fund and The New York Times had warned of the risk of escalating world food prices.
Chavez considered developing oil refining facilities a most important goal and foresee that at least 13 such plants would be necessary in this region.
He referred to the project already underway to build a plant in Pernambuco, Brazil and mentioned other possible ones in Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Dominica, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Chavez said that wherever a new refinery plant is built, an ethanol producing system should be installed in order to mix that biofuel with gasoline.
The hosting head of state stressed the importance of energy saving and cited as an example the Cuban strategy known as Energy Revolution.
The 52 million saving lightbulbs installed in Venezuela, he said, represent an annual economy of USD 2 billion.
On the way forward in energy terms, Chavez expressed the intention of not denying those resources to any country, but the need to prioritise this region.
Seoul, April 18 (IANS) Children who are obese may face the risk of developing an ear problem called 'otitis media with effusion' - in which fluid builds up in the middle ear without causing pain, fever or other ear infection symptoms.
The study, described as the first one to investigate whether the two conditions might be connected, examined 273 South Korean children aged two to seven, including 155 kids who had tubes surgically inserted in one or both of their ears to relieve otitis media with effusion.
The remaining 118 children had other operations for conditions unrelated to their ears.
Jong Bin Kim, a doctor who works in Seoul at Kyung Hee University's department of otorhinolaryngology, and other researchers, measured the height and weight of the studied children.
Using those figures, the researchers calculated the children's BMI (body mass index), which is used to gauge obesity. Based on BMI, 65 children (42 percent) were found obese.
The researchers also measured total cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) in blood samples provided by the kids. Total cholesterol and triglycerides tend to rise with obesity, reported the online edition of health magazine WebMD.
Most of the children had normal levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides. But 19 percent had abnormally high total cholesterol levels and 35 percent had abnormally high triglyceride levels.
Obesity and high total cholesterol levels were more common among children who got ear tubes than among other children, the researchers said.
"The finding suggests that childhood obesity could have an effect on the development of otitis media with effusion," write the researchers in the study that appeared in the journal 'Archives Of Otolaryngology - Head And Neck Surgery'.
By Jatindra Dash
Jagatsinghpur (Orissa), April 18 (IANS) Hundreds of schoolchildren Wednesday demonstrated against the proposed steel plant in their region by South Korean steel major POSCO. It is said to be the largest foreign direct investment project in India.
The protest rally by children in the age group of 5-12 years began from Dhinkia village after 4 p.m. and continued for over two hours, a senior district police official told IANS.
After walking across five villages including Trilochanpur, Patana and Govindpur, the children congregated at Dhinkia village. They were protesting under the banner of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the main organisation opposing the project in the district.
The children shouted slogans against POSCO, holding placards and distributing leaflets, the police official said. Some children also delivered speeches.
"I am ready to give my life with my parents because we will lose everything if the plant starts," Sujit Das, 5, a Class 1 student of Dhinkia Primary School told IANS.
"We have had no peace since the day the state government signed a deal with the company," said 7-year-old Lucky Das of the same school. "We have almost stopped going to school and have decided to join our parents in the battle."
POSCO, one of the world's biggest steel makers, signed a deal with the state government in June 2005 to set up a $12 billion plant near the port town of Paradeep in the coastal district of Jagatsinghpur by 2016. However, there has been no significant progress on the project due to local opposition.
More than 20,000 people from about 15 nearby villages including Dhinkia, Gada Kujanga and Nuagaon have been opposing the project, fearing eviction. The villagers say the project will displace them and ruin their betel leaf farming.
POSCO says that while the plant would affect only 500 families it would create thousands of jobs.
The situation aggravated last week when the state government deployed over 500 armed policemen in the area.
While the state claimed that the police was deployed to bring normalcy and help the administration conduct local body elections, the villagers alleged that it was an attempt by to begin the process to vacate them from their lands.
"We have withdrawn nearly about 100 policemen from the area," Rabinarayan Patra, the local additional superintendent of police told IANS. However, he said that the remaining 400 policemen are still camping at various places since the situation is tense.
"We want complete removal of the police force from our soil," said Abhaya Sahoo, a PPSS leader.
Elections to local bodies were held in the state in February. However, the local administration could not conduct polls in some of the villages that were to be affected by the proposed plant because of clashes between the supporters and protestors of POSCO at that time.
Santiago (Chile), April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) A brigade of five Chilean doctors, coordinated through the Francisco Bilbao Study Centre and Operation Miracle in Chile, will work in Bolivia, seriously affected by floods last month.
The physicians, who work or collaborate with Operation Miracle in Chile, are preparing to leave for Bolivia on April 29.
Dr Orielle Nuñez, who graduated as an internist in Venezuela, said the brigade is self-sufficient, so the doctors will pay for their tickets and costs.
The other brigade members are surgeons Ana Tania Toro, Camilo Bass and Tania Muñoz, and gastroenterologist Mauricio Gonzalez.
The brigade will work for 30 days in different Bolivian regions affected by the floods.
Beijing, April 18 (Xinhua) China Wednesday hoped that India and Pakistan would improve their ties through dialogue for larger peace and stability in South Asian region.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged that his country would continue to work with India to solve their unsettled problems through negotiations.
Hu said China sincerely hoped that Pakistan and India will maintain the momentum of dialogue and jointly improve bilateral ties in a bid to promote peace, stability and development in the South Asian region.
He highlighted China-Pakistan relations, saying bilateral strategic cooperative partnership had entered a new development stage.
Hu said the two countries should enlarge the scale of trade exchanges, enhance cooperation between the enterprises and explore new cooperative fields and ways.
He and Aziz also exchanged views on reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iran's nuclear issue.
Aziz is in Beijing on an official visit during which he is scheduled to go to southwestern province of Hainan for an annual Bo'ao Asian Economic Forum meeting.
Bangkok, April 18 (NNN-SPA) China imported thousands of cubic meters of illegal tropical hardwood from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia last year to supply its booming furniture industry and produce luxury goods for overseas markets, Greenpeace alleged in a report Tuesday.
The report found that Chinese importers were evading an Indonesian ban on the hardwood known as merbau by labeling it as sawn timber.
Importers also used forged documents which claimed the logs came from Malaysia, despite the fact that much of the merbau has already been logged out of the Southeast Asian country.
"This is a highly prized species for luxury goods and the market demand in China as well as in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific is driving merbau to extinction," said Tamara Stark, Greenpeace China's Forests Campaign Coordinator.
"If the current trends are not reversed, even at the current legally approved rates of logging merbau will be extinct in the wild within 35 years. This illegal trade means we'll lose it much sooner than that."
China now has the second-largest wood products manufacturing sector in the world, and is the largest trader in tropical timber.
One out of every two tropical logs traded globally is now destined for China, and China is the world's largest market for merbau, Greenpeace said.
Most of the timber products made in China are destined for markets in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia, with companies often unable to prove the legality of the timber, the group said.
But Greenpeace did not name any foreign companies that are buying the questionable wood.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said the government "requests its enterprises to engage in logging
and processing activities in accordance with the laws of
other countries."
He also said that the country has tough laws against illegal logging. 'We have serious procedures for the import of timber, ' Liu said, adding Chinese authorities supervise such imports and crack down on illegal
activities.
Greenpeace called on the governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to immediately propose merbau for listing on the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to better control its trade.
It also called on governments in market countries such as the United States and Europe to immediately adopt legislation to ban the import of illegal timber into their markets.
Wood manufacturers, it said, should also adopt credible chain-of-custody tracking of merbau and other species to ensure the legality and sustainability of supply, moving toward purchasing timber that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
"If the manufacturing sector here continues to rely on endangered species or wood that is illegal, large portions of the industry may collapse in the near future," said Liu Bing, a Greenpeace Forests Campaigner in China.
"Increasingly species like merbau are being pushed to the brink, and eventually we're going to run out. These traders are risking China's reputation and the future of the industry, not to mention the future of the world's forests."
Washington, April 18 (IANS) An Indian student and dormitory mate of the South Korean student who shot dead 32 people before killing himself at the Virginia Tech University said Cho Seung-Hui never looked sad or angry.
Karan Grewal, a 21-year-old accounting major at the university in Blacksburg town, described the ordinary start to what turned out to be an extraordinary day.
It was 5.30 Monday morning when Grewal ended a break after a long night of studies. As he left the bathroom at Harper Hall, 23-year-old Cho, wearing boxer shorts and a T-shirt, entered for his morning ritual of applying lotion, inserting contact lenses and taking medication, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Grewal said he went back to sleep but, according to authorities, Cho stayed awake. In less than few hours, Cho had committed the massacre and was dead.
"I never really saw him with anyone," Grewal said. "I never took him to be a sad or angry guy, just shy."
A shaken Grewal said Cho did not seem like a guy who's capable of anything like this.
Cho often ate by himself in the dining hall, Grewal said, adding that he would turn his face away when others greeted him. "He never spoke a word," the Indian student added.
Porlamar (Venezuela), April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed here, venue of the first South American Energy Summit, that the Transguajira gas pipeline will be completed in July.
Chavez said Tuesday that the pipeline, from Guajira in Colombia to the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo, will carry more than 141 million cu ft of gas a day during the first five years.
He said that when those fields are exhausted, Venezuela will export more than 494 million cu ft a day to Colombia and Central America, because the transoceanic gas pipe will reach Panama later.
It is a USD 365 million investment by the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela. The first 140-mile segment was inaugurated by Presidents Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Alvaro Uribe (Colombia) and Martin Torrijos (Panama) on July 8, 2006.
Chavez said he had proposed to his Colombian counterpart the possibility of building a trans-Andean gas pipeline that would reach Ecuador and perhaps Peru, if the governments of the two countries agree.
He noted that Uribe has expressed support for the construction of an oil pipeline from Maracaibo to Colombia's Pacific coast to facilitate Venezuela's oil exports to Asian markets.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The ruling Congress party Wednesday condoled the death of 32 people including two Indians in the Virginia killings and urged the US administration to take steps to prevent such incidents in future.
"The Congress party condoles the terrible death of innocents, including two Indians, in the shootout in Virginia," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here.
"We hope the US government would do everything to apprehend the culprits if anybody else is involved and prevent recurrence of such incidents," Singhvi told reporters.
"Our heart goes out to their loved ones," he said.
The 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui had gone on a shooting spree in Virginia Polytechnic Institute in which two Indians - G.V. Loganathan, a professor, and Minal Hiralal Panchal, a student of architecture - were also killed.
Hyderabad, April 18 (IANS) Cordys Holding B.V., provider of industry-leading business process management suite (BPMS) enterprise software, Wednesday announced the successful completion of $80 million equity financing.
Jan Baan, founder and majority shareholder of Cordys, said at a press conference here that Argonaut Private Equity led the round with an investment of $67 million. With this, Argonaut has secured in the company a "significant minority stake", which could be anywhere between 20 and 33 percent.
He said this represents the single largest round of funding for an independent, private BPMS vendor and points to the uniqueness of Cordys' technology in a rapidly growing BPMS software market.
"This investment validates the company's potential of becoming a global market leader in the BPMS space," said Baan who founded the company in 2001.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Cordys is a global company with over 520 employees in offices in the Americas, Europe, China and India.
Cordys currently employs 250 people at its Asia development centre in Hyderabad. "Our team in Hyderabad is key to Cordys' ability to compete with larger incumbents," said Baan, who also invested in companies like Top-Tier and WebEx.
Baan has been a software entrepreneur since 1978 when he founded Baan Software, which is recognised as a pioneer in enterprise resources planning (ERP) software. It became one of the largest and fastest growing software companies in the world by the mid 1990s. The company was also a pioneer in software development in India, establishing its first development centre in Mumbai in 1986.
Baan, a pioneer in software investment in Hyderabad also developed Vanenburg IT Park, the first technology campus in the city.
"This investment in Cordys demonstrates Argonaut's commitment to investing in high potential business with strong ties to India," said Gagan Kapur, vice president, Argonaut Private Equity.
With more than $2 billion under management, Argonaut Private Equity is a diversified global private equity fund. With the investment in Cordys, the total investment by Argonaut in India has reached $170 million in diverse markets.
BMPS' are the next generation of BPM software. BMPS' pull together a broader set of tools to provide end-to-end lifecycle support of the business process all within a single model that is shared by all its enabling technologies.
Beijing, April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque has praised the strong relations between his country and China.
In a speech at the Contemporary International Relations Institute of Beijing Tuesday, Perez Roque said that Cuba will always appreciate the Chinese government and Communist Party's solidarity.
The speech of the Cuban diplomat, who is on a four-day official visit to the Asian country from Sunday, focused on the Cuban issue and international relations. It was attended by experts and researchers on the Caribbean country and Latin America.
"Cuba-China relations are excellent and they should be used as an example of how relations are between a Third World country and a large country like China," noted Perez Roque.
The Cuban Foreign Minister highlighted the increasing comprehensive political talks and thriving trade relations, which reached USD 2.4 billion in 2006.
Perez Roque said that his country strongly supports China on the Taiwan issue, as well as on the one China policy.
In addition, the Cuban official discussed the opening of a Cuban-Chinese ophthalmologic hospital in Xining, Qinghai province, and the presence of 500 Chinese students taking up the Spanish language in the Caribbean country.
Tehran, April 18 (RIA Novosti) Despite Western embargoes banning arm imports Iran has mastered advanced armaments and technology, said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday.
"Some highbrow powers imposed sanctions banning armament deliveries to Iran believing that our army would be weakened. But young Iranian scientists have been able to meet the military needs of our armed forces in all areas," Ahmadinejad said on the occasion of Iran's National Army Day.
Iran has been at the centre of international concerns over its nuclear programme, which some countries, particularly the US, suspect is geared toward nuclear weapons development. Tehran has consistently denied the claims, saying it needs nuclear power for civilian purposes.
Ahmadinejad said Iran stood for peace and stability in the region and the world, but added the armed forces were ready to repel any external act of aggression.
Army forces also staged a military parade displaying weaponry, including missiles of various range, mobile air defence systems, drone planes, combat aircraft, the armour and electronic warfare.
Jaipur, April 18 (IANS) The people of Bikaner are finally happy with their actor turned MP Dharmendra. He has requested the union railway minister to introduce a super fast train between Delhi and Bikaner to help make the journey to the desert town in Rajasthan more comfortable.
In a letter to Lalu Prasad, Dharmendra said that with Bikaner fast emerging as a popular tourist spot, especially with foreigners, the demand for a super fast train from the capital to Bikaner was very genuine.
Drawing the railway minister's attention to the long-standing demand of the people of Bikaner, the MP wrote that such a train would also greatly help the people who had to spend long hours covering the distance.
"I'm happy that our MP has finally demanded something for us," said R. Goswami, a resident of Bikaner.
"Thank god he has spoken for us at last," assented another resident Sangeeta Sharma.
The people who voted for "Sholay's" Veeru to the seat have for long been angry with their actor-MP.
Irked by the non-execution of several promises made by Dharmendra in the Lok Sabha elections, the students of Bikaner had in 2005 decided to prevent the screening of his movies there.
Los Angeles (IndianMuslims.info newsdesk) We all know that eating fruits, vegetables and soy products provides essential nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, while obesity leads to the opposite. Yet proving the effect of nutrition, or obesity, on cancer is an experimental challenge and a focus for scientists. According to emerging evidence being presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, eating well might still be one of the more pleasurable ways to prevent cancer and promote good health.
A new study among American retirees association, AARP members shows that just one additional serving of fruit and vegetables per day may lower your risk of head and neck cancer, but the data suggest that you may not want to stop at just one, according to researchers from the National Cancer Institute.
A large prospective study of 500,000 men and women aged 50 and older has found that those who ate more fruit and vegetables had a reduced risk of head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, resulting in more than 350,000 deaths annually.
"Identifying protective factors for head and neck cancer is particularly important as it has a high mortality rate," said Neal Freedman, Ph.D., cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute.
At the beginning of the study, participants reported their typical dietary habits on a food frequency questionnaire. Freedman and his colleagues followed participants for five years and recorded all diagnoses of head and neck cancer cases during this time.
In their findings, the researchers report that participants who ate six servings of fruit and vegetables per day per 1000 calories had 29 percent less risk for head and neck cancer than did participants who consumed one and a half servings per 1000 calories per day. Typically, adults consume approximately 2000 calories per day. One serving equals approximately one medium sized fresh fruit, one half cup of cut fruit, six ounces fruit juice, one cup leafy vegetables, or one half cup of other vegetables.
"Increasing consumption by just one serving of fruit or vegetables per 1000 calories per day was associated with a six percent reduction in head and neck cancer risk," Freedman said.
According to Freedman, people who ate a lot of fruit also tended to eat a lot of vegetables, and vice versa. To measure these two types of foods independently, the researchers included both fruit and vegetable intake in the statistical models, a common statistical approach. This allowed them to compare participants with different levels of fruit consumption while holding constant the level of vegetable intake and vice versa. When examining fruit and vegetable intake simultaneously, the protective association with vegetables seemed to be stronger than the association with fruits.
"Although we cannot absolutely rule out a cancer preventive role for other lifestyle factors that go along with eating more fruits and vegetables, our results are consistent with those from previous studies," Freedman said. "Our study suggests that fruit and vegetable consumption may protect against head and neck cancer and adds support to current dietary recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption."
New Delhi, April 18 (Indianmuslims.info) Division of Muslim votes in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is indeed a matter of great concern. Its direct benefit goes either to the communal parties or to the parties that have donned the mask of pseudo secularism, said All India Deeni Madaris Board president Maulana Muhammad Yaqoob Bulandshahri at a meeting with Ulema held at its headquarters here Tuesday.
He had convened this meeting after returning from his tour of West UP. “The most important need of the hour is to stop division of Muslim votes,� he said.
The participants of the meeting include Maulana Rashid, Maulana Muhammad Qasim, Haji Muhammad Yasin, Maulana Yusuf Anwar Qasmi, Mufti Zulfiqqar Ahmad, Mufti Muhammad Arshad and Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Bastawi.
The meeting called upon the electorates in Uttar Pradesh to exercise their franchise in the best possible united manner.
New York, April 18 (IANS) Eating plenty of fruits and a regular diet rich in vegetables can offer protection from a host of cancers, three new studies suggest.
The studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Los Angeles show that the fruits and vegetables that offer health benefits include apples, berries, kale, broccoli, onions, spinach and some cabbages.
The first study evaluated 183,518 men and women and found a diet high in flavonol-rich apples, berries, kale, and broccoli can help cut the risk of pancreatic cancer, especially in smokers. Flavonol is a type of antioxidant.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest of all cancers, killing 95 percent of victims within five years of diagnosis.
Another study of 500,000 people aged 50 and above shows that eating an additional two servings a day of fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancers.
One serving equals approximately one medium-sized fresh fruit, 1/2 cup of cut fruit, 6 ounces of fruit juice, 1 cup of leafy vegetables, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables.
The third study suggests that chemicals in cruciferous vegetables and soy reduce production of two proteins necessary for the spread of breast and ovarian cancers, reported the online edition of health magazine WebMD.
While the first study was conducted by Ute Nothlings, DrPH, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii in Honolulu, the second study was conducted by Neal Freedman and other researchers at National Cancer Institute.
The third study was done by Erin Hsu, a molecular toxicologist at the University of California, and team.
Porlamar (Venezuela), April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) The emerging Union of South American Nations (Unasur) will have its headquarters in Quito, near the monument that marks the centre of the world, according to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Chavez made the announcement in his opening speech at the first South American Energy Summit, which ended Tuesday at Margarita Island.
At the suggestion of Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, all heads of state present agreed to locate the Unasur permanent executive office in Quito, said Chavez.
He said a pro-integration effort of the subcontinent, which had been brewing since previous top-level regional meetings, was christened here.
This act involves a concept, an identity, an identifying name, Unasur, he stressed, adding that "our people must become conscious of this force that will have great results for them."
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Egypt has decided to issue three-year visas to Indian business visitors in a bid to push bilateral trade and investment ties, Egyptian Ambassador to India Mohamed Higazy announced Wednesday.
The announcement was made during an event to sign two pacts to promote bilateral investments and cooperation in tourism between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and the Egyptian government.
"Investment ties between the two countries will be promoted via joint ventures, people-to-people contact, creating job opportunities and institutional capacity building at the national and international levels," a Ficci statement said.
Cooperation in tourism will include promotion of heritage sites, joint ventures, investments, knowledge transfer, building of social capital, people-to-people contact and enhancing employability of the youth, the statement added.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday suspended its Gujarat MP Babubhai Katara, who was arrested at the international airport here along with a woman and her son who were trying to go to Canada on the passports of his wife and son.
Katara, who represents the Dahod constituency of Panchmahal district, was also issued a show-cause notice by the BJP leadership to explain within 10 days the circumstances under which he was arrested, party sources said.
BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Katara has been suspended." He gave no more details.
Katara, an active leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), was detained by immigration officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here for trying to smuggle out a woman named Paramjit Kaur and her son on the passports of his wife and son to Toronto.
Earlier, at the daily press briefing, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar: "If it is true, he has no place in the party. We are waiting for authentic information about this and as soon as it is available, the party will take very severe action against him."
Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: "A BJP MP has been arrested at the airport. It's a serious issue, which needs criminal investigation. It involves forgery, impersonation, misrepresentation and possibly an immigration racket also.
"One has to remember that the case going against Abu Salem's girlfriend Monica Bedi is not very dissimilar."
Katara was detained along with Paramjit Kaur and her son in the morning and later arrested by Delhi Police.
The three of them were scheduled to fly out on the Air India flight 187.
"We have arrested the trio on the charges of impersonation, forged documents and cheating under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC)", a police official told IANS.
But he said that no case of human trafficking was registered against the parliamentarian. They will be produced in a Patiala House court Thursday, police said.
Mukkala, April 18 (NNN-Saba) The chairman of the Emirates Emaar Properties Mohammed al-Attar said a technical team from his company would visit the island of Socotra to prepare for technical and
economic studies on investment projects the company can carry out there.
Al-Attar would visit the island along with accompanying delegation including the political advisor of the president Abdul-Karim al-Iryani, Water and Environment Minister Abdul-Rahman al-Iryani to acquaint with the economic and investment characteristics of Socotra island.
Al-Attar said it is so important to protect the natural and environmental features of the island.
In Mukkala, Al-Attar will visit a number of areas devoted to investment.
The conference of Exploring Investment Opportunities in Yemen would be held in Sana'a on April 22-23 in cooperation with the general
secretariat of GCC and the Lebanese Group of Economy and Business.
Addis Ababa, April 18 (NNN-ENA) Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Yacob Yala has urged all stakeholders to step up the ongoing efforts of gaining fairer prices for Ethiopian coffee.
The livelihood of many poor farmers depends on the success of Ethiopian coffee in overseas markets, he added when opening a four-day training workshop on “Ethiopian Coffee Trade-marking and Licensing Management� here Tuesday.
Using trademarks and licensing agreements is a common enough affair in many international industries and global distribution chains but it is surprisingly almost unprecedented in the coffee trade.
Training in intellectual property and brand management can directly help coffee exporters build their business and help farmers‘ revenues and incentives grow, Yacob added.
Presenting the progress of the Ethiopian initiative in coffee trade marking and licensing to participants, Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) Director-General Getachew Mengistie said trademarks for the Sidamo, Harar and Yirga Chefe brands have been secured in more than 28 key international markets.
Negotiation with US coffee retailing giant Starbucks has come up with positive results as the company has begun responding to Ethiopia’s requests, the director said.
The training is part of the Ethiopian Coffee Trade-marking and Licensing Initiative spearheaded by EIPO and supported by Britain’s Department of International Development, a press release circulated at the workshop said.
The objective of the workshop is to enable participants present and promote the license agreement to international coffee distribution companies and to develop and bring together a network of licensed distributors in partnership with Ethiopia.
The course is being run by the EIPO and Light Years IP, a Washington-based non-governmental organization (NGO) specializing in intellectual property strategies and capacity building for developing countries, acting as adviser of fine coffee brands, Sidamo, Harar and Yirga Chefe.
Representatives of the private sector, cooperative unions and governmental bodies, as well as personnel from Ethiopian embassies abroad are attending the training.
EIPO has planned a number of overseas marketing activities and participation at the upcoming Specialty Coffee Association of America Annual Conference in California in the United States and the specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s annual event in Antwerp, Belgium, both to be held next month.
Addis Ababa, April 18 (NNN-ENA) The Deputy Commissioner of Ethiopia’s Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC), Addisu Mengistu, has left for Bangkok, Thailand, to attend a global meeting in that country, the FEACC said here Tuesday.
In its statement sent to the Ethiopian News Agency, the commission said the deputy commissioner left for Bangkok to take part in the Global Financial Crime Congress from April 17 to 20.
The congress, which is organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and General Secretariat of the international police organization, INTERPOL, aims at promoting co-operation among agencies engaged in investigation and prevention of financial crimes and raising the awareness of participants on newly-emerging financial crimes.
Financial crime investigators, financial intelligence-unit personnel, prosecutors, financial regulators, and other concerned bodies are expected to take part in the congress, the statement said
Brussels, April 18 (DPA) The European Union on Wednesday vowed tougher action to prise open markets in China, India and Russia, saying "stubborn" nations which kept out European exports would face more legal battles with the 27-nation bloc.
With European exporters especially worried about violations of intellectual property rights in China, EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said the bloc could either join US action against Beijing in the World Trade Organization (WTO) or launch its own case.
"I do not rule out initiating or joining action at the WTO if, in our view, China is failing to take its responsibilities seriously," Mandelson said.
China had promised to protect foreign patents and trademarks, but protection of intellectual property rights remained "patchy and uneven" in the country, said Mandelson.
The EU was currently trying to secure results through a "very strong dialogue" with Beijing, he said, adding that some results of the pressure were coming through.
But "Europe's patience could wear thin if we do not see our dialogue with China delivering more change," Mandeslson warned.
If efforts at dialogue failed, "there are other instruments at our disposal including the initiation of WTO cases," the EU trade chief said.
The US administration last month launched cases against China at the WTO over pirated copies of music and movies and for restricting access to American companies offering legal products.
Mandelson said trade barriers in China and other key emerging markets were costing European exporters billions of euros in lost sales.
In China alone, the annual cost of market access barriers was an estimated 20 billion euros a year in lost opportunities, he said.
If countries wanted to trade freely with Europe, there must be a reciprocal opening up of markets, he said.
The EU wanted to keep its markets open to foreign exporters, said Mandelson. But in return, emerging countries had to slash non-tariff barriers which keep out European exports.
"EU business relies on growing markets abroad to fuel economic growth and jobs at home," said Mandelson. As such, European companies must be able to compete fairly in lucrative foreign markets.
The EU trade chief said the focus of the new strategy would be on eliminating "new and complex trade and investment barriers and distortions" which deter European companies from selling their goods and services abroad.
A European Commission study said that compared to past years when slashing and abolishing tariffs was a priority, the EU now wanted to tackle non-tariff barriers and "behind-the-border regulatory issues," which were harder to identify and often complex to address.
The commission said it also wanted closer cooperation with national European governments and business through the setting up of EU "Market Access Teams" in foreign countries.
These teams would identify trade barriers before they appear and tackle existing obstacles to trade, officials said, adding that the focus would also be on a smaller number of key target markets, sectors and issues such as intellectual property rights.
Demands for eliminating non-tariff barriers are also due to be made in bilateral EU negotiations with foreign countries and in the Doha trade talks.
Mandelson insisted that "political contacts and trade diplomacy" were also essential to tackle barriers.
Emerging countries which opened up their markets to foreign competition would reap economic benefits, including cheaper prices for consumers and access to cheaper inputs for industry, he added.
Free trade would therefore foster economic growth and was an "efficient means of managing economies," Mandelson said, adding that he was also fighting demands for protection from European nations.
"I do not believe we can promote free trade by closing European markets to others," he said.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, currently recuperating in a military hospital, Wednesday received a cheque of Rs.11.6 million in back wages from the time he assumed the rank in 1973.
This follows the government's decision to provide the same pay and privileges as applicable to the three services to officers who hold an honorary five-star rank in recognition of their distinguished service.
Similar back wages will also be paid to Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, the only other officer to be conferred a five-star rank.
Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt handed over the cheque to 93-year-old Manekshaw, who is credited with masterminding the 1971 military operation that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, at the Military Hospital in Wellington, where he is currently undergoing age-related treatment.
Dutt, a former Indian Army officer, is himself a veteran of the 1971 war. He later quit the army to join India's civil service.
Asked by Manekshaw whether the arrears would be taxed, the defence secretary replied that if at all this was done the minimum amount possible would be deducted, adding he would try to get the amount exempted.
Dutt conveyed the greetings of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, and handed over a message from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Baghdad, April 18 (Xinhua) US troops raided an area near the city of Fallujah Wednesday morning, killing five insurgents, injuring four and detaining 26 suspects, the US military said.
The US troops raided a group of buildings known to be used by "terrorists" in the rural area of Karmah and found explosives in one of the buildings, the military said in a statement.
According to the statement, a US helicopter gunship was called in and dropped precision-guided munitions at specific targets in the building.
"During the operation, coalition forces were engaged by a group of armed men and returned fire in self-defence, killing five and wounding four," the statement said.
Insurgents frequently attack US and Iraqi forces in the western province of Anbar, which includes Fallujah and Ramadi, despite US-Iraqi military operations in the city to stamp out insurgency and hunting foreign fighters.
New Delhi, April 18 (IndianMuslims.info) The UPSC has declared the final results of Combined Defence Services Examination I, 2006. 430 candidates have been finally qualified on the basis of the results of the Combined Defence Services Examination conducted by the UPSC and the Interviews held by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence. 85th Short Service Commission Course is starting this month.
Qualified candidates are eligible for admission to the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. The results also include the names of the candidates who were recommended earlier on the basis of results of the same examination for admission to Indian Military Academy, Dehradun/Naval Academy Goa Course, Air Force Station, Begumpet, Hyderabad Course(s).
This year, five Muslims find place in the results list. The representation of 1.16% for Muslims is almost same as 1.27% for the last year.
The number of vacancies for Short Service Commission Course is 175.
List of qualified Muslims:
74 MOHD IRSHAD KHAN
118 ASIF NAWAZ SHAH
280 NOORUDDIN AHMED
406 MOEIN AHMED QURESHI
408 JAVED HUSSAIN
By Kul Bhushan
"The worst NRI nightmare is Idi Amin's Uganda," recalled Shanti Lakhani in Leicester, UK. "A glimpse of the same horror was repeated last week." No matter where they live, all non-resident Indians (NRIs) recoil with panic at the brutal treatment by the Ugandan despot Amin. The recent violent demonstrations near Jinja and in the capital Kampala were a reminder of the dark days of the Amin era from 1971-1979 during which the dictator ordered all Indians to leave Uganda in 1972. This mass expulsion from their homes and businesses without taking any assets remains the ultimate disaster for all NRIs.
Lakhani should know. He and his family came with just 50 pounds to Britain 35 years ago as 'Ugandan Refugees'. Before he flew out, he buried his gold ornaments in a secret spot in his home. Moving to Leicester where other Ugandan Indians were converging, he started from a scratch as a petrol station attendant. Working almost round the clock, he bought the business a few years later with a bank loan guaranteed by his friends. It took some more years to repay this loan. By then, the new Uganda President Yoweri Museveni invited the Ugandan Indians back to Uganda 'to re-construct' their former homeland. Lakhani went back but only to dig up his ornaments from his home now taken over by Africans. Other Indian traders, including the two major Indian business groups, the Madhvanis and the Mehtas, returned to restart their operations and prospered again.
And now 35 years after this exodus that grabbed world headlines, the anger against Indians in Uganda resurfaced in all its ugliness when Indians were attacked, forced to close their shops and a young Indian was lynched to death. It all started with a protest by environmentalists who wanted to save part of a forest that the government wanted to hand over to the Mehta Group for developing a sugarcane plantation. 'Save the forest' protest by the opposition morphed into an anti-Indian diatribe. The protesters carried banners screaming 'Asians should go' and 'For every tree cut, five Indians dead'. From Jinja, it spread to Kampala.
The Indians hurriedly downed their shop shutters to save them from being ransacked by the furious mob. The Indian banks also closed down. Some Indians sought refuge in a temple that was attacked. And an Indian, Devang Rawal, was stoned and beaten to death by a vicious mob during a protest. A day after his death, oblivious of what had happened in Kampala, Devang's mother in Ahmedabad was joyfully informing friends of her son's return in May and his wedding preparations. When his body arrived in Ahmedabad, his mother and family were inconsolable.
"Although Indian shops in Kampala opened on Saturday, Thursday's mob attack that saw Indians being dragged off motorbikes and beaten, their shops looted and a Hindu temple attacked, revived bitter memories of virulent anti-Indian bashing by former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin who expelled nearly 75,000 Asians in 1972," wrote the 'Hindustan Times'. Leading Ugandan newspaper 'New Vision' editorialised: "The violence against the Asian community, resulting in one Asian killed, is unforgivable. It has led to the loss of life and the destruction of property of innocent people. It has diverted a noble cause into a racial one."
After the Indian government expressed concern over the safety of Indians in Uganda, the Ugandan government assured that no harm will be done to Indians in Uganda. President Museveni promised, "Such hooliganism will not be allowed to happen again". He said: "Ugandans need 'foreigners' to develop our country. They bring their savings here, their technology, their management skills and buy what we produce. Others come here as tourists and bring money. How can anybody claim to be pro-Uganda and be anti-foreigners who are contributing to our prosperity?"
But the incident shows how quickly the hatred against the immigrants flares up when peaceful protestors become hysterical attackers. As a witness to the Amin era, I have observed all this at close quarters from Kenya and reported on the plight of Ugandan refugees in Britain. Visiting Kampala a year after Amin took over, it was clear that the richly endowed country was on a steep slide into poverty and anarchy that ensued.
A 75-year old retired chartered accountant Natubhai Shah, who is living in Ahmedabad, recalled Amin's reign of terror in an interview with 'The Times of India', "Here I was, on an official tour with Idi Amin's entourage, trying to cross the Nile River when a military van stopped me from going ahead. One of the army men discreetly handed me a pair of binoculars. It was a chilling sight. Amin was standing beside the river, cutting flesh off an Asian man and feeding it to crocodiles in the river." Lakhani knows it all too well and prays, "God forbid, no NRI should face it!"
(Kul Bhushan previously worked abroad as a newspaper editor and has travelled to over 55 countries. He lives in New Delhi and can be contacted at kulbhushan2038@gmail.com)
By Sanjay Sharma
Bhopal, April 18 (IANS) Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen says the Gandhi family had nothing to do with the creation of Bangladesh. The new nation came up in 1971 because of West Pakistan's oppression.
"Bangladesh came into being due to the movement of its people, not because of the Gandhi family as claimed by Rahul Gandhi," Nasreen told IANS here.
"Nobody from outside can ever divide or create any country. It was the movement of the local people that brought freedom to Bangladesh," she added.
She, however, expressed gratitude towards India, which "extended help to Bangladesh in its formation".
The eastern wing of Pakistan seceded in 1971 to become an independent Bangladesh after a long guerrilla war against Pakistani troops. Eventually, the conflict led to the third India-Pakistan war in December that year.
The Bangladeshi writer's comments came days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi told an election rally in Uttar Pradesh that the Gandhi family should be credited for India's independence as well as Bangladesh's independence.
Gandhi's remarks have sparked a row - both within and outside India.
The Bangladeshi author, who lives in India, also expressed regret over the rise of Islamist fundamentalism in Bangladesh and wondered whether the people of her country were prepared for "real democracy".
"It was because of fundamentalists that I had to leave my country," she said, adding that though she was still a Bangladeshi citizen, the country had shut its doors to her.
"I lived in Europe for 12 years but was tired of staying in a rather different culture," said Nasreen.
The controversial writer also slammed the protests against Hollywood actor Richard Gere's kissing of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness programme in New Delhi.
"When Shilpa herself was at ease over whatever happened, who are those staging the protest? Are they the cultural police? This is a democracy, everybody has the right to choose and express themselves," she said.
"Things would have been different only if Shilpa had any objection to her kissing or got angry over it. If she was enjoying it, then what is the problem?
"All this happens in reel life and when nobody has any objection on seeing it on screen, why all hell broke lose when it happened in real life?" she asked.
Nasreen said that every woman, or every individual, had the right to freedom but most men believe that they offer freedom to women. "Who are they to give women freedom?" she asked.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Elections to all the 40 constituencies of Goa legislative assembly will be held June 2, the Election Commission announced Wednesday.
The term of the present assembly expires June 11 before which a new assembly has to be constituted.
The Model Code of Conduct comes into effect immediately from now onwards, said a commission announcement. The code will apply to the entire state and will be applicable to all candidates, political parties, the state government and the union government.
Notification for the elections will be issued May 8 when the last phase of polling for the ongoing seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will conclude.
The commission has fixed May 15 as the last date for filing of nominations. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held May 16 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations will be May 18.
Counting of votes for all the 40 constituencies will be held June 5.
Polling will be through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Central paramilitary forces will assist state armed police (SAPs) drawn from other states to maintain law and order and ensure free and fair elections.
Dhaka, April 18 (IANS) Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia is "packed up and ready to fly out", media reports said Wednesday even as influential advisers to the caretaker government denied plans to push her and rival Sheikh Hasina out of the country.
Though reports said the government was working out the "formalities" of sending Zia over to Saudi Arabia and that it would take five to six days as her stay was expected to be "prolonged", two government advisors said there were no such plans.
"There is no plan or pressure from the government side to send them abroad," M.A. Matin, communications adviser and the key man overseeing the government's anti-corruption drive of the government, said Tuesday night.
"You know, we are bringing many reforms in the political system but till this moment there have been no discussion or decision under the reform programme on whether the two leaders will stay home or go abroad," Matin said when asked about the 'fate' of former prime ministers Zia and Hasina.
Hasina, who has been charged with extortion and murder, is currently in the US amid rising speculation over whether she would ever be allowed to come back.
Matina also said the government had no plan to debar any political leaders from going abroad.
Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein was also quoted by The Daily Star as saying: "There is no initiative from the government to send any political leader abroad.
"Political reforms are going on in the country, and if anybody wants to leave the country to avoid being jailed or punished, that is something different," he said.
Zia was reported to be busy packing. A caretaker, who said three suitcases were ready, was apparently told by Zia to "look after yourself and the house while we are away".
A part of the retinue was being sent "on leave", reports said.
Zia reportedly agreed to leave the country along with her two sons early Tuesday. The authorities released her younger son Arafat Rahman within 24 hours of picking him up, ostensibly as part of the deal.
"A process is reportedly on for the release of her elder son Tareq Rahman from jail as per a 'understanding'," The Daily Star said.
The newspaper said the military-backed caretaker government had initiated moves to complete the formalities necessary for sending the former prime minister and BNP chairperson abroad.
"She (Khaleda) may leave the country at any time in the next few days... The authorities will not make any delay in sending the former prime minister along with her family members to Saudi Arabia," said a source said.
Media has been camping at the Zia International Airport (named after former president Ziaur Rahman) in anticipation of Zia's departure.
By Liz Mathew
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The central government may approach the Supreme Court to clear the way for the Haj pilgrimage after the Allahabad High Court's refusal to take up the case of the blanket ban on subsidies for the ritual.
Sources in the ministry of external affairs said the government would approach the apex court to go ahead with the preparation for the pilgrimage, which will take place in December.
The government started looking at its options after Justice O.N. Khandelwal, one of the two judges in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, refused to hear the case when the matter came up in court Tuesday.
The bench, also comprising Justice Jagdish Bhalla, had been hearing the case of the ban on the government subsidy for Haj pilgrims for the last five months.
Though Khandelwal - one of the two judges who had last August banned central and state government subsidies for any pilgrimage - said the matter would be taken up by a different bench on May 1, officials in the ministry said transferring the case at the last minute would involve more delays.
"It is a complicated legal matter. We have to begin the process soon. So the ministry is seeking legal advice over the future course of action," said Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, who is in charge of the Haj pilgrimage.
"The legal obstruction will also affect the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as the high court had banned all subsidies to religious pilgrims," Ahamed told IANS.
"It is not clear why the judge refused to hear the case in the last minute," added government counsel Haris Beeran, who had appeared along with Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh.
The Lucknow bench had in August last year ordered the ban on the subsidy given by the central and state governments for all pilgrimages. The Supreme Court subsequently suspended the ban for the Haj, but only for 2006.
The stay has to be lifted by the high court to clear the way for the pilgrimage this year.
While lifting the Lucknow court ordered ban in September, the Supreme Court had requested the Allahabad court that the legal position over the subsidy be cleared before the next pilgrimage.
The central government had also appealed to the court to dispose of the matter as early as possible.
Despite the hurdles, Ahamed seemed confident that the next batch of Haj pilgrims would fly out in time.
"I am sure both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and (United Progressive Alliance chairperson) Sonia Gandhi would ensure that the pilgrimage does not face any hurdles," he said.
The central government had last year decided to pay the round trip fare to 10,000 more Haj pilgrims every year, taking the total number entitled to the subsidy to 110,000 people.
The government also pays Rs.3,250 to each pilgrim going to the Kailash Mansarovar, the revered Hindu site in Tibet.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) K.N. Govindacharya, one-time ideologue of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was operated upon Wednesday evening at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi for removal of a blood clot in his brain.
Govind, 63, was admitted to Apollo hospital on April 7 after he fainted at a function in Hissar, Haryana. At Apollo, the doctors discovered a clot in his brain. But since he was fully conscious and normal doctors were trying to dissolve the clot through medication, said his confidante and senior journalist Ram Bahadur Rai.
His condition worsened Wednesday forcing the doctors to revise their opinion and go in for an operation. The operation was successful said Rai. "Govindji is in the intensive care unit, but fully conscious and joking around with friends and well wishers, including Uma Bharti, who has been visiting the hospital regularly for the last few days."
Govindacharya was addressing a function of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch in Hissar when he fainted and had to be brought to Delhi.
"There have been constant phone calls to ask about his health," said Rai also mentioning the phone call from BJP president Rajnath Singh.
Hyderabad, April 18 (Indianmuslims.info) Greater Hyderabad came into being with the formation here Monday of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation vide government notification No. GOMS-261.
The Minister for Information and Public Relations and in-charge of the city Muhammad Ali Shabbir released the Greater Hyderabad Declaration in the presence of chief commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Dr C.N.S.K. Sharma, principal secretary urban law and order S.P. Singh and city commissioner Sanjay Jaju.
Chief minister Y.S. Rajsekhra Reddy, who had been in Delhi at the time, extended his best wishes to the denizens of the city and hoped that the new urban entity of the city will keep the name of the city high and exalted at the national and international level by providing necessary facilities for the public.
To make the idea of Greater Hyderabad a reality, the Declaration merged 12 adjoining towns with the municipal corporation. The 12 towns merged are L.B. Nagar, Gaddi Anaram, Uppal Kalan, Malkajgiri, Kapra, Alwal, Qutbullahpur, Kokatpalli, Seerlingampalli, Rajindernagar, Ramchandrapuram and Patancheeru.
With this Declaration the new municipal area of the city has increased from 172 sqr. kms to 625.52 sqr. kms, and its population on the basis of Census 2001 has increased from 36.32 lakh to 55.21 lakh.
The special officers who had been looking after the management of the 12 towns will now work as deputy commissioners of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The government of Andhra Pradesh however did not include in Greater Hyderabad the eight adjoining gram panchayats – Shamshabad, Satamari, Jalpalli, Pamadpalli, Mankhal, Almasgoda, Sardar Nagar and Rawarala, which had been intended to make part thereof vide G.O. No. 703 and 704 of July 20, 2005.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Shabbir said these eight gram panchayats have not been included in the Declaration due to some technical reasons. He promised to make an announcement about the status of these eight gram panchayats very soon.
Pretoria, April 18 (NNN-BUANEWS) Greece has donated 30,000 Euros to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in South Africa, for community-based social support of orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS (OVC).
The Greek Embassy's First Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission, Ekaterini Loupas, handed over the donation to Macharia Kamau, the UNICEF Country Representative, at the Greek embassy in Pretoria Monday.
Greece was pleased to be a friend of UNICEF, Loupas said, commending the organization for addressing the psychological-social aspects of care, through creative story telling for children who had lost one or both parents.
Expressing the organization's appreciation for the Greek contribution, Kamau said the psycholoigcal-social support programme was a model of narrative story telling used to help children to express themselves on difficult and sometimes traumatic issues.
The programme is conducted under the guidance of experienced facilitators led by Dr Dorian Haarhoff, former Head of the English Department at the University of Namibia.
The exercise in creative self expression aims to help children learn to cope with the impact of HIV and AIDS and other related traumas in their lives.
Kamau said with the support of the Greek funds, UNICEF South Africa would continue its work in partnership with the provincial departments of Social Development in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa.
UNICEF's child protection programme, which is closely aligned to the National Action Plan for Orphans and other Children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS (2006-2008) incorporates strategies to strengthen and support the capacity of families to protect and care for these children.
In South Africa, amidst a population of 18.5 million children, care and social protection for OVCs is a major concern. The country currently has an estimated two million children who have lost at least one parent and a growing number of children living with HIV and AIDS.
An assessment by UNICEF, UNAIDS and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a joint 2004 publication, “Children on the Brink�, shows that at current parental death rates, South Africa will have some five million orphans by 2015.
Chennai, April 18 (IANS) Switch off that yellow light bulb, it is no longer an eco-friendly idea. Greenpeace, a global organisation fighting for environment, Wednesday launched an all-India campaign aimed at replacing the energy inefficient bulb with better alternatives.
As part of the campaign, the body started a signature drive to collect a million signs on a petition to the central government to ban inefficient light bulbs in the country by the year 2010.
Arguing for compact fluorescent lights (CFL), Greenpeace India said: "By replacing ordinary bulbs with CFL, we can reduce India's carbon dioxide emission by 55 million tonnes annually as well as save nearly 12,000 MW of power."
"The easiest way to tackle both climate change as well as conserving electricity is to ban the bulb," it said.
"Our talks with some of the state and central ministers were quite favourable. Our initiative to ban the bulb got a lot of support but still we do not see decisive action being taken.
"It needs a strong call from the public to push governments to take the required steps to fight power crisis and climate change at the same time. With this petition we want to empower people to call on the governments to implement common sense," Greenpeace India said.
The campaign was launched simultaneously in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore.
Actor Siddharth from Chennai, adman Prahlad Kakkar, actress Suhasini Mulay, musicians Jatin-Lalit, actress Mannya and several others supported the demand to phase out inefficient lighting.
Bridgetown (Barbados), April 18 (IANS-CMC) South Africa confirmed their place in the World Cup semi-finals when Andrew Hall collected career-best figures to undermine England's batting and set up a nine-wicket victory in their Super Eight match here Tuesday.
Hall snared five wickets for 18 runs from 10 overs to turn the match decisively in South Africa's way, as England, choosing to bat, were dismissed for 154 in 48 overs on a hard, true Kensington Oval pitch under sunny skies.
South Africa then reached their target in 19.2 overs, when their captain Graeme Smith fittingly drove Sajid Mahmood for the last of his 13 boundaries straight down the ground.
The victory put South Africa in the final four alongside reigning world champions Australia, their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, and 1996 World champions Sri Lanka.
Smith was unbeaten on 89 off 58 balls and added 72 - unbroken - for the second wicket with Jacques Kallis from 9.3 overs.
Abraham de Villiers was the only casualty in the South African run chase, when he was caught behind off Andrew Flintoff for 42.
De Villiers and Smith had erased any chances of an England comeback, when they shared 85 for the first wicket before the dismissal of the right-handed opener in the 10th over.
Hall had broken the backbone of the England batting, when he removed Paul Collingwood, Flintoff, Paul Nixon and Mahmood in the space of 20 balls between the 34th and 38th overs - a spell that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
Andre Nel helped Hall with the demolition job with three for 35 from his allotment of 10 overs.
Left-hander Andrew Strauss hit the top score for England of 46 off 67 balls, Collingwood scored 30, Ravi Bopara made 27 not out.
England were under pressure from the very start and subsided to 53 for three in the 13th over. But they looked to be mounting a fight-back when Strauss and Collingwood engaged for a 58-run, fourth-wicket partnership.
Strauss, however, was caught at gully off Kallis in the 33rd over. This is when England's problems began.
Hall returned for a second spell, and gained an lbw verdict over Collingwood in the 34th over.
Two overs later, he struck twice when he bowled Flintoff for five and had Nixon caught behind for one.
In his next over, Hall also bowled Sajid Mahmood for a duck and was on a hat trick. But Monty Panesar avoided the embarrassment.
Panesar combined with Bopara to stem the flow of wickets in a stand of 23 for the ninth wicket. But Nel had him caught behind in the 45th over before Hall ended England's resistance with an lbw verdict over James Anderson.
Pollock and Langeveldt made sure England's burden was never going to be light, and Ian Bell cracked in the eighth over.
Essaying a pull, Bell miscued the shot and was caught at square leg off Langeveldt for seven.
England captain Michael Vaughan, under scrutiny for his lack of runs in the opening position, looked to be growing in confidence with a couple boundaries off Langeveldt's fifth over. But Nel collected his scalp in the 13th over, when he had him lbw for 17.
The wicket that brought the Proteas most joy and left England in a vortex was that of Kevin Pietersen.
He was caught low down at mid-off by Smith for three off Nel to prompt massive South African celebrations in the middle of the field.
The South Africa-born Pietersen has had a rocky relationship with his opponents, particularly Smith, because of his critical comments about the affirmative action policy enforced in the selection of the South Africa side, which prompted his decision to qualify to play international cricket for England.
Though Strauss and Collingwood consolidated in the middle overs, England lost their last six wickets for 43 runs in the space of 86 balls, as Hall effectively bowled South Africa into the semifinals.
SCOREBOARD
Match No. 44th, South Africa vs England, Super Eight, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on April 17
England:
Ian Bell c Prince b Langeveldt 7
Michael Vaughan lbw Nel 17
Andrew Strauss c Smith b Kallis 46
Kevin Pietersen c Smith b Nel 3
Paul Collingwood lbw Hall 30
Andrew Flintoff b Hall 5
Ravi Bopara not out 27
Paul Nixon c Boucher b Hall
Sajjid Mahmood b Hall 0
Monty Panesar c Boucher b Nel 2
James Anderson lbw Hall 0
Extras: (b 4, lb 4, w 5, nb 3) 16
Total: (all out in 48 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Bell, 7.3 overs), 2-37 (Vaughan, 12.2), 3-53 (Pietersen, 16.2), 4-111 (Strauss, 32.4), 5-115 (Collingwood, 33.5), 6-119 (Flintoff, 35.1), 7-121 (Nixon, 35.6), 8-121 (Mahmood, 37.1), 9-144 (Panesar, 44.3s)
Bowling:
Shaun Pollock 10-2-17-0 (1nb)
Charl Langeveldt 7-1-38-1
Andre Nel 10-3-35-3 (2nb, 4w)
Andrew Hall 10-2-18-5
Jacques Kallis 8-0-22-1
Justin Kemp 3-0-16-0 (1w)
South Africa:
Abraham de Villiers c Nixon b Flintoff 42
Graeme Smith not out 89
Jacques Kallis not out 17
Extras: (b 4, w 3, nb 2) 9
Total: (for 1 wicket in 19.2 overs) 157
Fall of wickets: 1-85 (de Villiers, 9.5 overs)
Bowling:
James Anderson 5-0-32-0 (2w)
Sajid Mahmood 4.2-0-49-0 (1nb)
Andrew Flintoff 6-0-36-1 (1nb, 1w)
Monty Panesar 2-0-24-0
Paul Collingwood 2-0-12-0
Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets
Man of the Match: Andrew Hall (South Africa)
Umpires: Steve Bucknor and Simon Taufel (Australia)
TV umpire: Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Chandigarh, April 18 (IANS) The Haryana government Wednesday announced that a second expressway would be constructed in the state at a cost of Rs.44 billion.
The 267-km Ambala-Rohtak-Bawal (ARB) expressway would be the state's second expressway after the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway the contract of which has already been awarded.
The expressways are expected to greatly help industry and facilitate inter-state movement of goods significantly decongesting the National Highway 1 and reducing the distance between Bawal and Ambala by 50 kms.
Haryana Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hsiidc) Managing Director Rajeev Arora said Wednesday that the ARB expressway will provide a vertical axis from the Rajasthan-Haryana border on National Highway 8 near the Bawal industrial area up to the Punjab border near Ambala.
"The expressway will also help the industry and other development works in the backward areas of districts like Kaithal, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Mahendergarh," said Arora.
The feasibility study of the ARB expressway would be given to a consultant, Arora added.
He said that the new expressway would also be constructed on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) plan.
Chandigarh, April 18 (IANS) Hissar in Haryana Wednesday saw the mercury hitting the 44 degree celsius mark, the season's highest for the town till date even as showers in Chandigarh and adjoining state Punjab kept the weather cool for most part of the day.
People in Hissar mainly kept indoors with the mercury soaring. Streets and markets wore a deserted look.
In Punjab and state capital Chandigarh, it was a pleasant weather in most areas following a thunderstorm late Tuesday night.
The sky remained overcast over Chandigarh and other parts of Punjab with the maximum temperature hovering around 30 degrees at most places.
The cool and breezy weather Wednesday was a big respite to the rising mercury over the plains in north India in the past one week. Some places experienced showers.
Farmers in Punjab, harvesting their wheat or transporting it to grain markets, were upset with the out-of-season rain.
"My stock has got wet. With the moisture, the grains will not fetch a good price. This rain is bad for all farmers," said farmer Rajbir Singh in Banur, 20 km from here.
Dhaka, Apr 18 (IANS) Bangladesh will soon be without its battling begums, who took turns governing the country between 1991 and 2006. As Khaleda Zia prepared to leave under a 'deal', the government barred the return of Sheikh Hasina who is now in the US.
After ensuring Zia's departure - although no date is known yet - the government of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed acted swiftly Wednesday afternoon to issue a formal order asking immigration authorities at air and land ports to bar Hasina's entry.
The reason advanced was that she could "jeopardise law and order, stability, public security and economic life in the country," Star Online said.
Hasina was to have returned here next Monday after a brief personal visit to Florida. Her reaction and her future plans were not immediately known.
Calling it "a temporary measure", the home ministry said the action was necessitated by her recent statements while in the US calling the Ahmed government "unconstitutional" and asking for a timeframe for early elections.
While abroad, Hasina addressed different meetings and rallies and gave interviews to national and international media making provocative and divisive statements against the caretaker government and the law enforcing agencies, the press note added.
Under the circumstances, it said, if Hasina returns home at the present time, she might again make provocative remarks as in the past and create hatred and confusion through her activities against public discipline.
"As a result, law and order might be deteriorated, prevailing stability disturbed and public safety and economic life jeopardised," the press note said.
Earlier, in the run-up to the Jan 21 polls that were stalled, the Awami League and different political parties under the leadership of Hasina had resorted to "irresponsible non-stop street-agitation and activities that battered public discipline and put security and economic life at stake, leading to the state of emergency," the government note recalled.
Hasina had made conciliatory statements just before leaving for the US. She had supported the Ahmed government and said she would "legitimize" its actions if she was elected to power. Her only demand then was for early polls.
However, Hasina turned critical while in Florida, giving interviews after apparently hearing of the government's plans to prosecute her.
The government, however, persuaded her last week not to advance her return, assuring that she would not be 'harassed,' in what seemed a move to throw her off the track.
This is Hasina's second exile. She was in Germany when her father and Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of the family members in a military-led coup on Aug 15, 1975.
For nearly six years, she lived in New Delhi with her family.
In barring her return, the government also said that she had herself feared for her safety as per a "request" for security measures from her party leaders made Tuesday.
According to New Age, a two-member Awami League delegation had met communications adviser M A Matin and called for ensuring proper security for Hasina.
All along, till Tuesday evening, the government had been denying any move against the two women leaders. Zia, it said, was quitting to escape being tried for corruption charges.
According to media reports Wednesday, Zia's staff was packing her baggage.
Her departure was being kept a secret even as a media battery kept vigil at the Zia International Airport to record her departure with her family members.
What would happen to Hasina's family is not clear. Among her immediate relations is her husband, Dr Wajed Miah, a nuclear physicist. Her children are in the US.
Among those politically active is her cousin Sheikh Salim, whose premises were raided by the security forces last month.
Kolkata, April 18 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court Wednesday again deferred the much-awaited hearing on the report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the circumstances leading to the March 14 police firing in Nandigram of West Bengal's Midnapore district in which 14 people were killed and many injured.
The division bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice Biswanath Somadder adjourned Wednesday's hearing and fixed the date on April 26 because of the absence of Chief Justice S.S. Nijjar.
The same report on Nandigram was earlier put up for hearing Monday but it was deferred till Wednesday since West Bengal Advocate General Balai Roy could not prepare himself for the hearing and reportedly asked for some more time.
At least 14 people were killed and over hundred injured in East Midnapore district's Nandigram, 150 km from here, when the police fired at villagers protesting acquisition of land for a proposed special economic zone (SEZ).
During investigation, the CBI had reportedly found anomalies in the police version of 37 rounds of firing since at least 38 bodies received bullet injuries and 14 died in the firing.
The CBI, which was asked to probe the carnage by the high court, also noted the fact that no policeman had sustained bullet injuries though the police claimed they were attacked with firearms.
Kolkata, April 18 (IANS) The Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPC) would invest about Rs.39.79 billion over the next few years in an expansion plan.
"We have planned to set up a greenfield paper mill in Uttar Pradesh with a capacity of 300,000 tonne per annum. The project has not been sanctioned but it will tentatively come up within 30 months of the approval by the government," said HPC Chairman-cum-Managing Director Raji Philip here Wednesday.
He said that the company would invest Rs.26 billion in the greenfield paper mill project in Uttar Pradesh.
HPC operates three large integrated paper mills. Two mills in Assam are Nagaon Paper Mill (NPM) and Cachar Paper Mill (CPM) using 100 percent bamboo-based virgin pulp while the company has a wholly-owned subsidiary paper mill - Hindustan Newsprint Ltd (HNL)- in Kerala.
"We are also going for modernisation and upgradation plans with the investment of Rs.6.6 billion at CPM and NPM plants in Assam with 30 percent capacity expansion at NPM unit. The project has already been started and will hopefully be completed by 2009," he said.
Pointing out HPC's record sales turnover of Rs.10.89 billion during the last financial year (2006-07), the CMD said the company would invest another Rs.7.19 billion by 2008 for expansion and diversification of its paper mill in Kerala.
"This investment at HNL plant would augment the production capacity to 300,000 tonnes per annum," said Philip.
He added that with all the investment and capacity developing initiatives, HPC is eying to achieve 800,000 tonnes production per annum with a sales turnover of Rs.30 billion by 2012.
Kanpur, April 18 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here is mourning the death of "distinguished achiever" and alumni G.V. Loganathan, the professor who died in a US university shootout along with 32 others.
Loganathan, who had done his masters from IIT Kanpur after graduation from IIT-Madras, is credited with linking the IIT Alumni Centre here to the Virginia Tech's engineering education department on certain projects.
"We held a condolence meeting on the campus here Tuesday evening," IIT director Sanjay Dhande told IANS Wednesday.
The alumni association observed a two-minute silence as a mark of homage to the departed soul, while his contemporaries paid rich tributes to him.
Describing Loganathan as a "distinguished achiever" in the field of civil and environmental engineering, Dhande said: "It was very agonising to conceive what happened in Virginia, where I used to teach before coming here in 2001."
Rating Virginia Tech as among the "leading academic centres in America", he said: "I cannot even imagine in my wildest dreams that a student of such a place could take to such wild behaviour."
He suspects that the free availability of weapons in the US could be responsible for the killing.
"The high standards at Virginia do keep scholars on heir toes in an academically tense environment in which today's short-tempered generation was more prone to taking law into their own hands.
"And what could have tempted the killer more easily was easy access to a gun," he added.
"After all, this was not the first incident of its type in the US. There have been a few more such indiscriminate killings carried out by trigger-happy psychopaths there," he said.
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) Balloting was peaceful in the 57 assembly constituencies that went to the polls in the third round of elections in Uttar Pradesh, with a sudden drop in mercury bringing out more voters.
Officials estimated a 30 percent voter turnout around 1 p.m. that was rated as "higher" by the standards witnessed over the first two phases on April 7 and 13. More than 15 million voters - with Muslims making up a large percentage - were eligible to vote Wednesday.
Chief Election Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi attributed the improved polling percentage to a "sudden drop in the summer heat". Bishnoi told IANS: "To me it seems that the improved weather is bringing out more voters today.
"Polling during the corresponding period on the first and second phases stood at less than 20 percent."
Another senior official said: "I would not be surprised if today's turnout at the end of the day also goes up appreciably." The polling percentage in the first two rounds stood at 45 percent and 47 percent respectively.
While no trouble was reported from the polling areas spread across 10 districts of the sprawling state that has as many as 70 districts, officials were keeping their fingers crossed.
"Hopefully it should go on as smoothly right through the day," said Bishnoi.
Among the 861 candidates in the fray was Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav himself from Gunnaur in Budaun district even though he had already contested for the Bhartana seat from Etawah district in the first phase.
This phase will be an acid test for the ruling Samajwadi Party, which had bagged the lion's share in the previous assembly elections in 2002 by winning as many as 25 of the 57 seats. It was followed by BJP's 11, BSP's nine and the Congress' four. Smaller political outfits and independents won eight seats here.
Prominent among key contenders in this round are Uttar Pradesh Congress president Salman Khurshid's wife Louise Khurshid, who is seeking re-election from Kaimganj in Farrukhabad, state urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan, as well as D.P. Yadav, father of Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. The senior Yadav himself faces several criminal charges.
The importance of this phase to the Congress could be gauged by the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flew down Sunday to address two rallies in pockets that were extremely crucial for the party.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, also addressed a series of meetings at different places over the past three days. Besides his well-received road shows, Rahul left no stone unturned to woo Muslim voters as he paid obeisance at the popular shrine of Ala Hazrat in Bareilly.
A contingent of 65,000 paramilitary personnel was spread out across the 10 districts of Bijnore, Moradabad, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur, Budaun, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad and Kannauj where polling began at 7 a.m.
Karachi, April 18 (IANS) Former Pakistan captains Imran Khan and Javed Miandad have slammed Younis Khan for refusing to lead the national side, a development that has left Pakistan cricket in further crisis.
Younis was asked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take over as captain after Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped down and retired from one-day cricket last month.
But Younis felt the job was too stressful.
"I don't understand it. If he didn't want to be captain he should not have accepted vice-captaincy for the last two years," Imran was quoted as saying by The News Wednesday. "His refusal has led to a crisis."
"It is useless trying to convince Younis to lead the team if he does not want to do it. But what he did was wrong," said Imran.
The newspaper quoting PCB sources said that all-rounder Shoaib Malik has been tipped to be the next captain following Younis' decision.
Imran, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup triumph in 1992, said he wished Malik the best.
"He appears to have a good cricket brain and could turn out to be a very good choice for Pakistan cricket," he added.
Miandad also criticised Younis: "This episode is a reflection on the sort of discipline prevailing in our cricket set-up.
"It is disappointing for me that someone should turn down the honour of being asked to captain his country. It is not a good sign for Pakistan cricket."
United Nations, Apr 18 (NNN-PTI) India has told the developed nations that the main responsibility for taking action to lessen the threat of climate change rests with them, stressing that reduction of greenhouse gas emission by them would have "potentially significant" effect on security by moderating the "impetus for privileged access" to energy markets.
But efforts to impose greenhouse gas commitments on developing nations would "simply adversely impact" their prospects of growth, Indian Ambassador Nirupam Sen warned the Security Council as it debated the effect of climate change on security yesterday.
Sen joined several other ambassadors in questioning the competence of the 15-member Council to discuss the issue under the UN Charter.
The Council is mandated to take up the issues of peace and security and Sen told its members that a more immediate and "quantifiable" threat is from possible conflicts arising out of inadequate resources for development and poverty eradication as well as competition for energy.
Stating that steps towards poverty eradication is the prerequisite for accelerated growth in developing countries, Sen asserted that mitigating the potential of conflict would have positive implications for global peace and security.
But British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who chaired the special debate, disagreed with the argument that the issue was beyond the scope of the Council's mandate.
Britain, which holds the presidency for the month, had sought the debate.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India has developed a floating desalination plant - the first of its kind in the world - off the Chennai coastline. With a capacity of one million litres per day, it will prepare fresh water from ocean water to address the acute potable water shortage in coastal India.
The plant has been developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
"It's a first of its kind in the world. Mounted on a barge, the plant would provide much better potable water to any state along the coastline. The floating plant can serve any mainland where deep sea water is available 30 km-40 km off the shore," said Kapil Sibal, minister for science and technology and earth sciences here Wednesday.
"The total cost of the plant was about Rs.220 million. At present it's costing us just six paise to produce one litre of water. The plant would start its regular operations in early 2008," Sibal told reporters.
He said the water quality would be much better than what is available today. The total dissolvable solid proportion in this water is only 10 particles per million (PPM) as against a national standard of 2,000 PPM.
The plant will be demonstrated before the media Thursday.
Sibal said NIOT embarked on the venture after the encouraging results of the indigenously designed land-based plant at Kavaratti in Lakshadweep that has been generating nearly 100,000 litres of fresh water from ocean water.
The plant is mounted on a 65-metre-long by 16-metre-thick barge. The ocean's surface water is boiled inside a vacuum container.
The vapour created in the flash boil process is condensed through a refrigeration process with the help of deep-sea water collected from nearly 600 metres below the surface of the sea.
"The deep-sea water temperature is almost three times less than that of the surface water in the ocean and it helps in the cooling process of the vapour, thus preparing fresh water," said S. Kathiroli NIOT director.
He explained that the most complex part of the process is the withdrawal of cold water from the ocean, which requires a long pipe of one metre diameter made of HDPE pipes. HDPE pipes are manufactured in lengths of 12 metres. These have to be joined together to make a 600-metre pipe weighing 100 tonnes.
"Due to the density of the saline ocean water, the pipe floats and heavy weights have to be attached at the lower end of the pipe to straighten it. The pipe was assembled at the Ennore Port and then towed to the site and connected under the barge," said Kathiroli while speaking to IANS.
Elaborating, he said that to carry the potable water from the barge to the shore, NIOT has developed water bags of special material that can hold 200,000 litres of fresh water.
"Since fresh water is lighter than saline water, it floats and very little power is required to tow it to the shore. Small boats would be deployed to carry water from the site," said Kathiroli.
Chennai, April 18 (IANS) India is contemplating a system of trading green certificates to enable industries located in one state to tap the renewable energy potential of other states, a senior government official said here Wednesday.
He was speaking at an interactive session between the US and Indian energy experts organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here.
There is "a huge scope for India and the US to exchange information, transfer technology, enhance bilateral trade and investment in green power", said David Bohigian, US assistant secretary of commerce for market access and compliance, US Department of Commerce, during his CII address.
At the interactive session Bohigian also said that "both countries should work together in developing global standards in green trades, clean technologies and policies".
He noted that the economies of India and China are expected to be "among the largest in the world by as early as 2020" and added that "there is an urgent need for these countries to plan for the growth of their energy sector in such a way that it would meet the global demands of the future."
Talking on India's renewable energy policy, V. Subramanian, secretary, ministry of new and renewable energy, said that India has state regulatory commissions and a strong legal set-up to promote and govern the fast-growing renewable energy sector.
He pointed out, "There is a requirement for exclusive laws to deal with the standards pertaining to a mix of ethanol and gasoline in fuels."
He added that the government was working on schemes to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in green power attract latest technologies and global funding.
Talking about the business opportunities in the renewable energy sector in India, Ramesh Kymal, chairman Renewable Energy Council of CII (Godrej GBC) and managing director Vestas Wind Technology India (P) Ltd said, "India is poised to become a world leader in renewable energy technology and generation. The country has a $30 billion business opportunity in green power."
"The government of India has set an ambitious target to generate 10,000 MW of additional power from renewable energy sources by 2012."
He said that at present the renewable energy sector contributes to 7 percent of installed capacity and accounts for 2 percent of supply to grids.
He also pointed out that India is one among the six partner countries of Asia Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate, a recent initiative that aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"This initiative would greatly help Indian companies access clean technologies from partner countries," Kymal said.
BEIJING, April 18 (NNN-Bernama) -- India, whose palm oil products import was 77 per cent of total edible oils shipped in between November and March, will ensure that the proposed Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN does not end up as a "palm oil FTA."
"Talks on the FTA with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is moving along. We want to make sure that this not a palm oil FTA," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told PTI and reporters after concluding high-level meetings here.
"We want to make sure that this is an FTA which encompasses all ASEAN countries and most of the things have been ironed out," he said.
India imported 1.4 million tonnes of edible oil between November 2006 and March 2007, out of which 1.07 million tonnes constituted palm oil group products.
In 2005-06, total edible oil arrival stood at 4.41 million tonnes, with palm oil group accounting for 2.57 MT.
Negotiations between India and the ASEAN trading bloc were stuck for a long time over differences on concessions on items in the highly sensitive list.
ASEAN member nations include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Commenting on the possibility of a Regional Trading Arrangement (RTA) between India and China, Nath said the Final Report on the possibility of an India-China RTA will be submitted in October 2007.
Asked if India is ready for a RTA with China trading giant, the Commerce Minister said: "Let us see what the report says. China has to have transparency in many things."
PTI said, the Joint Task Force was set up to study the feasibility and benefits of an India-China RTA during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to India last November.
Nath, who held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Bo Xilai, emphasised that comprehensive economic and commercial engagement between India and China was a win-win situation for both countries as well as for other developing nations.
On the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP) with Japan, Nath said two round of talks have been held so far.
Noting that complementaries exist between India and Japan, Nath said he was of the view that the CEP with Japan will be able to be completed in one year.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India's GDP will continue to grow at nine percent, according to a report of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNECOSOC) released here Wednesday, even as the government is aiming at a 10 percent expansion.
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath along with the UN Under-Secretary General Kim Hak-Su released the report - Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2007.
"India is expected to grow around nine percent in 2007, under-pinned by a strong performance by the industrial and services sectors," the report said.
The Indian economy consistently maintained its growth momentum in 2005 and 2006, even though sectors such as agriculture continued to slow down, it said.
"Inflation, which continued to grow at over six percent and was led by sugar, petroleum products, chemicals and cement, has been contained to a large extent by the government's anti-inflationary measures," Kim told a press conference here.
The report also lauded India's efforts to bring down fiscal deficit to 3.7 percent of the GDP in 2006 compared to 4.1 percent in 2005.
"India has also been rated as the 18th largest exporter of services in the world, with its share in the world exports rising from 0.6 percent in 1990 to 1.8 percent in 2004," Kim said.
However, the report emphasised on the need to improve rural infrastructure such as roads, electricity, irrigation and telecommunications.
On the issue of gender discrimination and how it adversely affects the economy of the South Asia, Kim said: "The Asia-Pacific region has made good progress in reducing gender discrimination in recent years, but appalling disparities remain."
He said the region losses $42-47 billion per year because of lack of job opportunities for women and another $16-30 billion is lost every year because of gender gaps in education.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The annual update of India's foreign trade policy for 2004-09 would be unveiled by Commerce Minister Kamal Nath here Thursday.
"All stakeholder inputs have been taken into account in fine-tuning the elements of the annual supplement to the foreign trade policy through consultations," the commerce ministry said in a statement.
The original policy was also announced by Kamal Nath on Aug 31, 2004. It took an integrated view of the overall development of India's foreign trade with a two-fold objective - to double India's share in global merchandise trade by 2009 and act as an effective instrument of economic growth by giving a thrust to employment generation.
India's merchandise exports since the announcement of the policy have risen sharply, from $53 billion in 2003-04 to cross the landmark figure of $100 billion in 2005-06.
New York, April 18 (IANS) An Indian American journalist is part of the Los Angeles Times team that won this year's Pulitzer award in the investigative reporting category.
Usha Lee McFarling won the award for a series of stories on the world's distressed oceans.
The five-part 'Altered Oceans' project revealed how man has choked the oceans with trash and basic nutrients killing advanced sea life, making people sick and effectively reversing the course of evolution back toward "the primeval seas of hundreds of millions of years ago", the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Pulitzer Prize is regarded as the highest honour in print journalism, literary achievements and musical composition. It is administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.
Prizes are awarded yearly in 21 categories. In 20 of these, each winner receives a certificate and a $10,000 cash reward. The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal, which always goes to a newspaper, although an individual may be named in the citation.
Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) Indian equities made a comeback Wednesday with a key index rising 0.47 percent even as shares of India's top steel producer Tata Steel fell on concerns over its plans to issue new equity to fund its multi-billion-dollar takeover of Anglo-Dutch Corus.
The Sensitive Index (Sensex), the 30-share index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), rose 65.15 points or 0.47 percent to close at 13,672.19 after Tuesday's fall.
Nifty, the broad-based index of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), was up 26.65 points or 0.67 percent to close at 4,011.60.
However, Share of Tata Steel fell as much as 6.1 percent in early trade and finally closed at Rs.511.35, down 3.27 percent.
The steel major had after market hours Tuesday announced that it would raise $4.1 billion to help fund its acquisition of Corus, of which 12 percent would come through debt and the rest would be raised from new equity.
Tata Steel, in the midst of raising funds for its $12.9 billion takeover of Corus, said it would raise Rs.36.55 billion in a rights share issue and Rs.43.5 billion on a rights basis in an offering of convertible preference shares.
"The Tata stock reacted as investors were taken by surprise. They had expected an equity dilution in the range of 40-50 percent and not nearly 90 percent. Their guess was a 50:50 debt-equity ratio," said analyst Vishwas Diggikar.
Leading the major index gainers were state-run thermal energy producer NTPC, up 3.12 percent at Rs.162.00, followed by India's top lender, state-run State Bank, up 2.65 percent at Rs.1,035.45, gaining Rs.26.75 over its last trade Tuesday and technology major Wipro, up 2.09 percent at RS.586.20.
Top telecom service provider Bharti Airtel, state-run energy major ONGC and aluminium major Hindalco Industries were among those trading in green.
Major index losers were top two-wheeler and three-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto, down 2.02 percent at Rs.2,496.85, followed by second largest cement producer Grasim Industries, down 1.26 percent at Rs.2,342.55, and consumer goods major Hindustan Lever, down 1.21 percent at Rs.208.30.
Top multi-utility vehicle maker Tata Motors, leading cement producer Gujarat Ambuja Cements, top engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro and drug major Dr. Reddy's laboratories also traded in the red.
Hyderabad, April 18 (IANS) Global software services firm Infotech Enterprises Ltd posted revenues worth Rs.5.4 billion ($120 million) during 2006-07, registering a growth of 49.7 percent over its previous fiscal, company sources said Wednesday.
Infotech Enterprises, which specialises in geospatial, engineering design and IT solutions, registered its net profit after tax for at Rs.836.6 million against 503.2 million during 2005-06, up by 66.3 percent. This includes share of joint venture profits.
The company had proposed to declare a dividend of 22.5 percent for the 2006-07 fiscal.
"Our engineering services business grew at 69 percent and geospatial services grew at 27 percent along the lines we have shared at the beginning of the year," said B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of Infotech Enterprises.
He told a news conference here that while the firm witnessed growth in all regions, the growth in Europe has been higher than the North American region.
"Current geographical revenue split places the company in a strong position to mitigate economy-related risks. Infotech also established direct business relationships with aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus," he said.
Infotech also announced the inauguration of its state-of-the-art development centre at Manikonda, Hyderabad. Built on 10 acres of land, the 100,000 square feet facility can house 1,500 employees.
Infotech earlier expanded its operations by establishing development centres in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, Sydney (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand).
Reddy announced that Infotech would build news facilities in Bangalore, Visakhapatnam and Noida during the current fiscal.
By Fakir Balaji,
Beijing, April 18 (IANS) Intel Corp, the world's largest chip-maker, Wednesday announced here that it would unleash a family of new chipsets in May to enable quicker and easy access to the Internet on mobile computing devices.
Intel's next-generation Centrino processor technology, codenamed Santa Rosa, would facilitate manufacturers of mobile devices such as notebooks, cell phones and PDA (personal device accessories) to deploy WiMax (broadband wireless networks) in their products for seamless connectivity and greater access to the net.
"Personalisation and content are driving the demand for notebook PCs and mobile Internet devices (MIDs). With increasing use of mobile computing, Santa Rosa family of chips and processors have been designed and developed to provide high-speed access to content and personalized services," Intel mobility group vice-president David Perlmutter told delegates on the second day of the developers' forum.
The Santa Rosa technology consists of next-generation Intel core duo processor, mobile express chipset family, wireless network connection, gigabit network connection and optional turbo memory.
At a preview of the processor family to about 4,000 industry delegates from the world over, Perlmutter demonstrated how turbo memory decreases resume time from notebook hibernation to increase productivity and reduce system power consumption.
"In the first-half of 2008, a new version of Santa Rosa will be rolled out with our 45nm (nano metre) Hi-k dual core mobile processor, code-named Penryn. By next year-end, we will have Montevina process technology for greater performance and energy efficiency.
With about 40 percent smaller components, Montevina will be ideal for mini and sub-notebooks and will have an integrated hardware decode for high-definition video.
For the first time, Intel will offer WiFi (wireless fidelity)/WiMax solution as an option to enable Montevina-based notebooks access networks worldwide.
Mobile WiMax provides multi-megabit speed, greater throughput and wider range than other wireless broadband technologies and enables easier/faster access to user-generated content, high-definition videos, music, photos and large data files.
Based on the IEEE 802.16 standard, WiMax refers to broadband wireless networks that ensure compatibility and interoperability between broadband wireless access equipment.
The WiMax Forum advocacy group was floated in 2003 by wireless equipment suppliers to enhance the standards effort and establish product certification rules. On the other hand, WiFi is a limited range wireless networking protocol based on the n802.11 standards and uses spectrum in the 2.4GHz range to exchange data at broadband speeds.
Describing the evolution of the personal mobile Internet, Intel senior vice-president for ultra mobility group Anand Chandrasekher said the dramatic changes in the silicon roadmap would reduce power requirements in mobile devices and usher in new packaging technology.
"We have roped in a host of industry players to establish the MID and ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) product portfolios. Our ultra mobile platform 2007, formerly code-named McCaslin, for MIDs and UMPCs will be made available to vendors (read OEMs) such as Aigo, Asus, Fujitsu, Haier, HTC and Samsung," Chandrasekhar said.
The platform is based on the Intel processor A100 and A110 and comes with 945GU chipset and a controller hub. When the new platform based on 45nm low-power micro-architecture gets readied, the company plans to roll out a new version of the Santa Rosa.
By Fakir Balaji
Beijing, April 18 (IANS) Intel Corporation has unveiled an integrated media processor for the consumer electronics market that will power a new generation of devices such as digital set-top boxes and networked media players.
The processor, coded CE 2110, has been built on a single chip, using the system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture. It combines 1 GHz processing core with A/V (audio/video) processing and graphics to offer consumers advanced in-home information and entertainment services.
Demonstrating the features of the processor at the Intel Development Forum (IDF) plenary session on new products and technologies here Wednesday, Intel consumer electronics group executive William O. Leszinske Junior said the media processor would power intelligent devices for providing Internet-based information and services and video entertainment to consumers at home.
"The Internet has emerged as a powerful disruptive opportunity for the consumer electronics (CE) industry. With OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) competing to develop smarter, cost-effective products in faster time-to-market cycles, the all-in-one component design will help them to deliver advanced revenue-generating services such as voice over IP (VoIP), videophone, interactive gaming, enhanced karaoke and e-learning," Leszinske told delegates from the CE industry.
To have the first-move advantage, Chunghwa Telecom, a leading telecom service provider in Taiwan, has adopted the new SoC media processor for its multimedia on demand service deployment.
"We plan to expand our high-definition video content, karaoke, e-banking and e-learning services on the new Intel media processing platform. Intel will partner with us to conduct joint research in understanding consumer needs in Taiwan and develop solutions to enrich television-based content and services," a Chunghwa official told IANS at a preview of the product.
Intel works with CE firms worldwide to design and develop advanced video and interactive services to consumers. For instance, Asus Broadband Plc, the British IT products and services firm, has deployed the new SoC media processor in its set-top boxes.
Similarly, Digeo Inc, the US-based product firm in high-definition digital video recorder space, plans to deliver new moxi-multi-room HD (high-definition) digital media recorders.
"In the case of set-top boxes, the processing capability can be scaled to meet the requirements of advanced applications and support new services. The performance level is critical for supporting applications and providing headroom for all future applications. The SoC platform has been designed to be a multifunction device as against the conventional set-top-boxes," Leszinske said.
The agnostic CE 2110 platform architecture also allows developers and OEMs to deliver pure IP (Internet protocol) or hybrid set-top boxes to receive content from IP and digital broadcast pipes.
Tehran, April 18 (NNN-SPA) Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini Tuesday condemned killing of students at the Virginia Tech university on Monday, reported Iranian news agency IRNA.
According to reports, a gunman opened fire on classrooms at Virginia Tech university Monday morning, killing 33 people. He then turned his gun on himself in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history.
In a statement issued here Tuesday, Hosseini expressed his condolences with the US nation and the families of victims.
"Killing innocent people, irrespective of their race and nationality, is contrary to divine and human values no matter which group or person carries out such an act under any name," the Foreign Ministry statement said.
New Delhi, April 18 (NNN-IRNA) The Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline is viable and India would welcome participation of Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, according to Indian minister of state of external affairs Anand Sharma.
He referred to China's "aggressive run" to reiterate that India needed natural gas for maintaining the ideal mix of energy resources and for sustaining accelerated economic growth.
"We are keen to have energy cooperation with Russia," Sharma told English newspaper "Asian Age" on the sidelines of an international conference on India's expanding gas markets.
He was responding to the question whether Gazprom's participation in the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project will be useful.
Gazprom's deputy chief executive officer Alexander Ananenkov has said on the occasion of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's visit last week to Pakistan that Gazprom would decide on its participation in the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline after examining the feasibility study provided by Pakistan.
In March 2006, Fradkov told a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi that Gazprom will want to explore opportunities of meeting India's energy requirement.
He had said that Russia has experience in constructing pipelines and ways and means could be evolved to involve Moscow in the pipeline project.
He said that the ideal mix, which could sustain economic activity without degrading nature, would have to have gas in it.
"Gas and other clean sources of energy are badly needed by India for accelerated growth. There is an aggressive run globally. Even in our neighbourhood there is a race for garnering these resources and reserves," he said, indirectly referring China.
He observed that India was uniquely placed to exploit large quantities of natural gas that was available in her neighbourhood.
"We are looking at the possibilities of receiving or importing gas both at the eastern as well as the western coast," he said, alluding to the India-Pakistan-India, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India and Burma-Bangladesh-India pipelines.
Meanwhile, Petroleum minister Murli Deora will visit Pakistan early next month to sort out differences over transit fee for the IPI gas pipeline.
The transit fee remained a thorny issue between the two countries despite an agreement to share quantum of gas from the IPI pipeline.
The two sides would discuss the issue at the ministerial-level meeting early next month, it quoted Pakistani officials as saying.
Deora has already discussed the transit fee issue at length during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit in New Delhi early this month during which he reportedly conveyed India's reservations over "high charges" being quoted by Islamabad.
According to officials, Iran wants to sell natural gas to India and Pakistan at $ 4.93 per million British thermal unit(at $ 60 per barrel crude oil price).
On top of this, Pakistan wants a transit fee of $ 0.49 per mBtu (10 per cent of the gas price) and a transportation tariff of $ 1.57 per mBtu, making the delivered price of gas at India-Pak border $7 per mBtu.
Pakistani officials said Islamabad had sought 10 per cent of the gas price as transit fee to deliver the gas at Pakistan-India border to provide right of way, security and safety to the pipeline as well as taxes and other expenses.
Baghdad, April 18 (NNN-KUNA) The Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) accused intelligence agencies of foreign countries of blowing up two of its headquarters west of Baghdad on Tuesday.
IIP, headed by Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi, said that an armed group blew up a bomb in the party's headquarters in Ghazaliya Tuesday afternoon, causing great damage to the building and neighbouring structures and injuring several innocent people.
Two hours later, another armed group blew up a bomb in the party's headquarters in Ameriya and stole the belongings of a cultural institution and burned its building, it added.
It said there is heavy presence of Iraqi and US forces in those two districts, highlighting that the government's slack over security enabled those involved to carry out the attacks.
The IIP pointed out that several attacks targeted the party's interests preceded Tuesday's attacks, recalling attacks on the party's Baghdad Channel and Dar Al-Salam Radio, in which two people were killed and eight others injured.
The party denied accusations by leader of the so called "Islamic State of Iraq", Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, stressing that provocation was never the IIP's policy and reiterated security failure as being behind the attack.
Hamburg, April 18 (DPA) World champions Italy again lead FIFA's football rankings, ending Argentina's brief reign at the top, the new list published by the sport's world governing body showed Wednesday.
The Argentinians, who topped the rankings for a month, have not played since the last edition was published, while Italy were boosted by a 2-0 win over Scotland in a Euro 2008 qualifier.
The Netherlands (sixth), Portugal (seventh) and Spain (ninth) all move up one place in the top 10, but England are down two to eighth and the Czech Republic down one place to 10th.
Brazil remain third, while France and Germany stay fourth and fifth respectively.
Outside the leading 10, Turkey have moved up 10 places to 17th, Ireland have improved 20 places to 31, Northern Ireland are up 14 places to 33 and Bosnia-Herzegovina have gained 11 places to 47.
Success in qualifiers for the 2008 African Cup of Nations has also brought significant gains for three major African teams - Cameroon (13th, up five), Nigeria (27th, up nine) and Guinea (50th, up 12).
The next rankings will be published May 16.
Toronto, Apr 18 (NNN-PTI) Premier Indian carrier Jet Airways would introduce new flights between Toronto and New Delhi in August this year.
The airline would operate five flights per week between Toronto and New Delhi via Brussels or New York in late August and extend it to dailies later this year, Jet spokesman B Chandrasekhar said yesterday.
Chandrasekhar said Jet Airways would be operating a brand new Airbus 330 aircraft on this route, with two classes of service. Business class will have 30 flat bed seats and economy class will have an approximate 190 seats.
Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) applauded the Jet Airways' decision to commence a flight to India from Toronto. ICCC President Ajit Khanna said it would strengthen linkages between the two countries.
Khanna said ICCC has been working actively with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) and the Indian aviation industry to facilitate the opening of a new air route.
A GTAA delegation has gone to India to finalise the modalities. It would also discuss related issues with senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry in New Delhi.
Ranchi, April 18 (IANS) An eight-year-old elephant which died under mysterious circumstances not far from here may have been poisoned, officials say.
The animal died Tuesday in Huntar village, 45 km from Ranchi. Forest officials are awaiting an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. But they suspect it was poisoned.
"We are not sure but we strongly believe the elephant was poisoned to death by villagers. Elephants have caused havoc and villagers might have used poison to drive away the tuskers," said an official Wednesday.
The elephant, part of a herd of 18 elephants, started behaving abnormally and died within a few hours, villagers said. They added that the cause of death could be the pesticides sprinkled on nearby crops.
"No external injury has been found on the elephant. Veterinary doctors will reveal the cause of death," said S.B. Gaikwad, a forest conservator.
In the last five years, 330 people have been trampled to death by elephants. Over 70 tuskers have died in the same period due to different reasons like electrocution and poaching.
Ranchi, April 18 (IANS) With security worries uppermost on mind, the Jharkhand government has converted 25 schools in the state into police camps.
Many schools have been closed in the last five years as the buildings are used as police camps. Estimates put the number of affected students at 12,000.
When anti-Maoist operations are launched, the security personnel are shifted into school buildings. In some schools, the personnel live in the building while teaching takes place under the open sky.
As a result, a primary school in Ghure village of Latehar district is closed since 1990 and Maoist guerrillas have attacked the building thrice.
Education in the Chatrapur Middle school of Daltanganj has also been affected since 1990 for similar reason.
"For many years now, classes are taking place outdoors as the school building has been given to security personnel. Studies are badly affected by the movement of the security personnel but we cannot do anything about it," complained a teacher in Jhumra Hill of Bokaro district.
Another teacher of a school in Kurkura, Gumla district, said: "Student lives are always under threat due to Maoists. The rebels sometimes attack the police camp and the students studying in the open air are vulnerable to such attacks."
However, police officials pledge helplessness in the face of the state decision.
"We need places to house the security forces. The government has asked us to convert schools into camps. What can we do? We are just doing our job," said a police official.
Maoists are active in 16 of the 22 districts of the state. At least 600 people, including 290 security personnel, have been killed in Maoist related violence in the last six years.
Amman, April 18 (NNN-WAFA) King of Jordan, Abdullah II stressed on the necessity to move peace efforts in the Middle East in accordance with internationally and Arab accepted of the two- state solution.
During talks with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he said that the Palestinian cause is the core of conflict in the region and the establishment of an independent state is the solution and the top priority for all.
King Abdullah stressed on the importance of supporting the Arab initiative to maintain peace with Israelis and end decades of Arab-Israeli conflict.
Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) After enthralling viewers with 52 entertaining episodes with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as the host, "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC), one of the most popular game show on small screen, is coming to end April 19.
But not just like that! The badshah of Bollywood in his trademark style is all set to entertain viewers with an exciting fun-filled episode.
The grand finale will see two leading ladies of the silver screen - Kareena Kapoor with Priyanka Chopra - and the hottest pair of tinsel town, Salman Khan with Katrina Kaif come together on television for the first time on a game show.
"KBC was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed myself to the hilt. Sitting across Shah Rukh can be quite nerve wrecking, but he completely put me at ease. In fact, he was completely driven up the wall because Kareena and myself would keep debating which answer to opt for and always came up with different options.
"The fun was complete with Salman and Katrina on the show, where all of us did the last segment together," said Priyanka on her experience on the game show.
Salman, who generally stays away from the media, leaves the audience in splits with his wit and wacky humour. The episode also has Priyanka exercising her vocal chords.
All these celebrities will donate their prize money to different organisations. The ravishing Kareena will give it to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra while Priyanka will contribute her prize money to Nari and the Utkal Bipanaa Sahayata Samiti.
While Katrina will donate her prize money to the Kovalam Charitable trust, Salman will give the winning amount to his soon-to-be-opened Salman Khan Foundation (SKF).
Amid all the glimmer and action-packed drama, Shah Rukh will freeze some of KBC's assorted magical moments. In his endeavour to make it a night to remember, he will also distribute Khamakhan Awards, which is divided into various categories.
They are: Khan Ki Khoj (some inventions on the show like topi, gale milna etc), Krazy Kiya Re (some unforgettable moments with some unforgettable contestants), Kyunki Hum Sab Kalakaar Hai (some entertaining performances on KBC), Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge (Some romantic moments between SRK and female contestants).
The celebrity guests will announce the nominees and the winners of these 'Khamakhan Awards'.
Though the show is ending on a positive note with viewers wanting more of Shah Rukh, the third edition of KBC was under a scanner as the superstar was constantly compared with Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, the original host and reports of low TRPs (television rating points) kept making headlines.
But audiences from all age groups across the country have enjoyed the show immensely because the actor brought wit and informality to the show.
"He has turned the show so live and youthful. Watching the show with Shah Rukh was more fun. His facial expressions and gestures keep you hooked to the show. There is no denying that he is a successful host," said Anusuya Ambadan, a student from Kerala.
"I think he is stupendously hilarious. He cuts across all generations," said Savi Narula, a Delhi-based housewife.
"Sometimes my son, who is passionate about football, would sacrifice a football match on television to watch KBC along with us, mainly because of Shah Rukh," she added.
In fact, many felt that it was unfair to compare Shah Rukh and Amitabh.
"Shah Rukh is good in his own way. He is friendly type and it would be nice to have him host again. I won't like to compare Shah Rukh with Amitabh. And he wouldn't have looked good if he had imitated Amitabh.
"I don't think the audience would have accepted him doing what Amitabh used to do because Shah Rukh belongs to this generation," said Ranjini, a Delhi-based teacher.
However, for those who are disappointed over the end of the third edition of the game show, there is no need to feel disheartened as the show is coming back again, said Harsh Rohatgi, General Manager Marketing and Content, STAR India.
"It will be back somewhere in January next year and Shah Rukh Khan will continue to host it," Rohatgi told IANS.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in withdrawing the government's decision to reduce import duty on palm oil as the move would harm the interests of coconut farmers in the state.
In a letter to Manmohan Singh, P.R. Rajan, a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP, alleged that the decision to reduce duty on crude palm oil and refined oil by 10 percent was "thoughtless and unilateral".
The government had cut the duty on palm oils, both crude and refined, by 10 percentage points to lower prices and help tame inflation. It was reduced to 57.5 percent from 67.5 percent.
Pointing out that Kerala MPs, cutting across party lines, had asked for revoking the decision, Rajan said: "But it seems that your government is more interested in heeding to the pressures from the stock market and the traders' lobby than addressing the concerns of the poor farmers here.
"Such a situation is highly condemnable as this government is built with the votes of thousands of farmers who wanted a change in the liberal economic policies that were followed by your predecessor - the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government."
He added that the decision would further deteriorate the condition of coconut farmers who had been hit by the fall in the price of crops, and would lead to more suicides.
The state's coconut cultivation covers 900,000 hectares. The average annual fall in the coconut price has been 9 percent in the last decade.
Washington, April 18 (Xinhua) Children of all ages are exposed to TV commercials for junk foods at an alarming rate, says a new US study.
The study released by the US Kaiser Family Foundation found that children between 8 and 12 years of age viewed the most food commercials - an average of 21 a day or more than 7,600 per year.
Among other age groups, teens viewed approximately 17 food advertisements per day or over 6,000 a year, while children aged two to seven saw about 12 per day or 4,400 a year.
The study, which is the largest ever carried out on television advertising aimed at kids, had researchers look at and analyse commercials during 1,638 hours of TV programming on networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, the Cartoon Network, Disney, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
Vicky Rideout, vice president of the foundation and co-author of the study, said the significance of the study was "that most of the food advertisements that kids see on TV today are for foods that nutritionists would argue children probably need to be eating less of, not more of."
"Sugared cereals, candies, chips, fast foods, sodas, and soft drinks comprise more than 80 percent of all the advertisements targeted at children and teens," she said.
Nearly 25 million children and teenagers in the US are either overweight or obese.
Several reports from the US Institute of Medicine address the issue of food marketing to children and its role in the epidemic of childhood obesity.
Experts have offered a national plan of action - calling on the food, beverage, and entertainment industries to voluntarily develop and implement guidelines for advertising and marketing directed at children and youths.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 18 (IANS) The Kerala government Wednesday announced that 2,000 acres of land would be identified in Kannur for an international airport - the fourth in the state, with the centre having given its nod to the project.
"Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) will be appointed as the nodal agency for making the Kannur airport a reality. Moreover, we have seen to it that 2,000 acres of land are identified near Kannur for the airport," Achuthanandan told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
The state government has been working on the project after central Aviation Minister Praful Patel said in January this year that the airport would be sanctioned.
The first step to the construction of the airport was taken when E.K. Nayanar, who hailed from Kannur and was chief minister from 1996-2001, took the decision to have 200 acres of land identified for the purpose.
But things went into a limbo when the centre objected on the grounds that the Kozhikode international airport was just 120 km from Kannur.
The subsequent governments under A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy also tried to revive the project and things gathered momentum once hotel baron Capt Krishnan Nair also pitched in saying if necessary he could take the lead in building an airport under a build-operate-transfer basis.
"What we plan is to build the Kannur airport similar to the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL)," said Achuthanandan.
CIAL became the first private-public funded airport in the country when it opened in 1999.
Porlamar (Venezuela), April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Finance Ministers from Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela and a Bolivian representative are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to evaluate the South Bank.
The Venezuelan minister, Rodrigo Cabezas, confirmed the purpose was to study the documents gathered by the technical commission set up in Buenos Aires, Caracas and recently in Guayaquil, the second Ecuadorean city.
He said that they will also analyse the results of meetings recently held by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Washington.
They will also revise the future spectrum of the institution that foresees the use of southern countries' finances for economic and social development, without conditions, he said.
Cabezas considered Brazil's intention of joining the Bank excellent and said the participation of the South American giant was vital in the research of the finance and treasury ministers from the nations promoting the initiative.
Far from a political meaning, the Brazilian decision has financial importance, key for the proposal, since it is a country with USD 110.5 billion and owns the biggest Latin American foreign currency reserves, he said.
Among the first projects of this new regional bank is the Great South Gas Pipeline, a complex system almost 5,000 miles long, which is the main item of the summit Tuesday.
Madrid, April 18 (Xinhua) An alleged Al Qaeda leader in Spain said the killing of 191 people in Madrid on March 11, 2004 was "inadmissible" even as victims of the attacks testified for the first time Tuesday.
Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, who was born in Syria and is a nationalised Spaniard, said, "If one is Moslem, you cannot kill human beings." He said that all he knew about the March 11 tragedy was "what the media has reported".
The touching testimonies of victims and their families made the 26th hearing, held Tuesday in Madrid's National Court, the most moving session since the hearings began in February.
They said they wanted political responsibility from those holding public office at the time of the attacks.
Some of the victims said they are still suffering physical and psychological problems. They demanded justice, insisting that those responsible for the attacks be punished as harshly as the law allows.
By Sharifah Nur Shahrizad Syed Sharer
Auckland, April 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) Malaysia is to open five more agro-centres in various parts of the world to find new markets for the country's agricultural produce.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the agro-centres would be opened in Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, Dubai and Bangkok by early next year.
"The thing now is to get qualified officers to be our representatives, people who understand the country they are sent to and also the language. This will take time," he told Bernama here Tuesday.
Muhyiddin, who is on a week's visit to New Zealand to enhance bilateral relations, especially in the agricultural sector, said Malaysia had opened such centres in Beijing and Rotterdam, Holland.
Muhyiddin said the agro-centres were to enable the officers to have better knowledge of the local situation, including new policies, and to identify potential competitors and importers for Malaysian products.
"So far, the move has yielded fruit ... although I have yet to see whether or not there is an increase in exports, but it is easier for us to make contact and penetrate the markets with our officers there," he added.
By S. Retna
Nairobi, April 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrived here Tuesday for a two-day official visit to Kenya, the first by a Malaysian head of government to this East African nation.
The Prime Minister arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where he was welcomed by Kenyan Vice-President Dr Moody Awori at an official welcoming ceremony.
On Wednesday, Abdullah is expected to meet Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and then join the Malaysian delegation, comprising two ministers and a deputy minister, for a bilateral meeting with their Kenyan counterparts.
Accompanying Abdullah are Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar and Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Ng Lip Yong.
Abdullah will also attend a Malaysia-Kenya business forum in the afternoon, have tea with the Malaysian community in Kenya and will be the guest of honour at a state banquet at night.
This visit is expected to further boost trade between the two nations, especially in tourism and education, apart from other areas like infrastructure construction.
Total trade between the two nations has risen steadily over the last three years and amounted to 331.4 million Ringgit (one USD = 3.4 Ringgit) last year against 223.03 million Ringgit in 2005 and 177 million Ringgit in 2004.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister will go to Masai Mara in the heart of the world famous Serengeti plains -- one of th e few places in the world where wild animals, big and small, roam free -- to catch a glimpse of the annual wildlife migration. He is expected to depart from Nairobi in the evening.
Blacksburg/Chennai/Mumbai/Kanpur, April 18 (IANS) From his village in Tamil Nadu to IIT Kanpur where he studied and from her former neighbourhood in Mumbai and all the way to the US, there was mass mourning Wednesday for an Indian professor and student who were among the 32 massacred in an American university by a South Korean student who later shot himself dead.
As flags flew half-mast across the US in memory of the victims of a senseless slaughter, Indians joined a stunned diapora in paying tributes to Professor G.V. Loganathan, 53, and architecture student Minal Panchal, 26, who fell victims to Monday's shooting spree by Cho Seung-Hui at the Virginia Tech University.
On Wednesday, Indian authorities moved quickly to issue passports to four members of Loganathan's grieving family to fly to the US, where the man who has been widely described as a "thorough gentleman" is to be cremated in line with his wish.
Simultaneously, Indian diplomats in the US announced that Minal, who moved to the US with a dream to become an architect like her late father and who had gone missing after the shooting, was indeed dead. Her body was found and identified, sending shock waves in the large Indian student community in the university.
Minal's body was discovered around 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Tuesday on the bloodstained campus. Indian diplomats said Minal's body would be handed over to her family "in two to three days".
Even a full two days after the horrific killings, the Virginia Tech University remained in a state of shock. Millions of Americans, including President George W. Bush, expressed their outrage over the shooting. At the same time, questions were raised about the rampant gun culture that has triggered one massacre after another in American schools and universities.
South Korea was particularly worried, its leaders saying they hoped the action of 23-year-old Cho would not lead to a backlash against the large Korean student population in the US.
And in India, the sadness over the cruel death of a professor who had made the Virginia University his home since 1977 and a young woman who combined brain and beauty was felt by tens of thousands - and many openly expressed their feelings on the web.
A scrapbook of Minal on Orkut elicited hundreds of condolence messages from not just her friends, classmates and acquaintances but also those who have never met or known her in the past.
One such message read: "I don't know u personally... not even seen u... but I would never want some thing this happening to anyone... May (your) soul rest in peace."
Both Minal, who was pursuing masters in building science, and Loganathan, who taught civil and environmental engineering, were in the Norris Hall when the shooting took place in the Blacksburg town university. He was teaching -- and she was listening to his lecture.
Neighours at Minal's fifth floor apartment in Mumbai's West's Park View residence in Borivili said Minal's widowed mother left for the US two weeks ago. Minal's elder married sister Kavita lives in New Jersey. Minal's father Hiralal, an architect, died some years back.
Minal passed out in 1996 from Mumbai's Our Lady of Remedy High School at Poinsur in Kandivili. After gaining a science degree, she studied at the Rizvi College of Architecture in Bandra.
An ardent fan of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", her friends and former classmates described her as an intelligent and friendly girl who was thrilled to be with her sister - and in the US. The young woman was passionately in love with cricket - besides Indian and Chinese cuisine.
Said Neeta Bhivankar, Minal's childhood friend, told IANS: "She was a brilliant student and warm and friendly. She always wanted to excel academically and wanted to make it big in the field of architecture. I just can't believe Minal is no longer there."
At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur, where Loganathan did his masters after shifting from Chennai, a condolence meeting was held on the campus Tuesday evening, IIT director Sanjay Dhande told IANS Wednesday.
The alumni association observed silence for two minutes. His contemporaries paid rich tributes to him.
Loganathan is survived by his homemaker wife Usha and two daughters - Uma is graduating in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia and Abirami is a 7th grade student.
People close to Loganathan, who the university honoured as an excellent teacher, were all praise for him - both as an academic and a human being. Belonging to Karatadipalayam village in Tamil Nadu's Erode district, he was with the Virginia Tech University for two decades.
Vijayalakshmi Mallikarjunan, a network administrator at the university, said in a choked voice over telephone from the campus: "His killing is a big loss for us personally and for the Indian community here, which is now trying to give a hand to his family."
According to Surajit Kumar De Datta, also from Virginia, the university had around 450 students from India -- the highest from any country -- besides 30-odd Indian American faculty.
Karan Grewal, a 21-year-old Indian student and dormitory mate of the South Korean student who committed the slaughter said Cho Seung-Hui never looked sad or angry.
"I never really saw him with anyone," a shaken Grewal said. "I never took him to be a sad or angry guy, just shy." Cho, he said, often ate by himself in the dining hall, and he would turn his face away when others greeted him. "He never spoke a word," the Indian added.
Authorities said Cho used two handguns - a 9 mm one and a 22-calibre one - to commit the killings, and he apparently shot each victim thrice - before walking away looking for more victims. He had bought the weapons legally.
Though no suicide note has been found, investigators found a note in his dormitory in which he spoke out against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.
Cho suspected his Taiwanese girlfriend of seeing another man and had a row with her in a co-ed dormitory in the sprawling campus. When a resident advisor came to resolve their, Cho shot him. He then shot the girl. And then he walked away only to gun down 30 more people who had nothing to do with him or his troubles. In the end, he killed himself.
Virginia Tech has cancelled all classes for the rest of the week. Norris Hall, where Loganathan and Panchal were among the killed, has been closed for the rest of the semester.
London, April 18 (DPA) Lionel Shriver, author of the best selling novel "We Need To Talk About Kevin" believes that murderers behind mass school shootings "compete with each other for the highest body count."
Speaking on BBC television Wednesday, Shriver, who lives in London, said it was no coincidence that the Virginia Tech shooting took place five days before the eighth anniversary of the Columbine massacre.
She warned that other would-be killers would be "inspired" by the public outcry and international media frenzy sparked by each tragedy.
"I think they (mass killers) are competitive. I think the fact that this happened this week, which is almost eight years to the day from when Columbine happened is not a coincidence.
"There was a deliberate effort to top the body count. It is creepy but these people are very aware of each other," said Shriver, whose controversial novel deals with an "unlovable" teenage boy who murders seven of his classmates.
"The school shootings phenomenon is one of those self-perpetuating things. They get the ideas from each other," she said.
"I think the need to derive some kind of lesson from these events is almost overpowering. It is a way of redeeming them. But I do not think they deserve to be redeemed," Shriver said.
"They are evil and evil is eternal. I do not think we do ourselves any favours by trying to eliminate that mystery."
Her book, an international bestseller, was awarded the 2005-Literary Orange Prize for fiction by women.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The massacre at Virginia Tech that claimed 33 lives, including that of two Indians, will not jeopardise campus life in American universities nor should it stop Indian students from pursuing higher education there, a US embassy official said here Wednesday.
Describing Monday's massacre as an "aberration", Satish Kulkarni, Counsellor Science, Technology, Environment and Health Affairs at the embassy, told reporters: "What maybe happening is not what campus life is about.
"Individuals with different backgrounds go to these campuses and react in different ways and that (shootouts) could happen anywhere. I don't think the situation in campus life is in jeopardy."
Kulkarni himself got his doctorate from Virginia and his office was in the same building where the shootout took place.
Asked whether the incident would impact Indian students going to the US to pursue higher studies, he said: "I really don't think so. I do not see even the slightest sign of Indian students not going to the US.
"In fact the number of Indian students has increased steadily and at this time the largest number of foreign students in the US are from India."
To another question on campus security, Kulkarni replied: "It is important to realise that you have to have an open system because you cannot operate it like an airport. Consequently, one has to maintain some sort of balance between too much security and not enough security."
He felt that under the present circumstances, "there is a fairly good balance on American university campuses" on maintaining security.
On Monday, a South Korean student at Virginia Tech gunned down 32 people before fatally turning the weapon on himself. Among them were two Indian victims - Professor G.V. Loganathan from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and architecture student Minal Panchal from Mumbai.
Washington, April 18 (IANS) To remember and honour victims of a shootout at the Virginia Tech University, the varsity has established a memorial fund.
The Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, named after Virginia Tech's sports teams, will be used to cover expenses including grief counselling, memorials, communication expenses, comfort expenses and incidental needs, says the campus website.
As many as 33 people, including an Indian American professor of engineering, were killed and at least 15 injured when a gunman of South Korean origin went on a shooting spree at the campus in Blacksburg town Monday before turning the gun on himself.
The Hokies sponsor 18 sports and compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level.
New Delhi/Washington, April 18 (IANS) The body of Indian student Minal Panchal, who was confirmed dead Wednesday after a US university massacre of 32 people, will be handed over to her family "in two to three days", Indian diplomats said.
The diplomats in the US and the Indian student community of Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg say they will receive and guide the families of both Minal, 26, and G.V. Loganathan, 52, a professor who was also among the 32 slain by South Korean Cho Seung-Hui before he turned the gun on himself Monday.
India's external affairs ministry Wednesday said Minal's body would be handed over to her family "in two to three days".
The Indian mission in Washington has offered to coordinate the transfer of Minal's body, ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said in New Delhi.
The family, however, is yet to decide whether Minal's body will be transferred to India.
"Her mother, who is a Mumbai-based widow, and her brother-in-law, who is based in New Jersey, are yet to take a decision on whether they will transport the body back to India," Sarna said.
Ten members of Loganathan's family are flying down from India for his last rites that will take place in the next two days.
Four relatives of Lognanthan, a US citizen with OCI (overseas citizenship of India) status, are being provided passports in Chennai and will be issued visas from the US consulate in Chennai, Sarna said.
"Ticketing arrangements are being done by the passport office and the tickets are being paid for by the government of Tamil Nadu. The embassy of India, Washington, will make arrangements to receive the family in the US," he added.
Loganathan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, is survived by his homemaker wife Usha and two daughters - Uma is graduating in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia and Abhirami is a seventh grade student.
Surajit Kumar De Datta, director of international research, education and development and associate provost for international affairs, who was arranging visas for them, told IANS that the professor's parents, in-laws, three brothers and three sisters-in-law are expected in the US.
Minal, who was pursuing masters in building science, was in the Norris Hall when the shooting took place. Minal's family, which is from Mumbai's western suburbs of Borivili, was in the US at the time.
Neighbours at her fifth-floor apartment in Borivili West's Park View residence said Minal's mother left for the US two weeks ago while her elder sister Kavita is married and lives in New Jersey.
"Minal's father Hiralal, an architect, passed away a couple of years back after a cardiac arrest," said a neighbour in Mumbai.
Minal passed out from Mumbai's Our Lady of Remedy High School at Poinsur in Kandivili in 1996. After gaining a science degree from Mithibhai College, she studied at the Rizvi College of Architecture in Bandra.
An ardent fan of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", Minal chose to follow in her father's footsteps and become an architect. To her friends and former classmates, she was an intelligent and friendly girl.
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 18 (IANS) Before a berserk killer's bullet found her in a classroom at Virginia Tech, Mumbai girl Minal Panchal looked forward to following her father's footsteps in the world of architecture.
The Harry Potter fan who loved cricket as well as Indian and Chinese cuisines was confirmed dead a full 24 hours after the shooting spree by South Korean Cho Seung-Hui that killed 32 people Monday.
The body of the 26-year-old, who describes herself as a fan of dry, sarcastic humour, sketching and cricket in blog site Orkut, is likely to be handed over to her family in two to three days.
Minal's mother, who is a Mumbai-based widow, and her brother-in-law, who is based in New Jersey, are yet to take a decision on whether they will transport the body back to India.
"Well, she is the most sweet girl I have ever known. I know her from nursery. We use to share the same bench," says friend Sachin Shah.
"Minal is one of the few people whom I categorise as 'beauty with brains'. She has nice caring nature towards her friends and enjoys her life to the fullest," adds another blogger, Adi Das Girish.
Panchal had studied at the Our Lady of Remedy High School and later pursued her bachelors from the Rizvi Scool of Architecture, both in Mumbai, before she came to Virginia Tech for further studies.
She had read through the entire Harry Potter series and counted "When Harry Met Sally", "Matrix 1", "The Beach", "The Way We Are", "Philadelphia Story" and "Seven Years in Tibet" among her favourite movies.
A scrapbook of hers on Orkut has hundreds of condolence messages from not just her friends, classmates and acquaintances but also those who have never met or known her in the past.
"I don't know u personally... not even seen u... but I would never want some thing this happening to anyone... May ur soul rest in peace," said one.
According to one message, Panchal's body was found around 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Tuesday.
The blogger attributed this news to Shrikar Bhave, Panchal's batchmate who was on his way to Virginia Tech from Raleigh to support Minal's parents who are there already.
Neighbours at her fifth-floor apartment in Borivili West's Park View residence said Minal's mother left for the US two weeks ago while her elder sister Kavita is married and lives in the US.
"Minal's mother left to visit Kavita, who lives in New Jersey with her husband. Minal's father Hiralal, an architect, passed away a couple of years back after a cardiac arrest," said a neighbour in Mumbai.
"She was a brilliant student and warm and friendly. She always wanted to excel academically and wanted to make it big in the field of architecture. I just can't believe Minal is no longer there," Neeta Bhivankar, Minal's childhood friend, told IANS.
"Who would know that I'd lose her so soon and so cruelly?" she asked, echoing all of Minal's friends and family.
An ardent fan of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", Minal had decided to follow in her father's footsteps and become an architect. Instead she followed him to another world.
Pattani (Thailand), April 18 (DPA) Suspected separatists continued to terrorise Thailand's deep south Wednesday with a series of explosions and attacks, leaving at least two Thai Buddhists dead, one of whom was beheaded.
In Sisakorn district of Narathiwat province, 800 km south of Bangkok, unknown men shot dead two Thai Buddhist road construction workers at 4 a.m. Wednesday in their sleeping shelter and then decapitated one of them, police said.
It was believed to be the 25th beheading in the trouble-torn southern region since a long simmering separatist struggle took a more militant turn in January 2004.
Over the past three years and four months an estimated 2,100 people have lost their lives in clashes, crackdowns and retaliatory killings, bombings, arson attacks and beheadings.
Harare, April 18 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) Zimbabweans should unite to resist the pressure of illegal sanctions imposed by some western countries and shame Britain and other detractors who want to re-colonize the nation, President Robert Mugabe says.
Speaking Tuesday at a children’s party to celebrate the country’s 27th anniversary on April 18, he said loyal citizens should not be thinking of striking for an increase in wages but should try and find ways to beat the sanctions imposed on the country and the offensive attacks by the British.
“We have enemies across the oceans who denounce us left, right and centre and, according to them, we do not do anything good,� President Mugabe said in urging Zimbabweans to resist manoeuvres by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his allies to effect regime change in this country.
“The solidarity and unity of the people of Zimbabwe must not be underestimated,� he said, adding that in the wake of prevailing economic difficulties, the government would continue to review the salaries and conditions of service for civil servants.
The President also warned opposition parties that the government would not tolerate campaigns that disturb the peace and destroy property, learning and teaching processes.
The Children’s Party is an annual event hosted by the president on Independence Day eve, with children from all the country’s ten provinces attending the celebrations.
Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) Indian student Minal Hiralal Panchal, who had been missing after a gunman went on a shooting spree at the Virginia Tech University, has been confirmed dead by the Indian embassy in the US.
The 26-year-old, who was pursuing masters in building science, was in the Norris Hall when the shooting took place Monday in the Blacksburg town university.
Minal's family, which is from Mumbai's western suburbs of Borivili, was in the US at the time.
Neighbours at her fifth-floor apartment in Borivili West's Park View residence said Minal's mother left for the US two weeks ago while her elder sister Kavita is married and lives in the US.
"Minal's mother left to visit Kavita, who lives in New Jersey with her husband. Minal's father Hiralal, an architect, passed away a couple of years back after a cardiac arrest," said a neighbour.
Minal passed out from Mumbai's Our Lady of Remedy High School at Poinsur in Kandivili in 1996. After gaining a science degree from Mithibhai College, she studied at the Rizvi College of Architecture in Bandra.
An ardent fan of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", Minal chose to follow in her father's footsteps and become an architect. To her friends and former classmates, she was an intelligent and friendly girl.
"Last year she gave her GRE and TOEFL exams and was selected at the Virginia Tech on the basis of her high scores. She was eager to join Kavita in the US and was thrilled when she got selected to pursue her master's at Virginia Tech.
"She left for the US in September 2006 and was based in Blacksburg in Virginia," Neeta Bhivankar, Minal's childhood friend, told IANS.
"She was a brilliant student and warm and friendly. She always wanted to excel academically and wanted to make it big in the field of architecture. I just can't believe Minal is no longer there.
"We had been fearing the worst ever since the news of the massacre. We had been in touch on the Internet and it was only last week that I had chatted with her. Who would know that I'd lose her so soon and so cruelly?" asked a tearful Bhivankar, who had known Minal for 12 years.
Added Vibhuti Sarmalkar, another former schoolmate: "We used to keep in touch by email. When I first saw the news of the shootout, I prayed to god and hoped that Minal was safe. Now that the horror has become real, I just cannot believe it.
"Minal wanted to follow in her father's footsteps as an architect. She was so studious and her room was full of books. She was polite and always a true friend to us," she added.
Residents of Park View building added that the Panchals were very sociable. When Minal's father was alive, the family attended all housing society functions.
"In fact Minal's father served as the secretary of the housing society for several years. The Panchals had been living in Borivili for nearly two decades," said K.K. Parekh, a next-door neighbour.
New Delhi, April 18 (Indianmuslims.info) Muslim Congress leaders and workers staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here Tuesday and presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the anti-Muslim policies of the party as well as the infighting between chief minister Shiela Dikshit and State party president Ram Babu Sharma, which eventually yielded the party defeat in the recent MCD polls.
As Congress president Sonia Gandhi is busy in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the protesting Muslim Congressmen submitted the memorandum to Manmohan Singh. They were however raising the voice of discontent under the joint banner of Muslim Ekta Manch, Shama’ Education Trust and Awami Khidmatgar, and not from party platform for obvious reasons.
The Muslim Congressmen were raising slogans against Shiela Dikshit, Sandeep Dikshit and Vinay Sharma. One of the slogans was: party ke ghaddaro, hosh mein aawo or traitors of the party, come to senses.
Justifying their voice against Congress MLA Vinay Sharma, one of the Muslim Congress leaders said the anti-Muslim statements made by Sharma during the MCD elections hurt the sentiments of the community and served as one of the reasons of party defeat in the said elections.
“We demand that the party should review its policy towards Muslims,� he said.
He added that the memorandum urged the party high command to stop infighting in Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, and review the party policy towards Muslims.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 18 (IANS) A court here Wednesday ordered forensic examination of the original medical reports related to the mysterious death of Sister Abhaya in 1992, following a media report that the nun had been murdered.
Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate S. Soman decided to send the original manuscript of the medical records that were seized by police Tuesday after a raid on the Chemical Examiners Laboratory here.
The police move followed court directions on the basis of a petition moved Tuesday by Joemon Puthenpurackal.
The reports relate to tests conducted on the body of Abhaya who was found dead in a well in a convent on March 27, 1992.
The matter is again in the limelight after a daily last week came out with records showing that the medical reports had been tampered with.
Abhaya, who was an inmate of the Pious X convent hostel near Kottayam, was said to have committed suicide. But the media report suggested that she had been raped and murdered.
Though the results of the vaginal swab were positive for semen and spermatozoa, they were corrected using a whitener and rewritten as negative in the manuscript, according to the report.
R. Geetha, who had done the chemical examination in 1992 and is now chief chemical examiner, admits there were some corrections but it was not done under anybody's influence.
The case is also being re-investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after an order by the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate P.D. Sarangadharan in April last year.
Te CBI had in April 1993 taken over the investigation of the case after an action committee approached a court seeking a central probe.
The agency concluded in November 1996 that the death was a homicide but the murderer remained untraced.
The Ernakulam chief judicial magistrate did not accept the CBI's final report and directed it to conduct fresh investigation.
The CBI came under a cloud when its official Varghese P. Thomas, who began investigating the case, suddenly quit in 1993 saying that he was under duress from authorities to close the case as a suicide.
By Themba Gadebe
Johannesburg, April 18 (NNN-BUANEWS) The outcome of investigations into match-fixing allegations involving former Ghanaian football star Abedi Pele Ayew is crucial for his relationship with the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organizing Committee (LOC), it was stated here.
Abedi Pele Ayew, affectionately known as "Pele" is an ambassador for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Weekend reports alleged that he was involved in a match-fixing scandal after his club, FC Nania, won against Okwahu United 31-0 in a league game in March.
The Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 LOC, Danny Jordaan, said on Monday the committee had sent a letter to the Ghana Football Association, to establish the facts regarding the allegations.
Jordaan viewed the allegations in a serious light, adding that such behaviour would not be tolerated. He also emphasized the importance of establishing the facts before a decision could be taken.
"It is a matter for the Ghana Football Association to investigate, as it happened there. We will wait for a response from them before we can take any action," Jordaan told the media.
Abedi Pele serves as the 2010 FIFA World Cup Ambassador along with Cameroonain football wizard Roger Milla and South African soccer greats such as former Bafana Bafana defenders Mark Fish and Lucas Radebe.
Tumi Makgabo, the LOC's media officer, told BuaNews that the allegations were serious and could put the relationship between the committee and Abedi Pele in jeopardy. "But for now, we are waiting the response from Ghana Football Association, and then we will be able to act accordingly," she said.
During his illustrious soccer career, Abedi Pele was named African Footballer of the Year three times. The 43-year-old boasts 67 national team caps and has maintained his spot as the top goal-scorer in Ghana's 50-year football history.
By Zakaria Abdul Wahab
Islamabad, April 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) For nearly 30 years, about three million Afghan refugees who fled their country following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan have been languishing in Pakistan's rugged and mountainous frontier areas.
Many have adapted well although life is harsh in many of the camps set up by the Pakistani authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) along the Pakistan side of the border.
However, many have managed to enter deeper into Pakistan and are residing as far away as the cities of Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, assimilating well into the local community.
The Afghan refugees are predominantly from the Pashtun or Pathan ethnic group and this makes it easy for them to blend in as the local citizens, especially those in the border provinces such as Northwest Frontier and Baluchistan, are also from the same ethnic group.
But their future is going to change very soon as Pakistan has decided to stop playing host to the Afghan refugees by 2010 if plans to send them home to Afghanistan stay on track.
Several thousand refugees in the frontier areas inside Pakistan have already crossed back into Afghanistan with the help of the UNHCR early last month with the coming of Spring.
Pakistan has been a natural and good host to the Afghans following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 but now relations between the two have soured.
"Our official relations with Afghanistan are not good," said Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. "But the people-to-people relations are very warm," he told visiting Malaysian journalists at his office here recently.
Kabul and some parties in the West recently accused Pakistan of providing safe havens for the Taliban, the religious extremist movement which once ruled Afghanistan, and of harbouring Al-Qaeda fighters.
Khurshid said Pakistan was put in a difficult position as it had been accused by many of providing shelter to terrorists, drug lords and warlords.
He said the Taliban mainly lived in southern Afghanistan and 90 per cent of the world's opium poppy came from that country.
He said the drug lords and warlords did not want to see the Kabul central government remain strong so as not to disturb their drug business and areas under their control at the frontiers.
Khurshid said that after the West left Afghanistan alone, the Taliban started to resurface and after 9/11 there was a vacuum in the country and this was filled by the Al-Qaeda.
Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram said that contrary to some criticisms emanating from Kabul and Washington, Pakistan had made significant contributions to the stabilization of the frontier regions.
Pakistan was committed to eliminating the influence of the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda as this was essential for Pakistan's goal of rapid modernisation and increased trade and energy links with the republics of Central Asia, he said in an article recently.
Khurshid said trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan had increased from 23 million USD to 1.5 billion USD in the last four years and between 30,000 and 40,000 Pakistanis now cross over to Afghanistan to work daily.
Afghanistan was not serious in helping to improve the situation, particularly in securing and guarding the frontier between the two countries, he said, adding that Kabul did not agree to Pakistan's proposal to fence up the border.
He said Pakistan had mobilized 80,000 troops and set up 1,000 checkpoints along the 2,500-km border while Afghanistan only placed 32,000 soldiers and had just 89 checkpoints.
The minister said about four million Afghans fled to Pakistan during Russia's 10-year occupation of Afghanistan and during the period of the ensuing feuds for power among the warring local factions.
"But a million have already left Pakistan," he said, adding that the remaining three million refugees would have to leave Pakistan within the next three years.
"Those without identity papers will have to go first, followed by the registration-card holders," he said.
There are an estimated 2.2 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, according to a 2005 census by the Pakistan Census Organization.
Khurshid said Pakistan wanted to close down several refugee camps near Peshawar and Baluchistan and transfer them to Afghanistan.
The camps -- Kacha Garthi and Jallozai -- located in North West Frontier Province, and Pir Alizai and Gidri Jungle in Baluchistan Province, are sheltering more than a quarter million Afghan refugees.
Afghanistan has agreed to relocate the camps into its territory.
Whether or not the repatriation is going to eliminate the conflicts between Kabul and the Taliban and with the Al-Qaeda, or whether the life of the refugees back in Afghanistan is going to be better, remains to be seen.
However, one thing seems certain; Pakistan has been a benevolent host for nearly 30 years and the Afghan refugees cannot overstay their welcome, come 2010
Islamabad, April 18 (DPA) A Pakistani who has been missing since his detention and deportation from South Africa 18 months ago is being investigated by law enforcement agencies for alleged links to the 7/7 London suicide attacks, his legal counsel said Wednesday.
"As far as I understand, Khalid Mehmood Rashid is being kept in detention in connection with ongoing investigations into the bomb attacks in London tube stations in July 2005," Hashmat Habib told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA).
The government had not so far brought any documented charges against the defendant, he added.
The attacks on London's transport system on July 7, 2005, killed 56 people, including four suicide bombers of Pakistani descent, and injured more than 700.
Rashid was arrested in October 2005 by South African officials for overstaying in the country and extradited to Pakistan the next month. Since then he has been in the custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies.
His relatives filed a petition in the Lahore High Court in June 2006 to establish his whereabouts but he was only presented before a three-member panel of judges this month.
After a closed hearing on April 12 the panel extended Rashid's judicial remand by three months and ordered his transfer to Adiala Jail in the city of Rawalpindi.
Habib, who has yet to meet his client, said he would challenge the decision of the panel before a higher court.
The London-based human rights organisation Amnesty International has condemned Rashid's secret detention as "totally unacceptable" and demanded that Pakistani authorities allow him access to his lawyer, family and medical care.
Washington, April 18 (NNN-KUNA) Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday that he is hopeful about a possible end of US sanctions imposed on the Palestinian Authority.
Fayyad, in an exclusive interview with KUNA, said his optimism on lifting the sanctions, imposed after the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas took control of the government, came after "positive" meetings he had with top US officials during his current visit to Washington.
But he said he expected the decision to end the sanctions to come in a "gradual process."
During his visit, the Palestinian Finance Minister met with US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch which was briefly attended by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
After Hamas swept the last parliamentary elections in April 2006, the United States, the European Union, and Canada suspended direct aid for the Palestinians on conditions that Hamas, listed by the US government as a terrorist group, renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist.
In addition, Israel took similar steps and froze all tax and customs revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority. Fayyad estimated the amount of tax revenue withheld by Israel at about 400 million dollars, an average of 50 million dollars a month.
Fayyad, tackling the Palestinian economic hardship, said that the continued Israeli occupation limited "the scope of normal economic life" for the Palestinians.
"We are not building a nation of beggars," said Fayyad, making clear that his top priority is to have a Palestinian economy not dependent on external assistance.
The Palestinian official is in Washington to attend the joint spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which ended last Sunday.
On the ongoing peace efforts, Fayyad said the Palestinian Authority would welcome any international effort to revive the peace process, but acknowledged that the role of the United States, the key peace player in the Middle East, is "paramount" to move forward.
Fayyad, acknowledging the difficult political environment embroiling the 60 years conflict in the Middle East, called on Israel to show "readiness" to embark on a peace process.
Answering a question about the level of cooperation between Hamas and Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas one month in the life of the new government, Fayyad said "we are off for a good start, and the interaction is positive so far."
Fayyad, who was recently elected member in the Palestinian Legislative Council, praised the establishment of the new Palestinian National Security Council, saying "it is a necessary framework and a step forward as it provides a forum to deal with strategic issues."
Palestinian President Abbas issued a decree last Sunday establishing the new National Security Council in an endeavour to restore law and order in the Palestinian territories. As Finance Minister, Fayyad is a member of this council.
Fayyad, during the World Bank-IMF meetings, held talks with the Director of West Bank and Gaza Strip Program in the World Bank David Craig and other senior World Bank officials.
The World Bank, according to a Bank official in a statement to KUNA, already approved a "50 millions dollars replenishment in the Fund for Gaza and West bank" to finance new projects over the coming period of 12-18 months.
Gaza, April 18 (NNN-WAFA) Thousands of Palestinian demonstraters gathered on Tuesday assailing the Palestinian authorities for failure to release the British hostage Alan Johnston.
The demonstrators started the march from "the Unkown Martyr's Square" in the heart of Gaza city and proceeded to the headquarters of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Johnston worked for the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) in Gaza for three years.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Tuesday arrested scores of citizens, including a girl, in the West Bank, Witnesses and security sources said.
Security sources said that IOF thrust, early morning, into the city of Nablus and Balata refugee camp and arrested six citizens.
The sources added that Israeli soldiers stormed houses and arrested a 19-year-old girl, Najwa Hashash, and three brothers in Balata camp.
Witnesses said that the Israeli soldiers stormed several houses in the city of Nablus and arrested two citizens.
Security sources affirmed that IOF launched campaigns of arrests in Bethlehem, Qalailia, Jenin and different villages in the West Bank.
The Israeli arrests came as the Palestinian people commemorate Tuesday the 33rd anniversary of the Palestinian Prisoner's Day.
In HEBRON, thousands of Palestinians marched in the Gaza Strip and West Bank on Monday, marking the annual day of solidarity with prisoners, demanding release of their relatives and political leaders.
Demonstrators demanded that their leaders make the prisoner issue their top priority in dealing with Israel, in which more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners are being held in its jails.
In Hebron, at least 3,000 Palestinians gathered to show solidarity with the prisoners on their national day.
All the Palestinian factions participated in the protests which were organized across the Palestinian territory. Families of prisoners held pictures of their imprisoned beloved ones as many others held pictures most prominent Palestinian prisoners.
In Nablus, another protest was organized where famlilies of prisoners took to streets and demanded the immediate release of all palestinian prisoners locked in israeli jails.
In Gaza, thousands gathered in front of the PLC building, which was decorated with posters of the most prominent prisoners.
The prisoners' families also called Tuesday for the release of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, who went missing in Gaza more than a month ago.
"We reject the claim by any group that they may commit criminal and un-national acts in the name of the Palestinian and Arab prisoners," they said a statement.
according to official statistics, 4,575 Palestinian prisoners have not been tried, including 40 members of the PLC. Among them 376 are under the age of 18, while the Israeli Prisons Authority gave that figure as 371.
Chennai, April 18 (IANS) The grief-stricken parents and relatives of G.V. Loganathan, the Indian professor killed in Monday's Virginia Tech shootout, Wednesday received passports and visas for their US visit to attend his last rites.
Some of the family members did not have passports and their travel documents were readied with the help of the ministry of external affairs and the US consulate.
Having received the documents, the family members were scheduled to leave for Washington later Wednesday night by a Lufthansa flight.
Loganathan, 53, was among the 32 victims of Monday's twin shootings at Virginia Tech (VT). An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, he was teaching civil and environmental engineering at the university for the last 20 years.
The professor had wanted to have his last rites performed in the country he had adopted and loved as his own.
Nine family members including the professor's 83-year-old father G. Vasudevan, mother V. Kannammal, his brothers and their wives, his father-in-law and a brother-in-law, went to the regional passport office here to get their papers.
Regional Passport Officer Sumathi Ravichandran told the media here, "We completed the formalities in just an hour, heeding to the request of the ministry of external affairs and the Tamil Nadu government.
"The US consulate also at once cleared the process and provided them with visas," she added.
G.V. Palanivel, a brother of the late professor, said: "We did not expect to get the process to be over so soon. The government has made all arrangements for our journey."
The Tamil Nadu government said it would bear the cost of the US travel for the eminent professor's family, based in a village near Gobichettypalayam in Erode district, about 550 km south of Chennai.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday announced a reward of Rs.100,000 to a seven-year-old boy who showed exemplary courage when some people tried to kidnap him for ransom last week in Faridabad.
Singh sanctioned the amount from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to Ankit, who was kidnapped April 6 but later managed to escape.
The amount would be kept with a bank in a fixed deposit account in his name, which the boy could utilise after he attains 18 years of age.
"He exhibited bravery under extreme stress leading to the arrest of the kidnappers," a statement issued by prime minister office said.
According to the statement, the prime minister has also approved the provision of assistance for artificial limb through the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the brave boy who had lost one of his hands in the incident.
Earlier on April 15, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had announced a cash award of Rs.51,000 to the boy for his bravery.
On April 6, Ankit was kidnapped by tenants of his house who demanded ransom for his release. However the kidnappers, when chased by the police abandoned the boy on the railway tracks near Faridabad. The boy lost his hand under a running train.
The boy, however, did not lose courage and cried for help. People present nearby came to his help and rushed him to a nearby hospital with the help of the police.
Ankit later gave details of his kidnappers to the police that led to their arrest.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday directed Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz to discuss the controversial Babhali project on the Godavari river with the governments of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and facilitate an amicable solution.
The prime minister gave the direction after meeting a delegation led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, an official release said.
Deshmukh appraised him of the project that has been opposed by the neighbouring state.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. Rajsekhara Reddy had last month met the prime minister along with an all-party delegation from the state, seeking a stay on the project.
"After hearing representations from both sides, the prime minister has directed the union water resources minister, Saifuddin Soz to discuss the matter with both state governments and facilitate an amicable solution," said the release.
The interstate dispute over the irrigation project turned ugly April 10 when about 40 activists of Andhra Pradesh's opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were injured in baton-charge by the Maharashtra police during a protest rally in Dharmabad near the interstate border.
Srinagar, April 18 (IANS) The police Wednesday filed a third chargesheet against nine security force officials in the infamous case of killing a civilian in a staged gun battle in Dodwan village of north Kashmir's Baramulla district last year.
Five police officers and four army personnel, accused of kidnapping and subsequently murdering Ghulam Nabi Wani, were framed, Anand Jain, chief investigating officer told IANS here.
"Today we presented the challan against the former senior superintendent of police H.R. Parihar, deputy superintendent Bahadur Ram, assistant sub-inspector Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, selection grade constable Farooq Ahmad Paddar and constable Bansi Lal of the state police," Jain said.
"We have also charged Colonel Vikram Singh, Adjutant Major Narayan Yadav and two soldiers of the 13 Rashtriya Rifles," he added.
The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, wrongful confinement, kidnapping and pre-meditated murder, Jain said.
All the accused, except those of the Rashtriya Rifles, were present in the court of chief judicial magistrate, Sopore in north Kashmir when the chargesheet was presented.
Magistrate Abdul Rashid deferred the proceedings till May 5 to give time to the army to decide whether it wants the accused army personnel to be tried in the civil court or to court martial them.
The magistrate also ordered that summons be issued to the accused army personnel through the investigating officer.
Court has also directed Commander 3 RR to produce the accused in the court on the next day of hearing. The army has said they would co-operate fully with the civil authorities in bringing the guilty to book.
The accused were brought to the CJM's court in Sopore town amid tight security from central jail (Srinagar) where they are presently lodged.
They had allegedly picked up Ghulam Nabi Wani, a vendor, from the Residency Road area of Srinagar on March 2, 2006. He was later killed in a staged gun battle in Dodwan village of north Kashmir's Baramulla district and passed off as a foreign terrorist on March 14, 2006.
DNA tests, after Wani's body was exhumed, matched with the samples from his relatives giving the lie to the theory that he was a mercenary and proving that he was killed in a staged encounter.
Two chargesheets in the murder of Abdul Rehman Paddar, the south Kashmir carpenter and Molvi Showkat Kataria, a priest, have already been presented in the court of law.
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
Kuwait City, April 18 (IANS) The Indian capital's pollution and traffic congestion - cause of "concern" for the bids evaluation committee - could have led to New Delhi's 19-26 defeat to South Korea's Incheon city in the race to host the 2014 Asian Games.
The evaluation committee of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) listed the two areas of concern in its report following its visit to New Delhi to assess its readiness and preparedness to host the 17th Asian Games.
"A few areas of concern of the committee members, which was addressed to the bidding committee, was the question of pollution and traffic congestion," the committee commented in its 107-page report, a copy of which is with IANS.
"The bidding committee assured the members that pollution levels had come down drastically in Delhi with the arrival of Metro rail as well as all public transport vehicle being run compulsorily on compressed natural gas," it said, and pointed out that Delhi had been "declared as the most green capital in the world".
The committee wrote that it was assured by Indian officials that a separate lane would be earmarked for the games to avoid traffic congestion.
Forty-five countries voted in a secret ballot to choose Incheon at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) general assembly here Tuesday.
While the pollution and traffic could have played a part in New Delhi's defeat, several Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials said some smaller countries ditched India after assuring them their support.
They also alleged, on condition of anonymity, that money could have also played a decisive part.
"We lost 19-26," a top IOA official told IANS. The margin was not announced publicly as per OCA regulations Tuesday.
"One reason for our defeat was that a few smaller nations did not support us. One or two countries from the South Asian region too could have voted against New Delhi and one or two in West Asia could have done the same," he said.
"We lost by seven votes, but had we got four (more) votes we would have won," he said of the 45-member house.
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Arif Hasan had exuded confidence Monday that all seven votes (excluding India) in the South Asian region would go to New Delhi. It did not happen exactly like that.
Incehon's offer of a total of $20 million to all 45 countries to train their athletes and buy equipment also seem to have did the trick as New Delhi could offer only $200,000 each to the countries for the same purpose.
"We could not offer more money as the cabinet had told us that we could not offer more than Rs.500 million," said another top IOA official.
Most members of the IOA delegation believed that Sports Minister Mani Shaker Aiyar's adverse comments about the games bid contributed to the defeat. "Mani Shanker Aiyar has won," an angry Kalmadi said after the defeat.
An IOA official said the Incheon delegation highlighted Aiyar's comments during the OCA general assembly.
"They photocopied in large sizes Aiyar's statement in the Indian media and distributed to all the countries here."
New Delhi was also banking on the fact that it is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and most of the infrastructure would be ready for the Asian Games. Asian countries, however, did not seem to have taken that into account while voting.
While New Delhi hosted the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games, Incheon has never hosted the event.
Jaipur, April 18 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje now has a poster praising her as a Hindu goddess.
A Jodhpur resident and ardent admirer of Raje, Hemant Bohra, has designed the poster showing Raje as Annapurna (goddess of harvest) showering blessings on her ministers.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and Bharatiya Janata Dal president Rajnath Singh have been shown as Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva respectively, blessing Raje.
Two ministers in Raje's cabinet - Laxmi Narayan Dave and Pratap Singh Singhvi - are shown as Kuber and Indra, gods of wealth and rains respectively, in the poster.
Some Jodhpur residents have termed the painting as absurd.
"How can you compare a human being to a god? It is silly," said Surbhi Singh, a college student.
Harare, April 18 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) President Robert Mugabe has commended China for shielding Zimbabwe from attack by some western countries that have sought to use different fora to demonize the country and undermine its sovereignty.
Addressing a Chinese military delegation that paid a courtesy call on him at Zimbabwe House here Tuesday, he said: “Thank you for ensuring that your friendship becomes a shield that can shield us against our enemies and hostility at various fronts.
“At the United Nations they want to attack us and at various fora they want to find excuses to undermine our independence but we are always together.�
Hailing the close friendship and alliance between the two countries that date back to the days of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, he said: “We do not forget the support that was given us very sincerely, very genuinely, coming from a friend who was helping a friend in need.�
During the liberation struggle, the president visited China annually to discuss their needs and to request for more arms. “All that we asked for was given us which I will never forget and without that support our struggle we waged in Mozambique would have not succeeded,� he said.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the head of the Chinese delegation, General Deng Changyou, who is also political commissar of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, commended Zimbabwe for its achievements in the past 26 years and also wished the country prosperity and stability ahead of its 27th anniversary on April 18.
Shimla, April 18 (IANS) Priyanka Gandhi is holidaying here with husband Robert Vadra and their two children, police sources said.
The family went by chopper to Chandigarh and drove to Shimla late Tuesday. They are, as usual, staying at the Oberoi's luxury hotel at Charabra, 14 km uphill from Shimla in a deep pine forest.
Sources said they would be staying for about five days.
Priyanka and her mother Sonia are regular visitors to Shimla, but the Congress president could not join them this time because of the elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 18 (DPA) The state of Virginia will conduct an independent investigation into the handling of a shooting spree, including police response, at a university that left 33 people dead, Governor Tim Kaine said.
Kaine Tuesday said that at the request of Virginia Polytechnic Institute officials, he would appoint independent law enforcement officials to study everything known about gunman Cho Seung-Hui to how police and campus officials responded.
The massacre Monday at Virginia Tech was the deadliest shooting in US history and left students dead in a dormitory and a classroom building.
University officials have drawn criticism that they did not react quickly enough to secure the campus between the two separate shootings on opposite sides.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The government Wednesday disclosed to the Delhi High court that schools built on government land in the capital had been given three fourth of the land at one-tenth of the market price and the remaining one fourth of it at the rate of Re.1 per acre.
Disclosing the startling quantum of subsidy given to public schools to purchase the government land, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) counsel Vinay Sabharwal told a bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and S.N. Agrawal that the schools were given monumental subsidy on the cost of land only on the condition that they would reserve at least 20 percent of their seats for the poor students and educate them free of cost.
Sabharwal said that while three fourth of the land was given to construct the school building etc, the remaining one fourth was given at the dirt-cheap rate of Re.1 per acre to ensure that children have proper playground in the schools.
He said that DDA, before handing over the possession of the subsidized land to schools, had categorically stipulated in its lease deed that other land allotment letter that the schools will have to reserve 20 percent of their seats for free education to the poor students.
Following submissions made by the DDA counsel, the bench asked advocate Ashok Agarwal, who is pressing the court through a public interest litigation to force beneficiary schools to reserve 20 percent of their seats for the poor, "Whether the condition of granting freeship is obligatory and enforceable?"
"What is the validity of the show-cause notices issued to the schools by the Directorate of Education (DOE) and DDA," asked the bench adding whether legal action could be initiated against the defaulting schools.
The bench posed these queries also to the counsel representing the various government departments.
The court asked the government counsel to clarify whether the Jan 25, 2007 notification of the Delhi lieutenant governor enforcing the 20 percent quota to the poor for free education in public schools, built on subsidized government land, was valid.
"Whether there was any dereliction of duty on the parts of the officials of the Directorate of Education and DDA for not implementing the clause in the past?," the court wanted to know.
Counsel Avinash Ahalwat appearing for the Directorate of Education submitted that the court-appointed committee had recommended that all the 361 public schools, built on subsidised public land, should reserve 20 percent of their total seats for free education to the poor students.
On Jan 31, some public schools had filed a petition challenging the Delhi government's notification for free education to 20 percent of students in schools built on subsidized land, contending that the notification could not be implemented in its present form.
The high court had directed the government to implement the provisions in the lease deeds with the schools by forcing them to admit at least 20 per cent students under free ship quota.
The Delhi lieutenant governor has notified the state government's Oct 2006 order to private schools built on subsidized public land to reserve 20 percent of their seats for poor students and also waive their fees.
On Sep 13, 2005, the High Court had issued a stern warning to 106 private unaided public schools built on the government land allotted at a concessional rate, to provide 20 percent seats to the poor students.
Bridgetown (Barbados), April 18 (IANS-CMC) Graeme Smith hopes that South Africa's nine-wicket win over England in a World Cup Super Eight match Tuesday will remove the unwanted tag of "chokers" from around his side's neck.
The South Africans have been accused of choking in big matches in the past, and Tuesday's match was deemed vital for both sides to make it to the semi-finals.
"I think we have put the tag of 'chokers' to bed," Smith, the South African captain, told reporters at the post-match news conference.
"This match was a big-pressure match and we really demolished those sentiments about us being chokers."
Smith reckons the semi-finals will be another big-pressure occasion, and anything can happen in those sorts of games.
He thinks the way his side went about their business in the match was superb to watch.
"It was pretty emotional for all of us because we all were pumped and knew how big a game it was going to be," he said.
"We were so clinical in the field. We built pressure from the word go. We got the ball in the right areas. We created so much pressure with the ball and in the field, and the guys were calm and focussed."
"There are always a lot of things said when we lose matches, but it does mean a lot to these guys, and it really means a lot for them to get into the semi-finals.
"Hopefully, we can win that big game, and come back to this lovely ground in Barbados for the final."
Smith was philosophical about his side's wobble through the Super Eights.
"I think it has worked wonders," he said. "The team is on a high now, and the momentum is good.
"The atmosphere in the dressing room for this match before and after was really positive and upbeat. It was the kind of South African dressing room that I have become accustomed, and I think this will bode well going into the semi-finals."
With their Super Eight schedule complete South Africa are likely to finish in fourth place and face might Australia in the second semi final in St. Lucia if Sri Lanka dominates Ireland in their match Grenada Wednesday.
Smith is looking forward to the match with the reigning World champions and World No. 1, since the two sides met in the group stage in St. Kitts, where Australia prevailed by 83 runs in a high-scoring affair.
By Chris Cermak
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 18 (DPA) Virginia Tech is demonstrating to the world just what it means to be a member of the "Hokie family" as students and residents come together over the horrific massacre that has rocked this quaint little town, nestled below the Blue Ridge mountains of southwestern Virginia.
The shock and disbelief felt on campus and in the town of Blacksburg replicates the feeling at nearly all college or high schools before it that have suffered a tragic shooting massacre. This week's killing of 32 students and faculty was the worst ever shooting on US soil.
"This is Blacksburg. It just doesn't happen here," said Jason Tomkins, a history student in his final year.
Blacksburg is both a college town and a magnet for retirees. The Virginia Polytechnic Institute - as it is formally known - has 26,000 students. But the town of nearly 40,000 was also rated one of the 10 "best places to retire young" by Money magazine in 2007.
One thing young and old can agree on is supporting the university's American football team, which is known, as are all students, by the invented nickname "Hokies." Virginia Tech's 60,000-seat stadium regularly sells-out with students, alumni and local fans.
"All we talk about is football," says Ryan Poovey, 23, who work at a local liquor store. "This was a football town. Now everyone's going to think of the tragedy."
That fear was on the minds of countless students and residents after 23-year-old South Korean student, Cho Seung-Hui, shot 32 people in a rampage on the university's campus Monday.
"We don't want people to pass judgement on our school, because it's just an awesome school," said Andy Ehrhard, 19, in his first year of a degree in German.
Ehrhard waited for more than two hours along with thousands of his fellow students to get into a sombre memorial ceremony held Tuesday. About 40,000 people packed Cassel Coliseum and the college's football stadium, which had to be used as an overflow venue.
A mood of sadness and worry permeated the heavy atmosphere in the coliseum, where US President George W. Bush urged the community to turn to its "sources of strength," that they did, as thousands of students, faculty and family welled up in a spontaneous cheer.
"We are the Hokies ... We will prevail," the crowd chanted.
But that was nothing compared to the sense of community and belonging felt by those who attended a candlelight vigil later that evening. Thousands of students descended on a green field in the centre of campus, only steps from Norris Hall where Cho killed 30 students in a rampage that lasted all of 15 minutes.
The crowd held a moment of silence that lasted nearly 10 minutes, holding candles far above their heads. As their arms got tired they switched hands, and just as the candles were slowly losing height, up they went again as if in a final defiant stand.
The silence was finally broken by a deafening chant of "Let's Go Hokies." Some groups began singing verses of the hymn Amazing Grace.
"Things like this don't happen very often. You don't see people come together like this," said Tomkins, 24, who has spent the past 7 years in Blacksburg.
"Once in a lifetime," he mused.
Town residents of Blacksburg are just as shocked and saddened as the students that something so horrific could come to such a secluded and peaceful place like Blacksburg.
Resident Susan Reece, 50, believes that sense of identification is not a dynamic all college towns have.
"Some university towns don't embrace the university. Blacksburg embraced the university," she says.
Reece works at a local bakery, where she said many local residents came in throughout Monday and Tuesday seeking "comfort." "It's a very nurturing community," she says.
Blacksburg hopes that its reputation will not be harmed by Monday's killing spree.
"Hopefully it won't totally eclipse the good things of the town," says Ryan Poovey, offering the example of locals opening up their homes to families that have come to grieve, or just to be with their sons and daughters.
Even a student from China, Li Lifeng, said: "We are all the Hokie family."
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) After taking a three-day break in New Delhi, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will be back campaigning for his party in Uttar Pradesh, where the third phase of the seven-phased assembly election concluded Wednesday.
Rahul, who was scheduled to undertake a road show in Sitapur, Lakhimpur-Kheri and Barabanki districts Wednesday, had cancelled his tour at the last moment.
Congress sources confirmed his campaign programme in Gonda and adjoining districts of Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Shravasti and Bahraich Thursday and Friday.
Jaipur/New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is now depicted in a poster as a Hindu goddess, but her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not amused.
Hemant Bohra, former vice president of the Jodhpur unit of the party, has designed the poster showing Raje as Annapurna, the goddess of harvest, showering blessings on her ministers.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh have been shown as Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva respectively, blessing Raje.
Two ministers in Raje's cabinet - Laxmi Narayan Dave and Pratap Singh Singhvi - are shown as Kuber and Indra, the gods of wealth and rains respectively, in the poster.
While the poster has caused embarrassment to BJP leaders in New Delhi, Bohra justifies the portrayal saying Raje fully deserved a "divine status" for all that she has done for Rajasthan.
Some BJP MPs from Rajasthan privately described the poster as "height of sycophancy". "It is these people who bring a bad name to the party," said a senior party MP.
BJP leaders in the national capital avoided commenting on the issue on record.
"These questions should be posed to the Rajasthan unit spokesman," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told IANS when asked for the party reaction.
Another party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said: "Unless I see it how can I condemn it?"
This is not the first instance Raje's admirers have invested her with divine qualities.
A junior minister in the Rajasthan cabinet last year proudly declared that he worshipped Raje as a goddess, while an admirer had earlier penned 'Vasundhara Chaleesa' in praise of the chief minister.
Ghaziabad, April 18 (IANS) Doctors were on hand and army divers kept up their search, but hopes of finding 12-year-old Aas Mohammed alive dimmed Wednesday, more than 24 hours after he fell into a deep sewer tank left open by civic agencies.
Rescue operations had resumed Wednesday morning after being suspended around midnight. Army personnel had been called in Tuesday to help locate Aas, who had fallen into the pit filled with poisonous gases and sewage water at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Officials fear the boy could have been swept away in the high water current as the pit is connected to a sewage drain that runs for five km and then opens into the Hindon River.
Army divers were trying to locate the boy in the 12 ft deep by five km long sewer.
Army officials criticised the local authorities for delay in arranging necessary equipment for the rescue operation.
A team of doctors was also positioned at the spot.
Aas' parents and relatives prayed for his safe recovery, but with every passing minute their hopes too diminished.
"Though efforts are on, we have very little hope of recovering the boy alive," said Naveen Arora, senior superintendent of police.
Aas had slipped into the sewer while playing cricket with his friends near a bus stand in Islam Nagar in this Uttar Pradesh town.
On Tuesday, an angry mob went on the rampage, pelting buses with stones and stopping traffic to protest the two-hour delay in the arrival of local authorities at the spot.
In a similar incident last year, the army had rescued a six-year-old boy, Prince, from a 60-ft deep tubewell in Kurukshetra, Haryana.
Bhopal, April 18 (ebhopal news): The police officer who tried to stop the communal violence from escalating in riot-hit Talen town in Rajgarh, by taking on an RSS office-bearer had to pay the price with his suspension.
Naturally, no police officer was willing to uphold law and take action in the recent incident of elopment of Umar and Priyanka when former's brother was illegally detained for five days. The bureaucracy succumbed to the diktats of Saffron organisations.
Narsinghgarh SDOP (Sub-divisional Officer of Police) Suryakanat Sharma was suspended even before the inquiry of DIG was completed. One Ajab Singh Yadav was killed and local Hindu outfits wanted to avenge the killing. RSS leader Pramod Pawar had openly boasted that he could engineer a riot any day, reports Hindustan Times' correspondent Ashutosh Shukla, in a report published on April 14.
It was Friday, Muslims were assembling for prayer when Hanuman Jayanti procession was taken out in front of the mosque without permission. SDOP Sharma objected and there was an altercation.
The local RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP and BJP leaders dared police to arrest a single person. The riot led to several deaths and injuries to scores of persons apart from large-scale arson. However, it was later when the police reached Pawar's house to arrest him that he jumped off the roof to evade arrest. In process he received injuries.
Pawar later claimed that he was beaten by police. Without waiting for report of the inquiry, the BJP government axed the officer. The local MLA Mohan Sharma is a former Bajrang Dal leader and a known criminal Nitesh Agarwal was leading the procession, reports the newspaper. The three towns, Narsinghgarh, Biaora and Talen in Rajgarh district had recently witnessed communal clashes.
Livingstone, Zambia, April 18 (NNN-ZANIS) Zambian Health Minister Angela Cifire has commended member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for treating the HIV/AIDS pandemic as more than health problem.
The approach by SADC countries is a step in the right direction as it addresses problems that are interlinked with HIV/AIDS, such as poverty, gender inequalities and long standing cultural and traditional beliefs, she said here Tuesday.
Opening an SADC training workshop on mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in development, she said that earlier responses to HIV and AIDS were mainly health-oriented and failed to tackle issues that accelerate the spread of the disease.
She emphasized the need for all stakeholders to critically understand the kind of policies, strategies and actions that need immediate implementation to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS.
SADC Project Manager for HIV and AIDS Innocent Modisaotsile said it was gratifying to note that there was commitment from political leadership in the region to fight the HIV pandemic.
He said that mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in development programmes would help strengthen the capacity already existing in the region and reduce the rate of infection.
By Thapelo Sakoana
Pietermzritzburg, SOUTH AFRICA, April 18 (NNN-BUANEWS) South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province has expressed its readiness to host the upcoming Fourth World Congress of Rural Women (WCRW) later this month.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said it would be an honour for the province to host approximately 2,000 delegates, expected to attend the event from April 23 to 25 in Durban. The event will bring together women from local and international civil society and governments.
The congress will serve as a platform to address universal and wide-ranging issues confronting rural women. Some of the challenges facing rural women across the world include illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, hunger and abuse.
Ndebele said the province had identified farming initiatives as important factors that could grow rural economies. "As the province of KwaZulu-Natal we have identified the Agrarian Revolution as a key part of our strategy to grow the economy of our province,� he said.
"Central to that strategy, is the development of the entire rural economy, in an effort to increase its contribution to our Gross Domestic Product per region over the next three to five years."
Ndebele said given the structure of the rural economies of South Africa and the continent, it was important for women to play a leading role in the formulation and implementation of lasting solutions to poverty and unemployment in the world.
"We have no doubt that the WCRW will take us a step closer to the realization of our collective Millennium Development Goals and in particular the objective of easing the pressures of unemployment and poverty. The WCRW will bring South Africa a step closer to our goal of halving poverty and unemployment by 2015," he said.
The WCRW, which was founded in Australia in 1994, is held every four years under different themes. In 2002, it was held in Spain. It is a cross-sector global initiative aimed at discussing issues pertaining to rural women and finding practical solutions to challenges they face in the 21st century.
South Africa was chosen to host the 4th congress due to its history of women's activism in the struggle against apartheid and the continued efforts to place rural women at the centre of developing the rural economy.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and First Lady Zanele Mbeki are among local and international speakers expected to address the congress.
Cairo, Egypt, April 18 (NNN-SPA) Strong desert winds whipped up a severe sandstorm that engulfed Cairo and other parts of Egypt on Tuesday, forcing the closure of Cairo's International Airport for several hours due to poor visibility.
Cairo's airport authorities recalled that visibility was reduced to 100 meters (110 yards), leading to cancellations of more than 15 departures, mostly to Europe, when the storm struck at about 10 am.
All incoming flights were diverted to airports in the Red Sea resort towns of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheik.
Aviation officials said the storm abated about four hours later allowing for landing and departure flights to resume.
Meanwhile, police said they had initial reports of car accidents caused by the bad weather and that some elderly people with breathing problems were rushed to hospitals.
A blanket of orange dust hung in the air in Cairo, where it
was impossible to see across the Nile River.
Each spring, Egypt is hit by sand storms, known as the khamaseen, or the 50-day wind, that deposit a layer of fine sand on buildings and cars.
Ghaziabad, April 18 (IANS) Rescue operations to find 12-year-old Aas Mohammed, who fell into a deep sewer tank left open by civic authorities, were called off Wednesday after army personnel and civic authorities failed to locate the boy.
Rescuers called off operation after 35 hours as they failed to recover the boy, who had fallen into the 12-feet-deep pit filled with poisonous gases and sewage water at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
"We have to call off the operations, as we suspect the child might have been swept away in the high water current," said Naveen Arora, senior superintendent of police.
"A pit that runs for five kilometres and then opens into the Hindon River was searched completely. But no clue was found, so the search process was halted," he added.
Aas had slipped into the open sewer tank while playing cricket with his friends near a bus stand in Islam Nagar in this Uttar Pradesh town.
On Tuesday, an angry mob went on a rampage, pelting buses with stones and stopping traffic to protest local authorities arriving at the spot two hours late.
In a similar incident last year, the army had rescued a six-year-old boy, Prince, from a 60-ft deep pit in Kurukshetra, Haryana.
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) A security personnel on duty during the third phase of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday shot himself.
Madan Mohan (45) of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who hailed from Tehri Garhwal district of Uttrakhand, shot himself with his own service weapon around 6.30 a.m. at Jyotiba Phule Nagar, about 350 km from here, where he was posted at a polling booth.
The state's chief election officer A.K. Bishnoi described the incident as "unrelated to the election", even as official sources suggested stress related to service could have driven him to end his life.
Uttar Pradesh Principal Home Secretary K. Chandramauli confirmed, "He committed suicide."
Mogadishu/Nairobi, April 18 (DPA) Heavy fighting resumed in the Somali capital Mogadishu between Ethiopian-backed government troops and rocket-toting insurgents, killing at least seven people, reports said Wednesday.
The two sides exchanged artillery fire overnight Tuesday, forcing scores of people from their homes, as Ethiopian tanks sent a barrage of shells into various Mogadishu neighbourhoods.
Somali news agency Shabelle said at least 10 people were killed in the violence, but this could not be independently confirmed. Up to 50 people were wounded in the latest fighting.
The clashes came as a tentative ceasefire signed earlier this month between the Ethiopian forces and the city's dominant Hawiye clan struggled to hold.
The restive seaside capital has seen almost daily fighting since the Ethiopian troops marched into the city over the New Year at the request of the Somali transitional government.
In continuing fighting with insurgents - made up of Hawiye members and remnants of an Islamist group that ruled most of the country for the last half of 2006 - hundreds of people, mostly civilians, have been killed.
The United Nations refugee agency has said more than 200,000 people have fled the bullet-scarred city since February.
Since the ouster of the Islamists, Mogadishu has seen some of the worst fighting in 15 years with a European Union-backed reconciliation conference meant to quell the unrest and set to take place last Monday, being postponed by the government.
Somalia has been without effective rule since the 1991 toppling of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre plunged the country into lawlessness and warlord rule.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The newly announced special economic zone (SEZ) policy, which has limited the size of a SEZ to 5,000 hectares, can be "changed" according to specific needs, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Wednesday.
"For the moment we have limited the size to 5,000 hectares. But should any proposal comes up that requires us to review the policy we would see what can be done," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.
Kamal Nath said the government is looking at the rehabilitation policy and the provisions announced under the new SEZ policy can be reviewed.
The decision to restrict the size of a SEZ to 5,000 hectares will have huge consequences for Reliance Industries' two mega SEZs that are 10,000 hectares each.
The new SEZ policy was announced by the government April 5.
Seoul, April 18 (IANS) South Korea Wednesday hoped there would be no backlash against Koreans in the US following a university massacre blamed on a South Korean student.
A senior official expressed the concern even as President Roh Moo Hyun expressed shock over the Monday tragedy in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the town of Blacksburg.
According to DPA, the South Korean government said Wednesday it would work out measures to prevent any harassment of South Koreans in the US.
"The government will work out measures to prevent a backlash on South Koreans living in the US and minimize the impact on the South Korea-US alliance," an official was quoted as saying by the national news agency Yonhap.
South Korean Cho Seung Hui went on a shooting spree in the university, killing 32 people before shooting himself dead.
Cho had moved to the US with his family at the age of 8 and lived in a Virginia suburb of Washington. Fifteen people were also injured in the shooting, the deadliest in US history
President Roh Wednesday expressed the hope that the Korean-American community and all US citizens would overcome their grief.
"I and the entire South Korean nation were severely shocked by the tragic incident at Virginia Tech," Roh told reporters here after meeting visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
Roh also met Wednesday his aides and Foreign Minister Song Min Soon to discuss measures to deal with any fallout over the massacre.
On behalf of all South Koreans, Roh expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the shooting. "We feel a deep bitterness."
St. George's (Grenada), April 18 (IANS) Farveez Mahroof took three wickets in an over as Sri Lanka sailed to an easy eight-wicket victory over Ireland in a Super Eight match of the World Cup at the National Cricket Stadium here Wednesday.
Sri Lanka - already assured of their place in the semi-finals - bowled out Ireland for a mere 77 runs before reaching 81 for 2 with 40 overs remaining.
Ireland's score of 77 was the lowest in the ongoing tournament and sixth lowest in World Cup history.
Earlier, captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bowl against Ireland. Opener Jeremy Bray top-score for Ireland with 29 (4X4). Muttiah Muralitharan and Maharoof claimed four wickets each as veteran pacer Chaminda Vaas took one.
With just 78 runs required to win, Sri Lanka romped home in just 10 overs, losing two wickets. Opener Sanath Jayasuriya and Jayawardene remained not out on 24 and 39 respectively.
SCOREBOARD
Match No. 45th, Sri Lanka vs Ireland, Super Eight, National Cricket Stadium, St George's, Grenada on April 18
Ireland:
J Bray c Arnold b Maharoof 20
W Porterfield c Jayasuriya b Maharoof 17
A Botha c Sangakkara b Maharoof 0
E Morgan c Sangakkara b Maharoof 0
N O'Brien c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 4
K O'Brien c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 2
K Carroll b Muralitharan 0
T Johnston run out (Maharoof) 0
K McCallan lbw b Muralitharan 0
D Langford-Smith lbw b Vaas 18
B Rankin not out 7
Extras (lb 5, w 2, nb 2) 9
Total (all out; 27.4 overs; 125 mins) 77
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Bray, 7.3 overs), 2-28 (Botha, 7.5 overs), 3-28 (Morgan, 7.6 overs), 4-46 (Porterfield, 17.6 overs), 5-48 (NJ O'Brien, 18.2 overs), 6-48 (Carroll, 18.4 overs), 7-49 (Johnston, 19.4 overs), 8-49 (KJ O'Brien, 20.1 overs), 9-54 (McCallan, 22.4 overs), 10-77 (Langford-Smith, 27.4 overs)
Bowling:
Chaminda Vaas 5.4-1-18-1 (1nb)
Nuwan Kulasekara 7-3-10-0
Farveez Maharoof 10-3-25-4 (1nb)
Muttiah Muralitharan 5-0-19-4
Sri Lanka:
W Tharanga c Porterfield b Rankin 0
S Jayasuriya not out 24
K Sangakkara c Carroll b Langford-Smith 10
M Jayawardene not out 39
Extras (w 5, nb 3) 8
Total (2 wickets; 10 overs; 51 mins) 81
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Tharanga, 0.6 overs), 2-25 (Sangakkara, 3.2 overs)
Bowling:
Boyd Rankin 4-0-36-1 (3nb, 2w)
D Langford-Smith 3-0-29-1 (3w)
Andre Botha 1-0-4-0
Kevin O'Brien 1-0-4-0
Kenneth Carroll 1-0-8-0
Result: Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
Man of the Match: Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka)
Umpires: MR Benson (England) and BR Doctrove
TV umpire: DJ Harper (Australia)
Match referee: BC Broad (England)
Colombo, April 18 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka has appointed a ministerial panel to probe growing accusations of human rights violations in the country, defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said Wednesday.
He said the panel is composed of ministries of foreign affairs, defence, justice, human rights, rehabilitation along with the Attorney General and commanders of the security forces.
"They will go into each and every case of rights violations by meeting every Tuesday," Rambukwella said.
The government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have faced charges of human rights violations from international human rights watchdogs.
Sri Lanka have resisted calls by the UN Human Rights Commission to invite independent monitors to the island to observe rights situation.
Rambukwella said any rights mechanisms would be put in place only under bilateral agreement and not by compulsion.
The government has already appointed a panel headed by a former Supreme Court judge to investigate 15 cases of high profile violations and has also invited an international panel to observe the proceedings.
Colombo, April 18 (DPA) The Sri Lankan air force Wednesday bombed suspected Tamil rebel targets in the northern part of the country for the second successive day as they stepped up attacks on the rebels after the traditional new year, military officials said.
The air force bombed a suspected rebel communication centre, a meeting point of the intelligence wing cadres and their air strip in the northern Wanni region, more than 320 km north east of the capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the officials.
A rebel communication centre in Pudukudiiruppu, Mullaitivu was bombed on Wednesday morning and a short while later a meeting of the intelligence wing members was bombed in the adjoining Kilinochchi district.
On Tuesday, an airstrip of the rebels, also located in the Kilinochchi district, was targeted.
No details of the damage were immediately available, but the military claimed that all attacks had been successful.
Tamil rebels on March 26 used two of their light aircraft to carry out an aerial attack on an air force base adjoining the international airport at Katunanayaka, 23 km north of the capital. Three bombs had been dropped, but only two exploded.
The air force has stepped up their attacks on rebel targets in the north after New Year celebrations ended over the weekend.
Over 4,000 people have been killed during the past 15 months as violence has escalated in the northern and eastern parts of the country.
Jaipur, April 18 (IANS) Rajasthan is taking necessary steps to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya falling on Thursday/Friday, this year. It is considered to be one of the most auspicious days for marriages by Hindus.
The police headquarters has issued directions to the district level officers to prevent child marriages on the day.
Every year, large-scale child marriages take place on Akshaya Tritiya in the state's rural areas, especially among the tribals. According to rough estimates, in some districts of Rajasthan, over 60 percent of the girls are married off before they turn 18.
To prevent child marriages, police officers have been asked to take the support of various women's organisations and other NGOs, besides the officers and employees in different departments working at the district level.
They have also been asked to create awareness against this social evil.
The in-charge of the police station along with the subordinate staff will collect information about the prospective child marriages in the villages and localities under their jurisdiction.
They have been asked to contact priests, owners of tent houses, mares and caterers about child marriages and also to take action against the people if they refuse to divulge information.
The station in-charge will take legal steps on receiving the information and make adequate arrangements to prevent child marriages.
The police have also been directed to ensure that no child marriage is solemnised at community marriage functions in their respective districts.
Responsibility will be fixed on officers and employees of different departments posted at the village level.
Instructions have also been issued to start a door-to-door campaign to spread the message about adverse affects of child marriage.
Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil said that child marriage was a big social evil, which blocks the path towards educational, social and economic development of children. She added that child marriage was a crime under the Child Marriage Act.
COLUMBUS , Ohio, April 18 (IndianMuslims.info) Couples with infants who are particularly fussy or difficult typically do just fine as parents – as long as they have a strong marital relationship.
A new study found that a couple's relationship with each other was key in determining how they reacted as parents when faced with a temperamental baby.
Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan
“When couples with a supportive marital relationship have a difficult baby, they tend to rise to the challenge,� said Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, co-author of the study and assistant professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.
“Couples who don't have a strong relationship with each other are more likely to undermine each other and get into conflicts when they have to deal with a particularly challenging baby.�
Schoppe-Sullivan conducted the study with Sarah Mangelsdorf and Geoffrey Brown of the University of Illinois, and Margaret Szewczyk Sokolowski of Minneapolis. Their results were published in a recent issue of the journal Infant Behavior & Development.
Schoppe-Sullivan said there has been surprisingly little study about how the characteristics of an infant can affect how couples interact as parents – what researchers call the “coparenting relationship.�
While there have been studies examining how mothers themselves deal with difficult babies, this study focused on how mothers and fathers work together as parents.
“We wanted to find out how coparenting is affected when a couple has a child who cries a lot, cries intensely, and has trouble adjusting to new situations and new circumstances,� she said.
The study involved 97 couples from Illinois who were expecting a baby (two-thirds of them were having their first child).
Some couples may have a good relationship with each other, but still not be as good as coparents – and that could hurt their children in the long run.
About three months before the child was born, the couples participated in a 2-hour home assessment. They completed a series of questionnaires, and were videotaped participating in a discussion with each other. Researchers later viewed the videotapes and rated how the couples related to each other, looking for items such as how often they smiled at each other or showed irritation.
From the videotape, researchers rated the quality of each couple's marital relationship.
Researchers conducted a second home-based assessment when their infants were about 3.5 months old. The parents completed questionnaires rating their child's temperament, and the researchers also rated temperament based on their home visit. In addition, the parents were videotaped interacting with their infant, including free play and changing their infant's clothes together.
Researchers watched the videotapes and rated how well the couples cooperated with each other when playing with their infant and changing his or her clothes, and how well they seemed to get along while dealing with the baby.
The results showed that couples who showed a good marital relationship before the birth seemed to do better when dealing with a fussy and uncooperative baby when compared to those couples whose relationship was not as good.
Couples who did not have a strong relationship were more critical of each other when dealing with a challenging infant, according to Schoppe-Sullivan.
“They are more likely to say things to their partner like ‘Don't hold the baby that way.' Or they will compete with each other to get the baby's attention. They tend to undermine each other's efforts,� she said.
In previous research, Schoppe-Sullivan and her colleagues found that the quality of coparenting has long-term effects on children. When couples are poor coparents, they are more likely to have children who show aggressive and inappropriate behavior at home and school.
“It is not just what the mother is doing, or just what the father is doing, but how they handle parenting together,� she said. “Even if you have one parent who is very good with their children, if the other parent is undermining their partner, or not being supportive, the outcomes for their children may not be as good.�
In addition, the researchers have found that the marital relationship and the coparenting relationship, while related, are not the same thing. In other words, some couples may have a good relationship with each other, but still not be as good as coparents – and that could hurt their children in the long run.
In addition, the researchers have found that coparenting relationships affect later marital quality, Schoppe-Sullivan said.
“The quality of a coparenting relationship is important for both the children and for the couple's marital relationship,� she said.
Ranchi, April 18 (IANS) Four student leaders were arrested here Tuesday for protesting the presence of Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh at a convocation of the Ranchi University.
A group of students entered the convocation venue in Morabadi ground and started shouting slogans against Singh - who was here to attend the 23rd convocation of the university - for his faulty education policy, distorting historical facts and implementing reservation in higher education for other backward classes (OBC) students.
Police resorted to a minor baton charge to disperse the agitating students. "Four students have been arrested for creating trouble in the convocation. They have been kept in Lalpur police station and suitable action will be taken against them," said Richard Lakra, superintendent of police, Ranchi.
Former chief minister Arjun Munda condemned the police action. "The central government is creating a situation that fuels unrest in the country. The police action was not necessary to disperse the agitating students," he said.
On March 29, the Supreme Court had stayed implementation of the law enacted to provide for 27 percent quota for OBCs in central higher educational institutes on the basis of old census data.
Haifa, April 18 (IndianMuslims.info newsdesk): New research in the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa found that the gender and ethnicity of judges, defendants and victims effect court rulings and prison terms. A Jew who is found guilty of attacking an Arab has a 14% chance of receiving a prison term if an Arab judge presides over the case. In the opposite case, but also heard by an Arab judge, if an Arab is convicted of attacking a Jew, he has a 77% chance of being sent to jail. Female judges send 94% of guilty defendants to jail while male judges send 84% to jail.
The research, which was conducted at the Center for the Study of Crime, Law and Society at the University of Haifa by Dr. Hagit Turjeman, under the direction of Prof. Gideon Fishman and Prof. Arye Rattner, examined 1200 cases of violence that were heard in the district courts in Haifa and Nazareth between the years of 1985 and 1999. Cases that were related to terror attacks were not included in the study. The judicial process was examined to see if the gender or ethnicity of the defendant, judge or victim affects the court ruling or punishment. The cases evaluated were grouped according to severity of the crime and criminal history of the defendant.
On a positive note, the study revealed that gender and ethnicity do not affect the probability of conviction of a crime. However, in cases where a defendant was found guilty, consistent differences were found in the sentences given by male and female and Jewish and Arab judges.
In cases with a Jewish judge presiding, if the defendant is Jewish and has no criminal past, he has a 39% chance of being sentenced to serve time in jail. An Arab defendant with no criminal past has a 51% chance of finding himself behind bars. The identity of the victim plays no significant role in the sentencing of such cases. In general, Jewish judges evaluated in the study sentenced Arabs to longer prison sentences than Jews convicted of the same crime.
The research shows that in courtrooms with an Arab judge presiding, the identity of the victim plays as much a role in the sentence as the identity of the criminal. A Jew with no criminal history who is convicted of a violent act against an Arab has a 14% chance of being sentenced to prison term. An Arab convicted of the same crime has a 46% chance of serving prison term. If the victim is Jewish, the chances of a jail sentence are only 40% for a Jewish perpetrator but 77% for an Arab. However, when an Arab judge does send a Jewish criminal to prison, the sentence is generally longer than for an Arab criminal.
Gender also plays a role in court rulings. Due to the relatively small number of female perpetrators of violent crime, Dr. Turjeman examined gender difference among judges in cases where the defendant was a man and the victims were either man or a woman. If the defendant was convicted of attacking a man, the chances of being sentences to jail by a female judge were 94% and only 84% by a male judge. If the victim was a woman, female judges sent 92% of the perpetrators to prison and male judges sent 70%. The gender of the crime victim had no effect on the length of the prison term, but the study found that male judges gave longer sentences than female judges to all of the criminals they sent to prison.
Explaining the research results, Dr. Turjeman said, "The results of the research indicate a complicated system in which personal traits influence the judicial process. The ethnicity and gender of everyone involved in the process play a role in the decisions and severity of the penalties meted out. These results demonstrate a need to examine the existent balance of power between minority and majority groups as reflected by the relations between Jews and Arabs in Israeli society and the sensitive position of Arab judges which on the one hand are part of the country's Arab minority, while on the other hand as judges they represent the rule of law set by the majority."
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court will decide on April 23 whether the union government's plea seeking revival of quotas for other backward classes (OBC) students in centrally funded higher educational institutions is worth hearing.
Fixing the hearing on the question of maintainability of the government's plea, a bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and L.S. Panta Wednesday told the government's counsel to first satisfy the court that it was not a review petition, but one merely seeking clarification and modification of the March 29 interim order suspending quotas for OBC students.
The government had moved the apex court Monday seeking revival of the law reserving 27 percent seats in institutes like IIMs and IITs for OBCs.
As Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati and Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam approached the court at 2 p.m. and formally informed it about the government's application, they were told: "Your application prima facie appears to be a review petition."
"You first satisfy us on the maintainability of the petition; we will then go into its merit," the bench said.
At this, Vahanvati said he was "under instructions from the government to submit three things".
"Firstly, there will be absolutely no reduction in number of seats, which were available to the general category non-reserved students in the last academic session 206.
"Secondly, the policy of reservation will be implemented simultaneously and will be limited to the capacity-expansion of central educational institutions.
"Thirdly, the students belonging to OBC and scheduled castes and tribes will be admitted only against the increased number of seats in these institutions, without adversely affecting the prospects and opportunities to the general category students."
The solicitor general added that the government was prepared to give an undertaking on these three counts.
Unimpressed by Vahanvati's submissions, the bench said, "All these submissions had already been made earlier by Additional Solicitor General Subramaniam but stand rejected."
"What is new in it," the bench asked.
"We are putting it in writing now," Vahanvati retorted.
The bench reiterated that it first needed to hear the arguments on question of maintainability of the petition and fixed April 23 for the same.
Earlier in the morning, when the law officers had approached the bench to mention the government's plea, they were asked to do so at 2 p.m.
The court said it wanted to have a look at the petition before fixing the date for its hearing.
The government is seeking an early hearing of its petition seeking vacation of the court's March 29 order and revival of the quota law.
Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan had Tuesday constituted the bench of Justices Pasayat and Panta to facilitate early hearing of the government's plea. The same bench had stayed the law March 29.
Al-Quneitra, April 18 (NNN-SANA) Al-Quneitra Branch of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party, BASP, organized in Ein al-Tineh position on Tuesday a mass rally marking the 61st anniversary of Evacuation Day on April 17.
Hundreds of Syrian citizens went to Ein al-Tineh position to take part with the people of the Golan in their celebration.
People of the villages of the occupied Golan in Majdal Shams, Bak'ata. Ein Kanieh, Mas'ada and al-Ghajar and others from the occupied Palestine gathered in the opposed side to participate at the celebration.
Speeches delivered for this occasion stressed commitment of the Golanese to their national identity and rejection of all the Israeli procedures to impose the Israeli identity .
" The Syrian people due to their unity and struggle had compelled the occupying military armies to evacuate from the country," speeches said, underscoring continued struggle to complete liberation of the occupied Syrian Golan from the Israeli occupation.
Speeches also asserted that the resistance is a legitimate right for restoration of the occupied territories and it is the way for the real peace that ends the occupation and aggression.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 17 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Tuesday said discussions with the Dubai Internet City (DIC) for the Rs.15 billion ($350 million) Smart City project at Kochi are in final stages.
"The discussions with DIC are in the final stages and it is positive. The final decision would be taken at the next cabinet meeting to be held next week," Achuthanandan told reporters here after the cabinet meeting.
Ever since the Achuthanandan government came to power in May last year, Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Oommen Chandy has been alleging that the discussions with DIC have been kept a closely guarded secret.
On Chandy's criticism, the chief minister said: "They need not worry about anything. The details would be made public soon and there need be no anxiety from any quarters."
Last week, DIC had agreed to the revised terms and conditions of the Kerala government for the project.
The Dubai developer through a fax to Kerala Chief Secretary Lissy Jacob has informed that they have agreed to all the conditionalities laid down by the Kerala government.
After assuming power in May 2006, Achuthanandan reopened talks with the DIC and insisted that there would be no freehold given to DIC in the 248 acres land and the firm would have to pay Rs.1.04 billion for it.
He also insisted that Infopark would not be handed over to it and demanded an assurance for creation of 90,000 jobs, which has been agreed upon.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Calling Indian students and scholars "valued members of higher education communities", the US Wednesday expressed shock and sorrow at the Virginia Tech massacre in which two Indians were killed and offered to assist the relatives of the deceased.
"We mourn today the loss of so many innocent Americans and others, including Indian-American Professor G.V. Loganathan and Minal Panchal of Mumbai," US ambassador to India David C. Mulford said in a statement.
"We offer our deep condolences to their families and the US mission here in India stands ready to assist them. Indian students and scholars are valued members of our higher education communities," he added.
Saying that the "terrible tragedy" like the brutal murders on the Virginia Tech campus Monday elicited sentiments of human solidarity from across the world, the US envoy said: "As we have repeatedly seen in recent years, tragic events have a capacity to link people around the world.
"The American people were shocked by the brutal murders on the Virginia Tech campus on Monday and we have been deeply moved by the expressions of sympathy and support from around the world to this terrible tragedy," Mulford said.
Alluding to US President George W. Bush's speech Tuesday in which he said, "schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning", Mulford said: "This tragedy is no different, as these murders deeply touch us all with a sense of loss to the world - in lives and human potential."
A South Korean student at Virginia Tech gunned down 32 people before killing himself.
Ten family members of Loganathan, an Indian professor civil and environmental engineering, are flying to the US to attend his last rites. Family members of Panchal, who was pursuing masters in building science at VT, are also heading to the US.
New York, April 18 (Indianmuslims.info) The Campaign to Stop Funding Hate (CSFH) released a new report, “Lying Religiously: The Hindu Students Council and the Politics of Deception�, on April 15, 2007.
Consisting of Prologue, three Chapters and Appendixes, the report brings together evidence from multiple sources to demonstrate a web of connections between the Hindu Students Council (HSC) and the violent, Hindu ultra-right Sangh Parivar, and exposes the deliberate efforts of the HSC leadership to conceal its links with the Sangh Parivar in order to deceive Hindu-American college students.
The report provides the first comprehensive documentation of the origins, methods and practices of the HSC.
Similar to “The Foreign Exchange of Hate,� the 2003 report documenting the flow of money from the United States into the coffers of the Sangh Parivar in India, almost all of the documentation used to construct the current report comes from the archives of the HSC itself and from the publications of the Sangh Parivar in North America and elsewhere.
Starting with the origin of the HSC in 1991, when Ajay Shah, the first president of the HSC, proudly declared that the HSC was part of the VHP of America, the report documents the rise of early HSC leaders into the ranks of Sangh Parivar leadership in North America, the detailed family connections between a significant section of the HSC leadership and the Sangh Parivar, and the central role played by the HSC in the creation and maintenance of the Sangh Parivar’s internet infrastructure, including the web infrastructure of the Sangh Parivar’s parent organisation, the RSS.
“Most of the young desi Americans who join the HSC have no clue as to the connections between the HSC and the militant and violent Hindu right wing in India,� says Samip Mallick, one of the campaign coordinators for CSFH. “We fully support the creation and existence of Hindu student organisations on college campuses, but we are unable to condone the Hindu Student Council’s continued misleading of college students regarding its ties to the Sangh Parivar,� he continued.
With the launch of the report, CSFH announces its six-month “Truth Out on HSCs� information campaign aimed at informing every desi American student of the two-faced methods of the HSC and the Sangh Parivar.
Full text of the report is available online at http://hsctruthout.stopfundinghate.org/
Srinagar, April 18 (IANS) Police Wednesday filed a third chargesheet in the infamous Kashmir fake encounter case before the court of chief judicial magistrate Sopore in north Kashmir.
Five police officers and four army personnel, accused of kidnapping and subsequently murdering Ghulam Nabi Wani of Gowran in south Kashmir, were framed, Anand Jain, chief investigating officer told IANS here.
"Today we presented the challan against the former senior superintendent of police H.R. Parihar, deputy superintendent Bahadur Ram, assistant sub-inspector Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, selection grade constable Farooq Ahmad Paddar and constable Bansi Lal of the state police," Jain said.
"We have also charged Colonel Vikram Singh, adjutant major Narayan Yadav and two soldiers of the 13 Rashtriya Rifles," he said.
The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, wrongful confinement, kidnapping and pre-meditated murder, Jain said.
All the accused, except those of the Rashtriya Rifles, were present in the court when the chargesheet was presented.
Magistrate Abdul Rashid deferred the proceedings till May 5 to give time to the army to decide whether it wants the accused personnel to be tried in the civil court or to court martial them.
The magistrate also ordered that summons be issued to the accused army personnel through the investigating officer.
The army has said they would co-operate fully with the civil authorities in bringing the guilty to the book.
The accused were brought to the CJM's court in Sopore town amid tight security from central jail (Srinagar) where they are presently lodged.
They had allegedly picked up Ghulam Nabi Wani, a vendor, from the Residency Road area of Srinagar on March 2, 2006. He was later killed in a staged encounter in Dodwan village of north Kashmir Baramulla and passed off as a foreign terrorist on March 14, 2006.
DNA tests, after Wani's body was exhumed, matched with the samples from his relatives giving the lie to the theory that he was a mercenary and proving that he was killed in a staged encounter.
Two chargesheets in the murder of Abdul Rehman Paddar, the south Kashmir carpenter and Molvi Showkat Kataria, a local priest, have already been presented in the court of law.
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) Tens of thousands voted Wednesday in the third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, with Muslims making up a large percentage of the electorate in the 57 constituencies covering 10 districts.
Overseen by 65,000 paramilitary personnel, whose presence has ensured smooth elections in the first and second rounds, polling this time too was brisk from the time balloting centres opened at 7 a.m.
Among the 861 candidates in the fray is Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav from Gunnaur in Budaun district. This is the second seat he is contesting besides Bhartana in Etawah district, which went to the polls on the opening day May 7.
As many as 15 million voters are eligible to vote Wednesday in the 57 constituencies in Bijnore, Moradabad, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur, Budaun, Barielly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad and Kannauj districts.
Many see this round as a make-or-break test for Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party won 25 of the 57 seats in 2002, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) coming second and third respectively with 11 and nine seats.
Most seats in this round fall in the Rohilkhand region that has a large Muslims population. In districts such as Rampur, Moradabad and Bijnore, Muslims constitute as much as 40 percent of the population.
The Samajwadi Party, which traditionally has enjoyed the support of Muslims, is hoping to get the overwhelming backing of the community. But with pundits giving BSP solid points and a Congress rejuvenated by Rahul Gandhi's intense campaign, the chief minister has reasons to worry.
Besides 114 micro-observers sent to the constituencies, the Election Commission has sent one additional observer for each district.
In addition, 10 police officers of the rank of inspector general and deputy inspector general have also been assigned special duties to oversee the security arrangements.
Deputy Election Commissioner Jay P. Prakash would hop from constituency to constituency in his helicopter.
Sure enough, the arrangements had their impact with smooth polling in the early hours.
In the first five hours of polling, about 20 percent of people had voted, according to various reports.
Prominent among other key contenders in this round are Uttar Pradesh Congress president Salman Khurshid's wife Louise Khurshid, who is seeking re-election from Kaimganj in Farrukhabad, state urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan, as well as D.P. Yadav, father of Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. The senior Yadav himself faces several criminal charges.
Blacksburg (Virginia), April 18 (DPA) A threat made against the life of Virginia Polytechnic Institute's president Wednesday prompted police to surround a building only steps away from the scene of a horrific gun massacre earlier this week.
Armed police entered the Burruss Hall after campus authorities received a phone call at 7.30 a.m. threatening Charles Steger, whose offices are located in the building, campus police chief Wendell Flinchum said.
Police cleared the area less than an hour later. News media had earlier reported a bomb threat against the Burruss Hall, which provided the backdrop to a candlelight vigil attended by thousands of students Tuesday night. Those reports were denied by police.
The administration building is located directly next to the Norris Hall where 30 killings took place Monday when 23-year-old South Korean student Cho Seung-Hui went on a rampage before turning the gun on himself in the worst massacre in US history. He killed another two students in a residence hall before the mass carnage.
Patna, April 18 (IANS) The spate of abduction in Bihar continues as three more youths were kidnapped from two different areas of the state, police said Wednesday.
Ashish Kumar, a 17-year-old college student, was allegedly abducted in Patna Monday by criminals for ransom.
According to police, Kumar was staying in a private lodge in the city to prepare for competitive examinations. "He was missing since Monday evening after he went out to buy something," police official said.
A police complaint was lodged in this connection.
"His family in Farbisganj town near the Bihar-Nepal border received a call asking them to pay a ransom of Rs.500,000 for his safe return," Kumar's friends told the police. The abductors threatened to kill the abducted student if his family failed to pay the ransom.
The two other youths - A. Pandey and Arun Tiwari - were abducted Tuesday in Buxar district, about 130 km from here. A complaint was lodged and police effort is on to trace the kidnapped duo.
Meanwhile, angry people, including school children and teachers, staged protest here Wednesday against the failure of the police to recover a six-year-old boy Ankit, who was allegedly kidnapped last week from outside his school in the city.
Police have failed to trace Ankit even as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked top police officials to find the missing child soon.
Police, however, claim that a manhunt has been launched to trace the missing schoolboy. Four people have been detained for interrogation, Patna senior superintendent of police Kundan Krishnan said.
Police sources said they have also zeroed in on a domestic servant, Balram Paswan, who has been missing since Ankit's abduction.
Earlier this year, the Patna High Court had directed the state government to trace 144 children and 581 women who had been missing since 2001.
Guwahati, April 18 (IANS) Suspected militants have kidnapped Food Corporation of India (FCI) executive director Phul Chand Ram here, officials said Wednesday.
A police spokesman said the FCI official went missing late Tuesday, although a case in this regard was registered only Wednesday.
"We came to know about the incident Wednesday morning on being informed by some FCI staff," a senior police official said requesting not to be named.
According to preliminary investigations, Ram was abducted from near his official residence in Guwahati. "We are yet to ascertain the identity of the kidnappers and the motive behind his abduction," the official said.
"Probably he was returning from office late Tuesday and was kidnapped from near his residence."
An unidentified caller telephoned the New Delhi residence of Ram and said he was in their custody. "We are not sure if any ransom demand was made. Nor do we know the identity of the caller," the police official said.
Police have launched a hunt to rescue the Guwahati-based FCI official who was in-charge of the northeast, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
Bujumbura, April 18 (NNN-BUANEWS) The United Nations Peace-building Commission (PBC) is committed to supporting Burundi achieve peace and prosperity, including helping it to mobilize resources and fight poverty.
The small central African state, with a population of about eight million, has seen violent coups and political instability since gaining independence from Belgium in 1962.
The United Nations Peace-building Commission aims to prevent countries from relapsing into conflict, its official Ambassador, Johan Lovald, said in Bujumbura.
"I have reiterated the strong support of the United Nations Peace-building Commission to the government and people of Burundi concerning ongoing efforts to consolidate peace," Ambassador Johan Lovald told reporters.
An eight-member delegation from the PBC met with Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, government ministers and other officials as well as representatives of civil society, women's groups, the private sector and religious organizations.
More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that took place over 12 years ago, resulting in hundreds of thousands of Burundians being internally displaced or becoming refugees.
An internationally supported power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process.
"I have reiterated the commitment of the Peacebuilding Commission to work with the Government and other stakeholders, within our mandate, to assist in resource mobilization in the fight to eradicate poverty and promote community recovery," Lovald said.
From the meetings, the PBC delegation learned of the country's determination to "deal with the problem of poverty and the need to secure a better future for all, not least the young generation," he added.
Government officials also appealed for participation in a planned donor conference to be held in May. "We also received a uniform message for increased resources for development," Lovald said.
During his meetings with government officials, the ambassador stressed the importance of adhering to all peace agreements as well as promoting "inclusive political dialogue, human rights and good governance."
Last month, the PBC sent the delegation on a five-day maiden mission to Sierra Leone.
Established in December 2005, the Commission focuses on reconstruction, institution-building and the promotion of sustainable development in post-conflict countries.
Burundi's transition process led to an integrated defense force, the establishment of a new constitution in 2005 and the election of a majority Hutu government in the same year.
The new government, led by President Nkurunziza, signed a ceasefire agreement with the country's last rebel group in September 2006, after talks between the groups were mediated by South Africa.
The central objective of the Burundi Peace Process was to bring the Palipehutu-FNL, the last remaining rebel movement that was not part of the Arusha Agreement Accord of 2000, on board.
FNL leader Agathon Rwasa informed the Government of Burundi in early 2006 that his movement was ready to hold peace negotiations to allow them to be included in the new Government.
On June 18, 2006, the two parties signed the Dar Es Salaam Agreement of Principles Towards Lasting Peace, Security and Stability in Burundi.
During the 27th African Union (AU) Summit of the Regional Peace Initiative on Sept 7, 2006, the two parties successfully concluded the signing of the Comprehensive Cease-fire Agreement.
The guarantors of the signing of the Agreement included South African President Thabo Mbeki, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
The Government of Burundi requested South Africa to mediate the peace talks between the two parties and to assist them to conclude the signing of the cease-fire Agreement.
In addition, South African National Defence Force troops are among the peacekeeping missions currently deployed in Burundi.
Patna, April 18 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will discuss the Sachar committee report on socio-economic conditions of Muslims in the country in the current session of parliament.
"The government will request the Lok Sabha speaker to fix the date for discussion on the recommendations of the committee report for its implementation," Minister of State for Communications and IT Shakeel Ahmad said here Wednesday.
The budget session of parliament resumes April 26 after a recess.
Ahmad told IANS that the government was committed to implementing the committee report.
The committee headed by Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar was set up last year to study the socio-economic conditions and the educational status of the minority Muslim community. Its report with recommendations was tabled in parliament in November.
The Congress MP from Madhubani in Bihar urged the nationalised banks as well as private banks to give loans to Muslims, as they need financial help for starting business and to run small or medium business establishments.
"Something serious is missing on this front that needed urgent attention," he said.
Quoting the committee report, he pointed out that only 0.1 percent of total bank loans were provided to Muslims. "It shows the poor approach as well as negligence in the development of the community," Ahmad said.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The city police Wednesday told the Delhi High court that Delhi Fire Service official H.S. Panwar, who had wrongly issued no objection certificate to the Uphaar cinema, was employed by the Ansals, the theatre's owners, in one of their companies after his retirement.
In a status report, filed before a bench headed by Justice B.N. Chaturvedi, Delhi police counsel Mukta Gupta said Panwar has been employed with the Sushant Estate Pvt Ltd, a company owned by the Ansals, as a fire consultant after his retirement.
The Uphaar cinema on the Aurobindo Marg, while screening multi-starer "Boarder" had caught fire and turned into a towering inferno in which 59 people inside the theatre were killed June 13, 1997.
Gupta said Panwar had stated in a departmental report that he had inspected the cinema on Dec 22, 1996 before giving the no objection certificate. This was despite the fact on the particular day he was on casual leave, she said.
She, however, added in her report that Panwar's leave record has gone missing from the fire service office.
The no objection certificate to run the theatre was given to the owners on May 12, 1997.
The Association of the Victims of Uphar Tragedy (AVUT), which is pursuing the case against the Ansals, had filed a petition in the high court saying that the bail of prime accused Sushil Ansal should be cancelled on the ground that the evidence in the case was being tampered with.
The trial court had framed charges against 16 accused, including proprietors of Ansal properties Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal, for their alleged roles in the Uphaar fire tragedy nearly a decade ago.
The other accused in the case include Public Works Department engineer S.N. Dandona, cinema hall director R.M. Puri, its managers K.L. Malhotra, R.K. Sharma, N.S. Chopra and Ajit Chaudhary, erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board official A.K. Gera, B.M. Satija and Beer Singh, MCD officials N.D. Tiwari and Shyam Sunder Sharma, Delhi Fire Service officials H.S. Panwar and Surinder Dutt, besides hall's balcony attendant Manmohan Unniyal.
Mexico, April 18 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) Organised crime in Mexico has a weapons power and potential today because of arms smuggling from the United States where weapons sales are uncontrolled, according to a Mexican intelligence report.
According to the Mexican Attorney General's Office report revealed Tuesday, the use of weapons in common and organised crimes in Mexico is directly traceable to the large number of legal arms dealers in the United States where a local resident can buy weapons and deliver them to drug traffickers.
The document adds that the drug cartels have high-power weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles, machine guns able to penetrate armoured cars (Barret), grenade throwers, and AR-15 and AK-17 assault rifles.
They also have 5.7x28-calibre weapons, known as cop killers due to their capacity to penetrate bulletproof vests, as well as night and expansive bullets.
The report points out that despite confiscation by the Federal government of 90,829 weapons over the past 11 years, the fire power of organised crime has not been damaged because only 22.7 per cent of arms seized were related to drug traffic activities.
Further, the document says that 22 weapons a day were confiscated in Mexico from 1995 to 2006, but only five of them were used by drug traffickers. The rest belonged to common criminals.
Jerusalem, April 18 (Xinhua) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday said the US is considering holding a ten-party summit on Mideast peace, local daily Ha'aretz reported on its website.
Those participating in the proposed meet will be the Quartet (the US, the European Union, Russia and the UN), Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Among the ten parties, Saudi Arabia does not have official relations with Israel.
Olmert told a meeting of Knesset (parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee) that following a meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers Wednesday in Cairo a delegation from the organization might visit Israel.
He also referred to a list of prisoners presented by the Palestinians for a potential prisoners swap in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, describing the list as "disappointing".
By Umi Hani Sharani
San Jose, United States, April 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) The American semiconductor firms now operating in Malaysia plan to further invest in the country in view of the investment environment and business-friendly policies the government has put in place, Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz says.
In a survey carried out by the Malaysian-American Electronics Industry Association (MAEIA) last year, its member companies said Malaysia was the best choice for investments because of the availability of a highly skilled English-speaking workforce and modern infrastructure.
"Good international air, sea and communications linkages, low indirect labour costs as well as relatively low operating cost also contributed to these firms' decision to expand their operations in Malaysia," Rafidah told a seminar on "Business Opportunities in Malaysia" Tuesday in this city in the United States' Silicon Valley .
Rafidah is one a nine-day trade and investment mission to the United States which started on April 8 with Miami, Florida, as the first stop, followed by Minneapolis in Minnesota before coming here.
California is reputed for the industries that Malaysia is promoting, especially computer hardware and software, semiconductors and electronic components.
The 17 American firms which make up the MAEIA exported about 19.2 billion USD worth of electronics components and parts to the US in 2006, representing 63 per cent of Malaysia's total exports to US.
Rafidah said the survey also found that another plus point for Malaysia was the higher operational competencies of its workforce, enabling companies to increase their production speedily and make adjustments to respond to market demands.
Malaysia has established a strong foundation in the electronics industry over the last three decades and the presence of many large multi- national companies (MNCs) has led to the creation of supporting industries, she added.
"This has contributed to reducing the manufacturing costs and speeding up the supply chain cycle time," Rafidah said.
There has also been increased research and development (R&D) activities through collaboration with MNCs in the areas of product development and process improvement, she said.
Currently, there are more than 900 electrical and electronics companies operating in Malaysia with total exports of E&E products amounting to 76.6 billion USD.
Manila, April 18 (Xinhua) A US Peace Corps volunteer who was reported missing for more than a week was found dead Wednesday in a village in northern Philippines, media reports said.
Military officials found the body of Julia Campbell in a village near the famous Banaue rice terraces, a UNESCO-designated world heritage, in Ifugao, said the local television network ABS-CBN News.
Campbell, 40, went missing on April 8 after going on a hike to the rice terraces. She had been in the Philippines since 2005 working as a teacher.
Police said Campbell might have fallen off a cliff and denied she was kidnapped by left-wing guerrillas.
Jakarta, April 18 (NNN-SPA) The United States warned its citizens Tuesday against flying on Indonesian airlines following a string of accidents, saying the country's civil aviation authority did not meet minimum international safety standards.
An Indonesian jetliner plunged into the sea from 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) on New Year's Day, killing all 102 people on board.
Weeks later, another plane's fuselage split in half after a hard landing. And last month, a Boeing 737 careened off a runway and burst into flames, leaving 21 dead.
The Indonesian government has since carried out a review of its 20 carriers, concluding that none met all safety requirements.
"Whenever possible, Americans traveling to and from Indonesia should fly directly to their destinations on international carriers," the U.S. Embassy here said in a statement on its Web site.
It noted that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lowered its aviation safety rating for Indonesia from Category 1 to 2 - the lowest - on Monday "due to serious concerns" about safety oversight and operational control systems.
Dozens of airlines emerged after Indonesia deregulated its aviation industry in the 1990s, raising concerns that growth has outpaced the supply of trained aviation professionals, regulatory oversight and ground
infrastructure.
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh is heading for a three-way split with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leading the race, according to an exit poll conducted by NDTV after the third round of polling Wednesday.
The poll gives the ruling Samajwadi Party only 10-14 of the 57 seats that went to polls in the third round, though in the 2002 elections it had won 26 seats, the news channel said.
On the other hand, BSP is set to win 15-19 seats, up from 9 last time, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 20-24 seats compared to 13 it won in 2002.
The Congress, which won only 4 of these seats, could win 4-8 this time, showed the exit poll that was carried out in 29 of the 57 constituencies with a sample size of 10,641.
The seven-phased polling in the country's most populous state will conclude May 8.
Making a projection for the whole of the state on the basis of the three phases so far, the exit poll gives the Samajwadi Party and allies 105-115 seats (2002: 145), BSP 120-130 (98), BJP and allies 110-120 (107) and the Congress 35-45 (25).
Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) The third phase of polling in 57 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh began 7 a.m. Wednesday under extensive security arrangements by the Election Commission that included 65,000 central para-military personnel.
Among the 861 candidates in the fray are Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav from Gunnaur in Budaun district even though he already contested for the Bhartana seat from Etawah district in the first phase.
Besides the 114 micro-observers who were in position in these constituencies spread across 10 districts, the commission has sent one additional observer for each district.
In addition, 10 senior police officers of the rank of inspector general and deputy inspector general have also been assigned special duty to oversee the security arrangements.
Deputy Election Commissioner Jay P. Prakash, who had been keeping an aerial command over the polling during the first two phases on April 7 and 13, would once again hop from constituency to constituency in his helicopter.
Sure enough, the intensified arrangements show up their impact in the smooth polling over the first two hours. "According to reports trickling here since the morning, about nine percent polling was estimated in most places," a poll official told IANS here.
The state's principal home secretary, K. Chandramauli, confirmed: "There was no untoward incident reported from any part of the state so far."
As many as 15 million voters will exercise their franchise to elect representatives for 57 assembly constituencies that go to poll during this third phase spread across 10 districts of Bijnore, Moradabad, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur, Budaun, Barielly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad and Kannauj.
This phase was going to be the biggest acid test for the ruling Samajwadi Party that had bagged the lion's share by winning 25 of the 57 seats at the 2002 assembly election. It was followed by the Bharataiya Janata Party's 11, the Bahujan Samaj Party's nine and the Congress trailing last with just four. Smaller political outfits and independents won eight seats here.
The prestige of a couple of other important leaders was also at stake during this phase. Prominent among these was Uttar Pradesh Congress president Salman Khurshid whose wife Louise Khurshid was seeking re-election from Kaimganj in Farrukhabad.
Among others in the fray for Wednesday's poll was Azam Khan, the state's urban development and parliamentary affairs minister in the Mulayam cabinet known for his hard talk on Muslim related issues.
Yet another contestant in the spotlight was D.P. Yadav, the father of Vikas Yadav, an accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. He himself faces several criminal charges and his name spells terror in parts of Bulandshahr.
Washington, April 18 (IANS) Two handguns - a 9 mm one and a 22-calibre one - were used by the South Korean student when he went on a shooting spree at the Virginia Tech university killing 32 people before turning the gun on himself.
Investigators said Cho Seung-Hui, 23, had bought the weapons legally. The victims of the Monday massacre included a professor and a student from India.
A March receipt for the Glock 9 mm pistol was found in the killer's backpack. As a permanent legal resident of the US, Cho was eligible to buy the gun because he had no prior felony criminal charges against him.
Though no suicide note has been found, investigators found a note in his dormitory in which he spoke out against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.
Cho had been taking medication for depression and was reportedly becoming increasingly erratic and violent.
The sprawling university, which attracts a large number of students from Asia, is located in the town of Blacksburg in Virginia.
Ballistic tests on the evidence seized from the Norris Hall and the West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall were conducted at the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lab in Maryland. Lab results confirmed that one of the two weapons seized in Norris Hall was used in both shootings.
"At this time, the evidence does not conclusively identify Cho Seung-Hui as the gunman at both locations," said W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
"With this newfound ballistics evidence, we are now able to proceed to the next level of this complex investigation," he said.
Cho had arrived in the US in 1992 with his family and was raised in the Washington DC area.
Cho suspected his Taiwanese girlfriend of seeing another man and had a row with her in the West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall, a co-ed dormitory in the sprawling campus of the university Monday morning. When a resident advisor came to resolve the problem between the two students, Cho shot him. He then shot the girl.
University police, who came to West Ambler in response to an emergency call, told inmates of the dormitory to stay inside and started investigations.
Even as they started homicide investigations along with Blacksburg police, Cho went to the Norris Hall, which houses faculty offices, classrooms and laboratories and closed all exit points from that building. He then went on shooting people inside the building.
According to one witness, "he shot every person thrice" with a smile on his face. G.V. Loganathan, the 51-year-old Indian origin professor of civil and environmental engineering, was taking a class when Cho shot him in his head.
According to reports, also killed was Minal Panchal, a 26-year-old female Indian student who was attending Loganathan's class.
Meanwhile, Indian embassy officials have reached the university to help Loganathan's family.
"Members from the Indian embassy have already visited us and provided the necessary support and condolence to the families of the victims," a posting on the website of the Indian Students Association (ISA) of the university stated. The ISA has some 500 members.
The ISA, while mourning Loganathan's death, has not yet mentioned Panchal's name.
Virginia Tech has cancelled all classes for the rest of the week.
Norris Hall, where Loganathan and Panchal were among those killed, has been closed for the rest of the semester.
The university will hold a public candlelight vigil Wednesday evening at the Old Town Market Square, in Alexandria, Virginia, around 10 km south of downtown Washington DC to honour the victims.
According to the university, the names of the 32 deceased students and faculty will be released once all victims are positively identified and next-of-kin notified.
Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) Four people have been arrested and two bear cubs recovered in Maharashtra during two anti-poaching operations conducted by the state's Forest Department and a Delhi-based NGO.
Those arrested are suspected to be involved in wildlife trafficking across the Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border as well as smuggling of sandalwood and wildlife products.
The two female bear cubs, aged four months and five months, were poached from the Biloli forest area on the interstate border, according to information received here Wednesday.
A forest official said: "All four accused were produced in the district court and have been sent to judicial custody. Both cubs are being shifted to the Bear Rescue Facility, run by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, at the Nehru Zoological Gardens, Hyderabad."
According to Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of NGO Wildlife SOS: "This operation was the result of an investigation that started following a seizure in Andhra Pradesh last month by the Forest Department and Wildlife SOS. Following leads from this seizure our intelligence network worked backwards towards Maharashtra where the smugglers had come."
Washington, April 18 (NNN-WAFA) The World Bank said that Palestinian industry is bound to fail unless Israel lifts tight restrictions on trade and movement of people and goods in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
In a study on the investment climate in the West Bank and Gaza, World Bank said that the Palestinian producers must move to higher value goods and look beyond Israel to new markets in Europe and the Arab world.
It added that the Palestinian National ( PNA) Authority made some progress in the past 10 years in creating an "enabling investment climate," but Hamas's rise to power last year put a stop to that, according to the study.
Israel has severely tightened travel and trade restrictions since the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000. Israel further restricted the movement of goods and people out of Gaza.
The Israeli measures have severed the flow of people and goods between the West Bank and Gaza. The West Bank is carved up by Israel's protective barrier and a network of checkpoints - measures which despite being criticized by some in Israel, have proven to significantly diminish the infiltration of suicide bombers and other terrorists into Israel.
As a result of the protective barrier, Gaza producers have to export through Israel.
The study concluded that restoring free movement and access is a precondition for a viable Palestinian economy, recommending that Israel lift most of the restrictions imposed in recent years. "Without a concerted political effort to re-open markets and lower transaction costs, the Palestinian private sector is bound to fail," it said.
Meanwhile in LONDON, Britain's National Union of Journalists denounced Israel for its "military adventures" in Gaza and Lebanon, called on the government to impose sanctions and urged a boycott of Israeli goods.
By a vote of 66 to 54, the annual delegate's meeting of Britain's largest trade union for journalists called for "a boycott of Israeli goods similar to those boycotts in the struggles against apartheid South Africa led by trade unions, and to demand sanctions be imposed on Israel by the British government."
Some of the union's 40,000 members decried its "trendy lefty" agenda. The boycott motion was the third clause of a larger anti-Israel resolution proposed by the union's South Yorkshire branch that condemned Israel's "savage, pre-planned attack on Lebanon" last summer and the "slaughter of civilians in Gaza" in recent years.
Motion 38 also called for supporting the NGOs Jews for Justice, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the Council for the Advancement of British-Arab Understanding.
the International Federation of Journalists, called on the Palestinian Authority to secure the release of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, who was kidnapped five weeks ago by Palestinian gunmen in Gaza.
Srinagar, April 18 (IANS) After both factions of the Hurriyat refused to participate in the third round table conference on Kashmir to be held in Delhi on April 24, the pro-Independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) also declined the invitation Wednesday.
"The Indian Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) should speak only to the separatist leaders. There is no point inviting us to a discussion, which is also attended by pro-India (mainstream) politicians and parties," said JKLF chairman Yasin Malik at a news conference here. "They (mainstream groups) have no dispute with India."
Malik held parleys with Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on February 17, 2006 but like his other separatist colleagues has been declining to participate in any roundtable on Kashmir. The first such conference was held in Delhi on February 25 last year while the second took place in Srinagar on May 25.
Malik also warned against any agreement between India and Pakistan without involving the Kashmiris as it would only complicate the situation.
"The present armed struggle was born after the India-Pakistan Tashkent agreement. If such cosmetic agreements made directly between India and Pakistan without involving the people of the state are attempted again, the next generation of Kashmiris would only be Fidayeens," he said.
Malik also announced his 'Safar-e-Azadi' (Journey for Independence) from May 6.
"We would start the Safar-e-Azadi from Daksum village in south Kashmir on May 6, 2007. We would travel to the nook and corner of the Valley and the entire journey might take three to six months.
"The objective of the journey is to prove to New Delhi and the rest of the World as to who actually represents the aspirations of the people here," he said.
Lusaka, April 18 (NNN-ZANIS) Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa has sent a congratulatory message to his Zimbabwean counterpart, Robert Mugabe, on that country's national day, which falls on April 18.
According to a statement from the Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, John Musukuma, President Mwanawasa said in his message to President Mugabe that Zambia and Zimbabwe enjoyed warm and cordial relations at government level and between its peoples.
He said it is in this regard that the two countries looked forward to the strengthening of the friendship and existing co-operation.
In another development, President Mwanawasa has sent a message of condolences to the President of Masagascar Marc Ravalomanana on the death of 88 people who perished in Cyclone Indlala.
“On behalf of the Zambian people, the government and on my own behalf, I send deepest condolences and sympathies to the people of Madagascar,� said President Mwanawasa.