Saturday, June 14, 2008

Syrian president to visit India

New Delhi: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be in India on a five-day state visit from Tuesday to further boost the strong ties that exist between the two countries.
He will be accompanied by his wife, Asma al-Bashar, and a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, Economy and Trade Minister Amer Husni Lutfi and Minister of Telecommunication and Technology Ehmad Sabouni.
The Syrian president and his delegation will also visit Agra and Bangalore.
His visit is part of the high-level interaction and engagement that India has with all the important members of the Arab world. Though New Delhi's ties with Israel have grown over the past decade, it has maintained its traditional and strong ties with all key Arab countries.
An agreement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allies sector will be signed during his visit.
A statement issued by the external affairs ministry Saturday said President Bashar al- Assad will hold wide ranging talks with the Indian leadership including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
President Pratibha Patil will host a banquet for the visiting president and his delegation at Rashtrapati Bhawan during his stay in New Delhi. He will also hold meetings with Vice President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
A separate meeting is also scheduled between the Syrian president and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani.

The world wants Obama as Prez

If the rest of the world had a say in electing the American president, Democratic nominee Barack Obama would already be sitting in the White House, a new poll of 24,717 people across 27 countries suggests. Obama, who is streets ahead of Republican candidate John McCain in Europe, also has Indians backing him.
Of the Indians polled in the Washington-based Pew Global Research Centre survey, 33% have "more confidence" in Obama than in McCain (28%). "McCain is rated lower than Obama in every country surveyed, except for the United States where his rating matches Obama's, as well as in Jordan and Pakistan where few people have confidence in either candidate," the Pew poll said.
The survey also finds that US foreign policy "will change for the better" after the inauguration of a new American president. "Majorities in only three countries - Tanzania, Nigeria, and India - say they have a lot or some confidence in Bush to do the right thing in world affairs.
" Previous Pew surveys have shown that opposition to US foreign policy,especially the war in Iraq, has dented America's image across the world. In India, however, 33% have a lot of confidence in Bush while another 22% have "some confidence" in the US President.
Also, 66% of Indians had favourable views of the US in 2008 as opposed to 59% last year. But the Indian love affair with the Clintons continues, it appears.
Hillary is rated higher than Obama in India (58% to 33%), South Africa (57% to 36%) and Mexico (36% to 30%).

Sylvester Stallone to appear in Bollywood movie for first time

Mumbai, June 14 (PTI) Bollywood filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala has signed Sylvester Stallone for his next flick "Kambakkht Ishq" in which the Hollywood icon will do a cameo as himself opposite Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. When contacted, Sajid said he had been persuing the "Rambo" and "Rocky" star for over two months and he has finally given his consent to make a brief appearance in the film.
"Sylvester Stallone will be portraying himself in the movie. For the first time in the history of Indian cinema, the shooting will take place at the Universal Studio (one of Hollywood's biggest and most well-known studios)", he added.
The film also stars popular Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. "Akshay plays a Hollywood stuntman in the film.
The desi action hero will be seen with the international action icon," he said. The expected budget of the movie, tipped to be one of the costliest films ever made in Bollywood, is Rs 90 crore, said the filmmaker.
It is for the first time that a Hollywood star of such stature has agreed to act in an Indian film. Sajid said, "We have a certain vision for our production house Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.
Since Kambakkth Ishq is based in Hollywood .
It made perfect sense to appoint casting agents in Hollywood and cast mainstream Hollywood stars. Kambakkth Ishq is one of our most ambitious ventures to date and we didn't want to leave any stone unturned.
" Prashant Shah, line producer of Kambakkht Ishq in LA and also a major Hollywood presence says, "We are also looking at other Hollywood names to join the cast of Kambakkht Ishq. We shall be making a formal announcement very soon on that front as well.

Noida double murder: Krishna sent to CBI custody

Ghaziabad (UP), June 14 (PTI) Krishna, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, was today remanded to three days of CBI custody as the probe agency seized "some apparel" from his home. Krishna, who was working as compounder with Dr Rajesh Talwar, prime accused and father of Aarushi, was produced in the jam-packed court of Additional Civil Judge Deep Kant Mani, who sent him to three days of CBI custody after 15 minute-long argument between prosecution and defence counsel.
Krishna was placed under arrest after the reports of the scientific tests, including brain-mapping and Narco-analysis, were received by the CBI. Dressed in grey T-shirt and jeans, a pale-looking Krishna broke down when his sister -- Parvati -- hugged him as a battery of media persons tried to catch the moment. CBI Counsel R K Saini contended before the court that Krishna's custodial interrogation was necessary for ensuring some more arrests.
But the judge remanded him to only three days of custody so that he could be produced before the designated CBI court of Sapna Mishra on June 17 evening. While pleading for a 14 days CBI custody of Krishna, Saini said the agency was yet to recover the weapon used in the gruesome double murder of teenager Aarushi and Hemraj.
CBI began its day with carrying out searches at the roof-top water tanks of Talwar's and neighbouring houses. His friend -- Durrani's -- were also searched and their domestic help -- Rajkumar was also questioned.

Noida double murder: Krishna sent to CBI custody

Ghaziabad (UP), June 14 (PTI) Krishna, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, was today remanded to three days of CBI custody as the probe agency seized "some apparel" from his home. Krishna, who was working as compounder with Dr Rajesh Talwar, prime accused and father of Aarushi, was produced in the jam-packed court of Additional Civil Judge Deep Kant Mani, who sent him to three days of CBI custody after 15 minute-long argument between prosecution and defence counsel.
Krishna was placed under arrest after the reports of the scientific tests, including brain-mapping and Narco-analysis, were received by the CBI. Dressed in grey T-shirt and jeans, a pale-looking Krishna broke down when his sister -- Parvati -- hugged him as a battery of media persons tried to catch the moment. CBI Counsel R K Saini contended before the court that Krishna's custodial interrogation was necessary for ensuring some more arrests.
But the judge remanded him to only three days of custody so that he could be produced before the designated CBI court of Sapna Mishra on June 17 evening. While pleading for a 14 days CBI custody of Krishna, Saini said the agency was yet to recover the weapon used in the gruesome double murder of teenager Aarushi and Hemraj.
CBI began its day with carrying out searches at the roof-top water tanks of Talwar's and neighbouring houses. His friend -- Durrani's -- were also searched and their domestic help -- Rajkumar was also questioned.

MTN deal fuels war between Ambanis

New Delhi: Ambani siblings' war intensified today with the younger Anil's group warning to retaliate in case Mukesh-led Reliance Industries goes legal with its claim on the potential multi-billion dollar amalgamation deal that the former is pursuing with South African telecom giant MTN.
In a strongly worded reply to RIL's threat to go legal against ADAG to enforce its right of first refusal, Anil-led Reliance Communications said, "If RIL choses to take any legal action the same will be vigorously defended by R-COM, and R-COM would claim cost and damages from RIL.
" The battle between the two richest Indians had flared up after RIL wrote to MTN and ADAG, copies of which were sent to the bankers, cautioning that the amalgamation deal through reverse swap would tantamount to breach of RIL's first right of refusal to acquire a controlling stake in R-COM.

Mukesh calls MTN to disconnect Anil

The battle between the Ambani brothers flared up again today -- this time over the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's (ADAG's) bid to seal a merger deal with South African telecom company, MTN.

Reliance Industries [Get Quote] Limited (RIL), controlled by Mukesh Ambani, last night sent a letter to the MTN board saying it has the first right of refusal to buy the controlling interest in ADAG group company Reliance Communications [Get Quote] (RCom). Anil Ambani and the promoters own 66 per cent of the company.

RIL has revisited the Ambani family settlement signed in January 2006 to claim that a decision on a majority stake sale in any of the group companies can be taken only after consultations with the parties involved in the settlement.

An RIL spokesperson said: "RIL has in good faith notified both the ADAG Group and the MTN Group of the stipulations contained in an agreement, the validity of which has never been questioned so far by ADAG." Sources familiar with the developments said RIL has also informed some of the investment bankers involved in the RCom-MTN negotiations.

RCom was, however, quick to hit back, describing RIL's claim as "legally and factually untenable and misconceived".

In a strongly-worded press release issued, RCom said that the so-called agreement of January 12, 2006, was unilaterally signed by RIL's officials, when RCom was under RIL's control. "The procedure was held by the Bombay High Court as unfair and unjust in its judgment dated October 15, 2006," the release said.

The release also said RIL's claim is "borne out of mounting despair and frustration" at ADAG Group's continuing successes, and the support it enjoys from over 10 million investors, the world's largest shareholding family."

RIL is seeking to disrupt the creation of one of the world's most valuable telecoms combinations, the release said.

RCom sources said that the letter was sent last night to MTN, but a copy of it came to them only after a gap of 24 hours. "If they actually had an issue they should have first sent us a letter, or raised their objections when we announced that talks were on. But their intention was to disrupt the ongoing talks," they said.

Asked what action RCom is planning to take on the issue, a source said: "It's just a letter and we will put it in a shredder. They can go to court and we will see."

In some relief to Anil Ambani, the MTN Group said late in the evening it is still in talks with RCom. MTN spokeswoman Nozipho January-Bardill told Reuters: "As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed. We are continuing talks as per our cautionary announcement published last month."

RCom had informed the stock exchanges on May 26, 2008, that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with the MTN Group for a period of 45 days, for a potential combination of their businesses after talks between Bharti and MTN Group failed.

The discussions are believed to be in the final stages and a deal is expected by next week.

The brothers are locked in another legal dispute as well over the gas pricing for power projects between RIL and RNRL. Corporate lawyers said both the Ambani brothers have a strong case on the first right of refusal clause and the matter would most likely end up in the courts.

In any family settlement, the first right of refusal clause is a standard clause so that if a family faction cannot run the business well, then the other should get the opportunity to run it. "If the clause is there in the Ambani brothers' agreement, then Mukesh has a strong case," said Som Mandal, a Delhi-based corporate lawyer.

"However, Anil can always claim that to grow his business, he has to go for this (MTN) arrangement. It looks like this matter is headed to the courts," he said from London.

The title of Sexiest Woman:Katrina Kaif





The title of Sexiest Woman seems to rest lightly on Kat’s shoulders. She claims that she also keeps winning ‘style diva’ awards and never really knows what they mean!

Katrina’s crème-brulee skin is perfectly offset by the brilliant green of this Rocky S gown. Her personal style is classically feminine and never fails to make heads turn. At the Race premiere she dazzled in a hot pink sari, when the other girls around her were in gowns.

Seen here with FHM India Editor. Katrina who grew up in London apparently grew up reading FHM, she was especially happy to get the title from a magazine she was familiar with. Her own choice for the title would be Penelope Cruz, she said.

Her make-up is always no-fuss and understated. It is rare to catch Katrina in loud make-up. Her usual colour palette includes nude shades or pale pinks. Gloss seems to be a must-have, and why not? It only enhances her seraphic smile!


Friday, June 13, 2008

9th International Indian Film Academy awards 2008 IMAGES
























RIL acting in good faith on ADAG, MTN deal

MUMBAI: Reliance Industries said it had in good faith informed the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) and South Africa's MTN Group over an agreement on ADAG company Reliance Communications.
Reliance Communications had earlier said Reliance Industries (RIL) had claimed first right of refusal to buy a controlling stake in it, but the mobile operator said this would not delay its tie-up talks with MTN.
RIL has in good faith notified both Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and MTN group of the stipulations contained in an agreement, the validity of which has never been questioned so far by ADAG," a Reliance Industries spokesman said when asked for reaction to the Reliance Communications statement.
He did not elaborate on what the agreement contained. Reliance Industries is controlled by Mukesh Ambani and ADAG is controlled by Anil Ambani. The estranged brothers, ranked the world's fifth and sixth richest men respectively, split their father's business empire after a protracted public dispute.

Gorkhas reject Buddhadeb's offer for talks

SILIGURI: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Friday rejected the West Bengal government's offer for talks on the Darjeeling issue on June 18, saying the agenda of development of the hills was "irrelevant" when the main issue was a separate state of Gorkhaland.
"The GJM central committee rejected the offer to sit for dialogue with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee because the agenda of the meeting was development of the Darjeeling hills," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said. "The central committee felt the demand for Gorkhaland was a political one and the offer to discuss development of the Darjeeling hills was irrelevant," Giri said. According to him, if the state government was "at all interested in settling the issue, it should take the initiative for tripartite talks with the Centre and GJM representatives with the agenda for talks being solely Gorkhaland".
Giri also said the GJM will further relax its indefinite bandh till 6 am on Monday after an appeal for peace by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.
Giri said the central committee also reviewed and discussed the incidents in the past two days at Siliguri and Dooars region which were "guided by the CPM and attempts made to give them a communal turn".
If the state government wish to restore peace, then the police should arrest the perpetrators of the violence during the period of further relaxation of the indefinite bandh, Giri said.

Congress against division of West Bengal

New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) As temperatures run high in the Darjeeling hills, Congress today made it clear that it is against the division of West Bengal. "West Bengal Pradesh Congress is against the split of West Bengal and AICC also has the same view over the issue," spokesperson Shakil Ahmad said here.
He told reporters that on suggestion of the WBPCC chief Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya has called an all-party meeting next week to discuss the matter. "Congress is hopeful of solution of the problem there," said Ahmad.
On being asked whether it is the stand of the Central government, Ahmad, who is Union Minister of State for Home, said that it was the stand of the Congress. The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha is on the warpath in support of its demand for a separate state and has unleashed largescale violence in the Darjeeling hills and in different parts of north Bengal in the last few days.

How Osama has survived for six years

One man changed the world six years ago.
The world's only superpower has declared him its most dangerous enemy. He has been wanted by the United States for a decade now, but the world's most wanted man escaped death four times in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.
The US air strikes against the Taliban and Al Qaeda [Images] began on October 7, 2001. Osama bin Laden and his deputy Dr Ayman al Zawahri were spotted in Kabul on November 8, 2001. They came to Kabul from Jalalabad to attend an Al Qaeda meeting and also to pay tributes to their Uzbek comrade Jummah Khan Namangani, who died in the northern Afghan city Mazar-e-Sharif on November 6, 2001.
Namangani was a former soldier of the Soviet army who joined Al Qaeda in the late 1980s. He commanded the Taliban and Al Qaeda forces resisting the US-backed Northern Alliance warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in northern Afghanistan. Muhammad Atif was overseeing the resistance in eastern and southern Afghanistan. First Atif was killed, and then Namangani.
Their deaths were a big blow to America's enemies. Al Qaeda's multinational Muslim army was on the retreat after Atif and Namangani's deaths.
Osama paid rich tributes to both of them in a meeting of select Al Qaeda leaders in Kabul on November 8, 2001. He also reviewed the situation at the same meeting.
I was granted an interview by the world's most wanted man the same day in Kabul. I was not allowed to use my camera. One of his sons, Abdul Rehman, took my pictures with his father and Dr al Zawahri with his camera and gave me the film.
Despite the security measures, a female spy noticed the unusual movement of many important Arabs in Kabul.
I was having tea with Osama and Dr al Zawahri after the interview. Osama reminded me that it was my third interview with him. He told me that in the first interview, there were some translation mistakes, but no misreporting. He was hopeful I would not misreport him the third time either.
More than 20 Al Qaeda leaders were present in the small room. Most of them were of the view that the US-backed Northern Alliance was moving close to Kabul only because of General Pervez Musharraf [Images], who provided air bases to the Americans in Pakistan.
Suddenly, an Arab Al Qaeda fighter entered the room and told his leaders that they had arrested a woman in a blue burqa just few metres away. She was spying under the cover of begging. She begged for money from some Al Qaeda security guards posted outside the place where I interviewed Osama. After some time one guard noticed she was more interested in watching him than in begging. He started observing her movements and caught her red-handed when she was talking to someone about 'Sheikh' on a Thuraya satellite phone.
This news was broken to the meeting in Arabic; I understood a little bit. Osama immediately ordered one of his close associates that the 'guest' must not be harmed.
The associate, Muhammad, told me he would take me to Jalalabad. I said goodbye to Osama in panic and left in a car. We were arrested by the Taliban outside Kabul because I did not have a beard and also because I had a camera.
Muhammad never informed the Taliban that he was from Al Qaeda. He told them he worked for then interior minister Mullah Abdul Razaq Akhund. The Taliban verified his credentials from the minister and released us after three hours. It was late evening when we reached Jalalabad.
Muhammad dropped me off at a big house. He returned after two hours. He said the place in Kabul where I met his 'Sheikh' had been bombed just 15 minutes after we left, but 'Sheikh' and the others also left the place immediately after us and nobody was harmed.
Smiling, Muhammad told me, 'Brother, you missed martyrdom with us.'
I was not aware of the exact location of the place. Muhammad told me it was the Wazir Akbar Khan area in Kabul where I had met the world's most wanted man.
I spent the night in Jalalabad. I was lucky to survive the intense US bombing.
The next morning, Muhammad said goodbye to me and I left for Pakistan by road. We met again in 2004 when I was covering the Afghan presidential election.
He told how he and his 'Sheikh' survived the American carpet bombing for many days in the Tora Bora mountains of eastern Afgahnistan. It was the third week of December 2001 when Osama and his fighters -- with the help of Haji Zahir, Haji Zaman and Hazrat Ali -- broke the circle created by Americans around them.
The majority of Al Qaeda fighters entered the Kurram tribal area of Pakistan from Tora Bora, but Osama headed in a different direction with a small group. Muhammad was also part of that small group. Some Chechen and Saudi fighters provided them cover and they walked all night towards the eastern Afghan province Paktia.
A top Afghan security official, Lutfullah Mashal, confirmed to me later that Osama escaped to Paktia from Tora Bora in December 2001. Mashal followed him secretly. He claimed Osama entered North Waziristan, Pakistan, from Paktia, spent some time there and then moved to the mountains of the eastern Afghan province Khost.
Mashal now works with President Hamid Karzai and he is sure that the Americans missed Osama in Tora Bora because they were not ready to send their forces on the ground.
The Americans depended more on a Northern Alliance commander who betrayed them. According to highly reliable Afghan sources, this man provided safe passage to Al Qaeda in return for a lot of money. He is a member of the Afghan parliament now.
Osama remained underground in 2002. He and his colleagues were on the run. They kept changing their hideouts often. They were just saving their lives, they were not fighting.
In April 2003, Osama surfaced again in Afghanistan after the US invasion of Iraq. He called a meeting in the Pech valley of the northeastern Afghan province Kunar and delivered a hard-hitting speech in which he announced his plans to resist America in Iraq. He said, 'Get Americans in Iraq before they get us in Afghanistan.'
He declared Saif ul Adil as in charge of organising the resistance in Iraq and also advised him to contact Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, who was hiding in Iran at that time.
Osama started addressing small gatherings of his comrades in Kunar as well as in Paktia. One of his daughters-in-law died during childbirth in those days in the Kunar mountains. There was a big gathering for the funeral. Local Afghans found out about the death and started visiting the homes of some Al Qaeda fighters who had married into families in Kunar.
The news reached the Americans. They launched an operation in Kunar, but once again Osama escaped towards the south before the bombing began in the Pech valley.
In late 2004, Osama was surrounded by British troops in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. He was hiding in a mountain area with three defence lines.
Highly placed diplomatic sources revealed to me recently in Kabul that the British forces were very close to capturing Osama. He was under siege for more than 24 hours but he escaped one of the world's most well equipped armies again.
According to details gathered from Taliban sources in Helmand, the British forces broke two Al Qaeda defence lines in an area of 5 kilometres. One-to-one fighting was about to start, but daylight ended and the darkness provided some relief to Al Qaeda.
Osama wanted to fight himself, but his colleagues stopped him. Heated words were exchanged. Osama was angry, but Abu Hamza Aljazeeri convinced him to try to escape. They placed many rockets with timers in two different directions as decoys. They decided to break the enemy circle in a third direction with a group of foot soldiers. That group provided Osama cover.
Most of the fighters died, but the escape plan succeeded. Osama slipped from British hands with Abu Hamza Al Jazeeri and some others.
My sources denied reports that Osama had ordered his guards to shoot him if he is on the verge of arrest. The sources claimed he does not believe in suicide; it is easier for him to sacrifice his life in fighting against the enemy till the last bullet and the last drop of his blood.
Another secret of Osama's survival is that he faces a lot of 'in house' restrictions after the Helmand episode. He believes in accepting the majority opinion of his colleagues, who have advised him to restrict his movements, not to use satellite phones and concentrate more on planning than fighting on his own. He was even advised to issue messages only on very important occasions.
He never felt it necessary to contradict some media reports of his death last year. In the last two years, most Al Qaeda messages were issued by Dr al Zawahri. The Egyptian doctor is constantly in touch with his leader, but they live separately. Dr al Zawahri spends more time in Pakistan's tribal areas while Osama still feels Afghanistan is safer for him.
Osama is more interested in organising resistance against NATO forces than fighting the Pakistan army. Many Taliban leaders in eastern and southern Afghanistan proudly narrate the stories of their meetings with Osama in the last three years.
They now believe the 'Sheikh' is fighting their war against America, and that he is winning.
The bounty on Osama was $5 million in 1999, it was increased to $25 million 9/11, and it is now $50 million. Al Qaeda was operating only in few countries before 9/11, now it operates in more than 62 countries with active cells in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, the US, the United Kingdom, Canada [Images], France [Images], Germany [Images], Italy [Images], Spain and Australia.
In the Muslim world, Osama's popularity has increased in the last six years. Some of his critics believe he is popular by default. All those who hate US policies like Osama. His real strength is bad US policies. The world has become more unsafe after 9/11.
The US provided Osama relief by attacking Iraq without finishing the war in Afghanistan. More Muslims have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than Americans killed on 9/11. The Muslim world is now burning in the fire of anti-Americanism; Osama is the only beneficiary of this situation.
He is still determined to stage attacks bigger than 9/11. His sympathisers claim it is not only America that is on his hit list. Al Qaeda is also capable of attacking other Western countries. UK and Italy are possible targets because of their blind support to the Bush administration after the US invasion of Iraq.
Osama is a threat to all these countries but he is still at large, even after six years of 9/11. Any new 9/11-like attack may ignite an ultimate clash of civilisations. That is what he wants.
I have interviewed top US and British officials in the last six years. I have asked one question to everyone from Condoleezza Rice to Tony Blair [Images], from top US General Richard B Myers to the British commander in Afghanistan General David Richards: Why is Osama bin Laden still at large?
They had no answer.
Dr Rice and Blair clearly told me they do not believe in a clash of civilisations, but their actions are different from their words. By issuing threats of entering Pakistan and by honouring people like Salman Rushdie, they are only strengthening Osama's hands.
The more hatred they create, the more power Osama gains. He changed the world six years ago and he can again push the world towards a grand clash with another attack.
All strong countries play into his hands through their policies, which create more and more hatred every day.
Hamid Mir, Executive Editor, Geo TV, Islamabad, is a frequent contributor to rediff.com

No immediate threat to US from Osama: Pakistan

Pakistan will attack al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden the moment it has reliable intelligence information about his whereabouts, Pakistan's envoy to the United States Hussain Haqqani said on Friday.
Haqqani also said he was confident that Pakistan could help foil any al Qaeda plans to attack the United States, although he did not know of any right now.
''A cooperative effort between all the allies -- including Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation -- I think we can thwart any potential plans for an attack,'' The News quoted Haqqani as saying.
The envoy is pressing for more cooperation with the United States on intelligence and wants to convince Washington that Pakistan's new government remains committed to fighting terrorism.
He said Pakistani intelligence had helped defeat 'several dozen' al Qaeda plots detected worldwide since the September 11, 2001, attacks, but the government officials knew of no immediate threats to the United States.
Haqqani said Pakistan would act on its own against al Qaeda if necessary. ''If Pakistan, Afghanistan or the United States had specific intelligence on the location of Laden, they would have acted on it," he said.
No reservations would have come in the way of action on that, and none will even in the future, he said, adding, ''If any of us had that actionable intelligence we would all act. We would act separately, we would act in tandem, we would act cooperatively -- we would act.''
He, however, said the three countries' intelligence services needed to overcome any disagreements or lack of trust among them. Haqqani spoke after a US air strike killed 11 Pakistani soldiers at a border post near Afghanistan. He called for an inquiry but said Pakistan did not see it as a hostile act.
Pakistan resists US military operations on its soil and prefers to fight its own anti-terrorism campaigns, the envoy said.
''We do not want more theatres of war in which US and NATO troops are involved, with less and less results,'' he said.
But Haqqani suggested that intelligence operations, such as the US Predator missile strikes on al Qaeda targets, were considered differently than operations by regular military forces.
Haqqani declined to discuss any understandings with Washington over predator attacks. He, however, said Pakistan hoped ''if there is a need to deploy technical means available to any of the partners, that that is done with mutual understanding, and not unilaterally.''
The envoy said it was crucial that the United States help the new government gain the confidence of people living on either side of the Afghanistan border. He called for economic assistance and efforts to change a belief that Muslims and Islam were threatened by the West.
''It is very important to change the hearts and minds of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan, because the only way that actionable intelligence will materialise is when people who know of the whereabouts of Laden feel that turning him in is more important than protecting him,'' he said.

Nepal to celebrate end of monarchy at royal palace on Sunday

To mark the end of the 240-year-old monarchy, Nepalese Premier G P Koirala will hoist the national flag during a grand function on Sunday at the Narayanhiti palace, which has been vacated by the ousted King Gyanendra.
The deposed king left the palace on Wednesday honouring the decision taken by the Maoists-dominated Constituent Assembly to abolish monarchy and declare the country a republic.
He has moved to the Nagarjuna [Images] hill resort after handing over valuables like the crown and scepter to the government.
The exit of the former king is being celebrated by observing a grand function on Sunday.
After hoisting of the national flag by Prime Minister Koirala, a tea reception will be held at the palace, which is now under government control, a Home Ministry official said.
All members of the Constituent Assembly, senior government officials, politicians, diplomats, journalists and other distinguished people are invited to attend the ceremony.
The government has already made a decision to convert the palace into a museum.

Krishna the prime accused in Aarushi murder: CBI

It is official now. Krishna, the compounder of Dr Rajesh Talwar, has been made a prime accused in the Aarushi murder case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation which made Krishna's arrest public on Friday has booked him under Sections 302 (murder), 120-B (conspiracy) and 201of the Indian Penal Code (disappearance of evidence).
CBI sources told rediff.com that they had corroborated the statements made by Krishna during questioning and also during the narco-analysis tests.
Even as the CBI has booked Krishna under three counts in the IPC, they continue to dig into more leads into the case. Krishna had spoken of the involvement of a second person being involved in the murder. In this regard, several persons, including an industrialist, were questioned on Friday.
The law states that if Krishna is convicted under Section 302 of the IPC, he could face imprisonment for life or even a death penalty. If convicted under Sections 120-B the accused as per the IPC could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
For an offence committed under Section 201, the punishment is 7 years. However the law clearly states that if found guilty on all three counts then the accused will have to undergo the maximum punishment and in this case it would be the punishment mandated under Section 302.
Legal experts say that if the case involves more than one person, the accused is booked for conspiracy. The CBI may have found that the accused had tried to destroy evidence and also conceal the weapon and hence he was being booked under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code.
Sources indicate that Dr Talwar may not get away in the case completely and the CBI is trying to establish the motive behind the killing. Sources also say that Talwar may have been one of the conspirators in the case and the CBI still has some work left before they can completely establish the fact.
There is a possibility of Krishna being subject to a narco-analysis test once again in order to get more details regarding the conspiracy. However as of now, the CBI maintains that Krishna is the man who killed both Aarushi and Hemraj, a fact that family of the accused denies outright.
Family members of Krishna said New Delhi on Friday that he was innocent and also added that he was with them both the fateful as well as the intervening night.

Dasavathaaram is spectacular




What a super human effort! That will be the first reaction of any normal film buff who watches Kamal Haasan's [Images] Tamil magnum opus, Dasavathaaram [Images]. The film is certain to thrill and entertain the audience for all of its 165 minutes, making them feel that they are watching something unusual and spectacular on screen.
Also Read: Showcasing Dasavathaaram
The film starts off with an incident that occurs in the 12th century when Shaivite intolerance against Vaishnavites was at its peak. An ardent Vishnu devotee loses his life to save the idol of Lord Ranganatha. Kamal plays his first role of Vishnu devotee Rangarajan in this episode which is marked by excellent technical work and the actor's extraordinary performance.
From here, the film goes to a time when the whole world is on the brink of a biological warfare waged by terrorists. Actively opposing them is the American president who urges the rest of the world to combat this evil.
Meanwhile, a computer chip containing a vicious biological material goes missing from a laboratory in the United States. An in-house scientist Govinda [Images] (again played by Kamal Hassan [Images]) who is aware of the dangers of the material launches a hunt for the missing material, which takes him to India.
In the course of the hunt for the missing chip, Kamal takes on eight more characters and travels to many continents.
The film is a scientific thriller par excellence and it is certain that Kamal has excelled in his eleventh role of the story and script writer. It is difficult to imagine that any normal script writer can think of weaving such a fantastic subject that mixes intelligence with commercial ingredients. It requires an extraordinary intelligent mind to write the sequences some of which are food for thought to the intellectuals as well as ordinary people. Perhaps this is the best script of Kamal Hassan till date. Throughout the film, the writer, an atheist questions the existence of God.
Now comes the challenging part -- picking Kamal's best role out of his ten. Will it be Annachi or Padikkadha Medhai, who fights against the Sand Mafia? Or will it be the investigative officer Naidu? Better yet, will it be the 100-year old woman Krishnaveni, who still yearns the return of her son? But what about the Punjabi pop singer Avatar Singh or for that matter the former CIA agent, Fletcher? Will it be President George Bush [Images] or the lanky Afghan merchant? You get the point. So excellent is the make-up and voice modulation that picking any one character is difficult.
Though Kamal had performed many roles that were similar to the roles of 12th century priest, Rangarajan and scientist Govinda, you still see some novelty in Dasavathaaram.
It is very difficult to single out the best sequence of the film, yet the tsunami episode is perhaps the outstanding presentation mainly because of the top class visuals backed by a superb background effort.
It is not necessary to say how great an actor Kamal Haasan is but one thing has to be said; no other actor would have dared to take on these varied roles. And hats off to him.
As for the heroine, Asin, she has improved since her debut. In a way, Dasavathaaram is an extension of her excellent performance in Ghajini. All the other artists have also performed very well.
K.S. Ravi Kumar should also be complimented for his handling of such a complicated but challenging subject. This may well go down in the history of Indian cinema as a unique experiment in the commercial circuit. He has taken the best out of his artists and technicians.
Only Himesh Reshammiya [Images] fails him. Except for Ulaganayagane and the Bhangra song, the rest are nothing to write home about. However, background music by Devi Sriprasad is excellent.
So is the camera work by Ravi Varman. The special effects and stunt choreography are of international standards.
All in all, Dasavathaaram as an extraordinary effort.

'India created more jobs in US than US did here'

Taking on critics of outsourcing to India and the alleged loss of American jobs in the process, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath asserted that Indian investments in the United States in the last two years had created more jobs in the US that American investment in India has.
In an interactive session with PBS television's talk show host Charlie Rose at the 33rd anniversary summit of the US-India Business Council, Nath said, "Indian investment in the United States in the last two years is more than the US investment in India in the last two years, and India has created more jobs in the US than the US has created in India."
"Now, the Democrats must hear this," he said, to which Rose quipped and asked if it were a campaign statement.
Nath said that "trade and investment is now a two-way street," and pointed out that American exports to India "went up by over 70 per cent last year. That's not a small thing."
"Why are they going up? Because India is a healthy economy and that's what I keep saying not only to the US, but to all developed countries," he said. "That you must ensure that there are healthy economies in developing countries and it's a great market for developed countries."
Nath said that the US needs to understand this "because healthy economies in developing countries mean greater markets. It's no use being a country of one billion people if you have no ability to buy anything."
Asked if India's remarkable growth rate would continue, Nath said there was no doubt about it and added, "We projected that we would be getting close to 10 per cent growth, but global economic outlook being what it is, we revised it downward to 8.5 per cent. Now, that itself is good."
Nath said this confidence and optimism were borne out of a notion that because of the "strong fundamentals," the Indian economy has "built up a momentum of its own and we are confident this momentum will continue whatever be the global economic outlook."
However, he acknowledged that the 3 F's -- fuel, food and finance -- were certainly cause for concern not just for India but for the whole world, and recalled that "they weren't there when I came to the USIBC last year."
Nath also said the sub-prime loan crisis that has devastated the US housing market and led to unprecedented foreclosures in the country and plunged the country into what many economists say is indeed a recession with worldwide implications, would not impact on India.
"We are quite decoupled from it," he said. "There has been no exposure by the Indian financial system to the sub-prime crisis, but of course if there is slowdown in the US, it does affect us."
But Nath said that "more important is the sentiment and that's what we need to guard against -- this sentiment of gloom. The sentiment of gloom is worse than the gloom itself, and that's what drives markets -- this sentiment and this frenzy that goes around. (But) It's not there in India."
He argued that the impact of this crisis is minimal "because our growth is not export-market driven -- it's domestic market driven. So, that keeps us in a little bit of a less vulnerable position," unlike other Asian countries whose economies are largely export-driven.
Nath also took exception to the allegations that India was responsible with its export ban for the worldwide shortage of rice, saying that "we banned the exports of only the cheap quality rice. If you want to buy rice from India, buy the good quality one. Why do you want to buy the cheap quality one."
He said, "Keep the cheap quality one for our 300 million people who earn less than $1 a day."
Nath also said the criticism that India was attempting to kill the Doha Round of global trade negotiations was "unfair and inaccurate."
He said that "India needs as much as the US, a rule-based multilateral trading system. So, for us, the Doha Round is as important as it is for the US."
But Nath asserted that "this round really needs to respect sensitivities. The United States has sensitivities on subsidies. Some countries have sensitivities on bananas. There is huge issue on coconuts. There are whole issues on tropical fruits. There are whole issues on subsistence. This round will close with each other respecting sensitivities. We need to harmonize these sensitivities."
"We are not going to get everything," he acknowledged. "No country is going to get everything, but no country is going to give away everything."
Nath said, "I don't criticize the US, I enlighten them. But we have moved forward since we were two years ago, where we were two months ago, and we continue to move forward."
The final question by Rose to the articulate and humorous Nath was that it used to be said that "every Senator in Washington used to look in the mirror in the morning and see a future president. When you look in the mirror in the morning do you see a future prime minister?"
The 600 plus audience cracked up and engaged in sustained applause, when Nath replied: "Well, I see myself. And, there's nothing better than seeing yourself."

Ambani war erupts again; Anil's camp alleges sabotage by RIL

New Delhi, June 13 (PTI) War between the Ambani brothers on the family settlement erupted again tonight with younger sibling Anil's group charging Mukesh's Reliance Industries of attempting to sabotage its potential deal to acquire South African telecom giant MTN. A spokesperson Mukesh Ambani-led RIL declined to comment on the allegations that it was seeking to "disrupt creation of one of the world's most valuable telecom combinations." Alleging that RIL had sent a communication to MTN group making a false claim of alleged right of first refusal to buy controlling stake in Reliance Communications, ADAG spokesperson said, "RIL's claim is legally and factually untenable, baseless and misconceived.
" Asserting that RCOM's negotiations with MTN group for amalgamation were going well and that Mukesh group's "mala fide" attempt would not derail the process, the spokesperson said that ADAG has received this evening from MTN the communication made by RIL, which he dubbed as "an attempt borne out of mounting despair and frustration." PTI.

IIFA 2008 Winners












Govt's steps to curb price rise half-hearted: Left

The Left parties on Friday stepped up their attack on the government, accusing the ruling UPA of adopting a 'slack attitude' towards containing inflation which has soared to a seven-year high of 8.75 per cent.
The parties, which provide crucial outside support to the Congress-led dispensation, alleged that the government has surrendered itself to market speculators.
Amid fears that inflation may cross double digit mark in the coming days, CPI(M) senior leader Nilotpal Basu said the country's economic scenario was "very, very critical" and that only a paradigm shift in policies would help.
"The price rise is primarily due to weakening of the public distribution system and policies regarding to food economy. The government is dancing to the tunes of market speculators and public stock brokers," Basu said.
"We don't think the government is taking earnest steps to control the situation. There are only half-hearted and incomplete measures," he said.
Basu, a CPI(M) Central Committee member, said the "neo-liberal" economic policies pursued by the government was the cause for the present economic crisis.
He said the government has "failed" to make it clear that the rising oil prices in the international market was due to speculative trade by global traders and did not adopt any measure to check it.
Attacking BJP, he said, the opposition party was only making "hollow statements" on the issue and they were pursuing the same economic policies as that of the Congress.
CPI National Secretary D Raja said rising inflation was a cause of "serious concern" and the government's "so-called" fiscals measures have not provided any relief.
"Our current policies are leaning towards market forces and the government is not doing enough to contain the situation," Raja said, adding "there is a sense of complacency in the government".
Questioning the methodology of ascertaining inflation, he said the government arrives at figures based on the Wholesale Price Index.
"Inflation figures might be much more as government never takes into account the price of a commodity in the retail market. They calculate the figures based on WPI from which we cannot arrive at the correct picture," he said.
Inflation touched 8.75 per cent by May end, the highest during the UPA government's tenure, mainly due to rising prices of food items and vegetables.
The rising prices of milk, pulses, spices, fruit and vegetables continued to pose a major challenge to the Manmohan Singh government in an election year even as Finance Ministry in tandem with the Reserve Bank of India is taking monetary measures to tame inflation.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Pfizer may counter Daiichi's Ranbaxy offer

Pfizer [Get Quote] Inc, the world's biggest drug maker, may bid for the 65 per cent non-promoter stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories [Get Quote], sources familiar with the developments said declining to be identified.
Malvinder Mohan Singh, managing director & CEO of Ranbaxy, and his family yesterday signed a binding agreement with Daiichi Sankyo to sell their entire 34.82 per cent stake for as much as $4.6 billion in one of the largest deals in the Indian pharma space.
Institutions and individuals hold 41.28 per cent and 21.24 per cent, respectively, in Ranbaxy. Others have the balance 2.66 per cent stake.
Pfizer's possible bid could queer the pitch for Daiichi, which is seeking to acquire another 17 per cent in Ranbaxy, India's largest pharma company, through an open offer at Rs 737 a share.
Pfizer, which held talks with the Ranbaxy founders for a possible acquisition a year earlier, may offer to buy out the stake held by lenders and other investors, the sources said.
When contacted, a Ranbaxy spokesperson said, "We have a binding agreement with Daiichi Sankyo and it is a final agreement. We will not comment on market speculation."
A Pfizer spokesperson said the Indian arm and its parent would not comment on speculation. Legal experts believe that any company could make a counter offer to buy Ranbaxy even after an agreement of sale is reached. Somasekhar Sundaresan, partner J Sagar Associates, said, "Anyone can make a counter offer for the non-promoter stake within 21 days of the open offer at a comparable price."The US-based company is battling Ranbaxy in about 18 countries on patent rights of Lipitor, the largest selling cholesteral drug in the world. Lipitor has annual sales of $13 billion. In most countries the patent on the drug will expire starting 2011.
Ranbaxy has won favourable verdicts on Lipitor in many of the geographies including in the US, the largest drug market in the world, which accounts for 28 per cent of the global generic market estimated at $72 billion.
Pfizer, which is facing patent expiry on some of its large selling drugs, lacks a large pipeline of new drugs.
The sources said Ranbaxy had earlier held discussions with both Pfizer as well as GlaxoSmithKline [Get Quote] Pharma (GSK [Get Quote]), but valuations were a deterrent in completing the deal.

Women granted bail; Gujjars agree to talk

After two days of deadlock, the Gujjar leadership on Thursday agreed to resume talks with the Rajasthan government following grant of bail by a court to 25 arrested women, whose release was made a precondition by the community for the dialogue to begin in Jaipur.
A 21-member Gujjar team will leave for Jaipur, a top official said.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Bhuvan Goel ordered the bail of the 25 women, who were taken into custody for damaging rail tracks in Bandikui in this district last week.
The judge asked them to furnish a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each and a surety of like amount for their release from prison, Station House Officer of the police station Girdhari Lal Sharma said.
Their bail pleas were rejected on Wednesday by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Bandikui Rita Tejwani.
Bainsla, who had agreed on Tuesday to send a Gujjar delegation to the state capital to resume talks with the government, had retracted his decision on Wednesday on the issue of women, who were arrested under various sections of the IPC and the Railway Act.

First Look: Rajnikanth watches Dasavathaaram


While all those Kamal Haasan [Images] fans out there have to wait till Friday [June 13] to catch the year's most awaited and hyped Tamil film, Dasavathaaram [Images], a selected few from the Tamil film industry got a chance to watch the film at a special screening in Chennai.
Also Read: Showcasing Dasavathaaram
And, naturally the most special invitee of the evening was none other than Rajnikanth [Images], the superstar himself. Also present on the occasion was both Kamal and Rajnikanth's guru, K.Balachander.
"Extraordinary!" was the word used by Rajnikanth to describe the film. As for K.Balachander, the film has such a lasting impact that the very next morning he went straight to the homes of Kamal and Ravikumar to congratulate them again.
As for all the unlucky ones in Chennai who have not booked tickets till now, they would have to wait for one more week to experience the magic of Dasavathaaram as tickets for the film are booked for a whole week in advance!

Hold H-1B visa? Will get green card soon

The US immigration services have offered speedy disposal of green card applications from employers who want to sponsor H-1B visa holders nearing the end of their six-year limit.
From June 16, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting Premium Processing Service requests for Forms I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) filed on behalf of the alien workers whose six-month stay allowed under H-1B visa will expire within 60 days.
Premium Processing Service offers 15 calendar-day processing for designated employment-based petitions and applications upon request and with a nonrefundable fee of $1,000 for this service. Usually, the process takes about three to four months."During the 15-day period, USCIS will issue either an approval or denial notice, a notice of intent to deny, a request for evidence, or open an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation," the USCIS said in a statement.
The service is limited for Form I-140 petitions that are filed on behalf of aliens under certain conditions, including that their sixth year will end within 60 days and who are only eligible for a further extension of H-1B nonimmigrant status under section 104(c) of AC21.
Section 104(c) of AC21 permits certain applicants to extend their stay in H-1B nonimmigrant status beyond the six-year bar in increments of up to three years, under certain conditions.

Google founder pays $5m for space station flight

Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, has put down a $5m deposit for a flight aboard a Russian Soyuz space station.
Mr Brin has signed up with the space tourism company Space Adventures for priority seating on a mission that would orbit the earth.
'Lifestreaming' challenges social network hierachy
FriendFeed openness puts pressure on rivals
Space Adventures, founded 10 years ago in Virginia, has brokered space flights for five rich businessmen to date but Mr Brin - the fifth-richest American, with a net worth of $18.5bn (euro11.5bn, pound 9.1bn) according to Forbes magazine - is likely to be their highest-profile passenger.
A Google search suggests that the chances of disaster on a space flight is about one in 150, compared with one in 2m on a commercial airline.
Google: Success can be a game with many players
According to Google's regulatory filings, Mr Brin is "critical to the overall management of Google" and "the loss of any of our management or key personnel could seriously harm our business". Mr Brin did not address whether the adventure would carry too much risk.
"I am a big believer in the exploration and commercial development of the space frontier and am looking forward to the possibility of going into space," he said in a statement.
The man who put a local face on Google
Mr Brin and his co-founder Larry Page have shown a keen interest in space. They have added maps of the moon to their services and have sponsored a $30m prize to the team that is first to land a privately funded probe on the moon. Google is also co-operating on research with Nasa, the US space agency, and is building a complex on Nasa-owned land.
Eric Anderson, Space Adventures chief executive, told a news conference in New York that Mr Brin was a founding member of its Orbital Mission Explorers' Circle, where six members would have priority seating on space flights. It has reached a deal with the Russian space agency to buy a Soyuz flight in 2011 for a private mission.

'There's no greater place to live as a human being than the subcontinent'


The Atelier Club in downtown Toronto was packed to capacity recently for the launch of Pakistan-born Tarek Fateh's book Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State.
Fateh's book argues that Muslims have been force-fed lies about their history for over a millennium -- not by Islam's enemies, but by its imams.
'Islam came to free humanity from the clutches of the clergy. Instead, the religion of peace has become a prisoner of war, held captive by the very priesthood it came to eliminate,' Fateh, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, writes in his book.
In an exclusive interview Rediff India Abroad Senior Editor Ajit Jain, the prolific author, broadcaster and columnist pointed out that in India "Muslims, who are 12 per cent of that country's population, thrive," while "next door in Pakistan and Bangladesh," which are Islamic States, "Muslims suffer."
Through the book -- written despite death threats against him -- Fateh wants Muslims to understand that their future lies in "models that are based in India, South Africa and Canada."
Many Muslims say Islam was supposed to be a way of life but it has become a dogma. That it has been politicised.
In some unfortunate way, it is correct. All the differences within the Muslim community, or the wars and the civil wars that have been fought, have never been about piety but about politics.
What is the solution to the increasingly political overtones to the perception of Islam?
We have to stand up to them (fundamentalists) and expose the ideology of hate. In the Indian context, this is the choice between Aurangzeb on the one side and Dara Shikoh on the other.
We know the catastrophe that happened after Aurangzeb weakened the whole of the subcontinent in his efforts to do what the Wahhabis (an ultra-conservative branch of Islam with roots in Saudi Arabia) are now doing. Aurangzeb killed his brother (Shikoh) who was the crown prince, because he (Shikoh) was very close to Hindus and Sikhs.
It is known historically how Dara Shikoh in the 16th century with the help of Hindu priests learnt Sanskrit and -- again, with their help -- he translated (50) Upanishads and the Bhagawad Gita into Persian, followed on what Akbar the great started, Din-e-Ilahi.
The entire thing became such a huge loss to India. Because of Aurangzeb and Islamic war, the whole country became feeble and the British were able to take over the country soon after his (Aurangzeb's) death.
Wherever Islam has become synonymous with violence and hate, Muslims have suffered tremendously. Of course, non-Muslims have also died by the hundreds, but the main victims have always been Muslims.
The traditional orphans of the Iran monarchs or the Indians recognised this was politics. This was not seriously about religion. Religion was merely a tool that allowed them to stay in power, whether it is Saudis or ayatollahs or in the Indian context, Aurangzeb, we had catastrophes, and repression, and secular Muslims had to fight political battles against these fascists.

N-deal: PM is the lone supporting voice

The government's main interlocutor with the Left parties on the Indo-US nuclear deal -- Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee -- has, in the last ten days, spoken at least twice on the issue to the media. He has reiterated the need to tap nuclear energy but has remained evasive on the fate of the 123 Agreement between India and the US for civilian nuclear cooperation.
This seems to be a signal that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has succumbed to the harsh fact that the deal, its biggest international venture, will bite the dust as the Left remains sceptical. Communist Party of India-Marxist Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri said on Thursday: "The UPA-Left committee will meet, but there is no question of agreeing to the government's stand."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images], who said domestic difficulties were holding up the deal, could be the Congress' lone voice still pushing for the deal, said top sources in the party. Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] has also been apprised of the ground reality that it is almost impossible to save the deal. Gandhi and her top party managers have also decided that they will not go ahead with the deal at the cost of losing the Left's support.
On Thursday, a top CPI-M leader told Business Standard: "The George Bush [Images] administration in the US will transact business till August. So we would like to ensure that the UPA government doesn't get a chance to operationalise the deal till that time."
Although the Left is determined to kill the deal, it will allow the government to clinch an agreement with the international atomic watchdog, the IAEA. "We are not against the IAEA, but against the US," said Yechuri.
The Left's plan is clear. It will allow the government to go to Vienna to ink the agreement only after ensuring that the deal with the US is not possible.
The UPA-Left nuclear committee will now meet on June 18. According to CPM sources, the Left will now ask the government to clarify the status of the deal and the exact process of negotiations at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Although in the last meeting, the UPA managers tried to assure the Left that the deal won't be on an "auto-pilot" mode once the IAEA agreement is done, the CPM is still not convinced.

Now, India has to decide on N-deal: Kissinger

Dr Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State and now the undisputed iconic elder statesman and expert emeritus of foreign and strategic affairs, has said the US has said all it has to say on the stalled US-India civilian nuclear deal, and now should leave India to make its on decision on it and then live with it, whatever its outcome.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the 33rd anniversary summit of the US-India Business Council, which he helped conceive, said, "I have been involved, as others here have, in encouraging India in the direction of the nuclear agreement."
"But, I believe that America has said all that it's to say on that subject. It is now an Indian problem. And India will decide," he said, and added, "it doesn't need anymore lectures on the subject."
Kissinger argued that New Delhi "understands the imperatives of each side and it will make a decision and when the decision is made, we will welcome it or live with it, and our relationship will be strong no matter what the Indian decision is."
He also advised -- obviously taking a hefty swipe at neo-conservatives who support a strong US-India strategic partnership to position India as a bulwark against a rising economically and militarily powerful China -- that "we don't need to think of Indian-American relations in terms of traditional alliances or for India to be the framework of the containment policy of the Cold War."
Kissinger noted that he has been "closely related with close relations with China, and I am also proud to be closely associated with close relations with India. We don't want to choose. We can develop both of these policies with each country and we don't have to ask India to choose."
He asserted, "It is not against American interests for India to have friendly relations with its neighbour and it is not against India's interests for us to have warm relations with China."
"What is in our interests," he said, "is that we look at the challenges before each of our societies -- how to maximise contact on every level, to exchange our insights on every level."
Kissinger declared, "We have unique advantages in the Indian-American relationship because we do have the same domestic values, we have the same language, and we have on all of the big issues of the day, really parallel goals."
"We need a global economy, whether we express that in multilateral agreement or bilateral discussions, and we cannot be indifferent to the growth of radicalism in the Islamic world and we have a common interest in every respect, even for the benefit of the Islamic world," he said.
Kissinger said New Delhi and Washington "don't want the state system in Asia to degenerate into the kind of conflict that characterised Europe and let the world go on and so we both have an interest in peaceful and creative solutions."
"So, for all these reasons, I am extremely optimistic about the future of Indian-American relations," he said, and recalled, "I've seen the opposite and I've seen how both countries had to work their way into an understanding of each other's history, culture, and geography. But, I don't know any country in the world at this moment with whom the fundamental concerns are more parallel."
Thus, Kissinger argued that "we can afford to deal with them case by case and not make our relationship dependent on any one instance, which has to be assessed by the domestic requirements of each side."
Earlier, in his remarks, he acknowledged that while there were "many ups and downs in our relationship" he had always been absolutely convinced "even at periods when there was some tension, that in the long run, when policy had to be conducted on the truly global basis, India and the United States would wind up pursuing parallel courses."
"In my view," Kissinger declared, "We have reached that point in the contemporary world," and added: "I am a great admirer of the sobriety, realism of Indian foreign policy and of Indian national policy."
He said, "India is a democracy as we are and that makes it easy for our two countries to communicate with each other. But, India is not on a missionary path to change the world in its image."

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Food crisis: India slams US for passing the buck

New Delhi: India Wednesday slammed the US for blaming it for the global food crisis, and said the major reason behind the sky-high food prices was the shift from "food to fuel".Both the World Bank and the US said Tuesday the rise of food prices in south Asia was the result of export control measures of India. Earlier, the US said the increased food consumption by Indian middle classes had shot up global food prices. “I cannot believe that better food consumption by India and China is responsible for global food crisis,” Finance Secretary D. Subba Rao said.“Yes, it's a fact that consumption pattern has improved and that is what it should be.
It's not the reason behind global food crisis,” Rao added.India and China were never food importers and the increased food consumption in these two countries would not affect the global market, he explained at a function at the residence of British high commissioner to India here.
He said the “shift from food to fuel” was a big issue behind the crisis, and squarely blamed the US' move to churn biofuel from food grains.Taking a dig at the US, Rao said when “so much food insecurity is there”, some countries are going for biofuel and thereby “shifting focus from food to fuel”.“To contain the crisis, you need to keep the borders open.
You cannot put heavy tax on certain biofuels to produce it domestically,” he argued.He said inflation is happening primarily because of three reasons - food price hike, increase in the price of basic materials like steel and rise in energy price. “But let me tell you that food price in India is much less than the global food prices,” he added.

RBI hikes key interest rate to 8%

The Reserve Bank today hiked its short term lending rate by 0.25 per cent with immediate effect, a move that is likely to force banks to increase interest rates and help check inflation.
"The Reserve Bank of India [Get Quote] has decided to increase the repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.00 per cent from 7.75 per cent with immediate effect," the central bank said in a statement in Mumbai.
The reverse repo rate, at which RBI borrows money from banks in exchange of the government papers, however, has been kept intact at 6 per cent.
The Reserve Bank said the decision has been taken with a view to containing inflation expectations among other things.
The RBI statement said: 'The annual policy statement for the year 2008-09 (April 29, 2008) had stated, inter alia, that the overall stance of monetary policy in 2008-09 will broadly be to ensure a monetary and interest rate environment that accords high priority to price stability, well-anchored inflation expectations and orderly conditions in financial markets while being conducive to continuation of the growth momentum.'
'Further, it was proposed to respond swiftly on a continuing basis to the evolving constellation of adverse international developments and to the domestic situation impinging on inflation expectations, financial stability and growth momentum, with both conventional and unconventional measures, as appropriate.'
'The year-on-year WPI inflation which was 4.36 per cent on January 12, 2008 (at the time of announcement of the third quarter review for 2007-08) increased to 7.33 per cent on April 12, 2008 (at the time of announcement of the annual policy statement for 2008-09) and to a high of 8.24 per cent on May 24, 2008.'
'Further, various measures of CPI inflation, which ranged from 4.8 to 5.9 per cent in January 2008 have increased to a range of 7.8 to 8.9 per cent in April 2008.'
'The annual policy statement for the year 2008-09 (April 29, 2008) had referred to the unprecedented uncertainties and dilemmas that exist and added "while monetary policy has to respond proactively to immediate concerns, it cannot afford to ignore considerations over a relatively longer term perspective of, say, one to two years, with respect to overall macroeconomic prospects.'
'At the same time, it is critical at this juncture to demonstrate on a continuing basis a determination to act decisively, effectively and swiftly to curb any signs of adverse developments in regard to inflation expectations.'
'In light of the above, and on a review of the current macroeconomic and overall monetary conditions and with a view to containing inflation expectations, it is essential to take appropriate action on an urgent basis.'
'Accordingly, the Reserve Bank of India has decided to increase the repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 8.00 per cent from 7.75 per cent with immediate effect. There is no change in the reverse repo rate.'

Nepal: King Gyanendra abdicates throne


Nepal's last King on Wednesday bid farewell to the throne held by the Shah dynasty for 240 years with an emotion-charged speech in which he said he 'respected' the Constitution Assembly's decision to abolish monarchy and denied that he was leaving the country.
The 60-year-old Gyanendra said he respected the will of the people and wanted to contribute in 'whatever capacity' he can to promote peace in the country.
"I have assisted in and respected the verdict of the people," he said in his first comments since the declaration of the country a republic on May 28, but added that he 'will not leave this country' and go into exile. Gyanendra said he had already handed over his crown and sceptre to the government. "The crown and sceptre used by the Shah dynasty, I have given to the Nepal government," he said.
In his 14-minute speech, the former king clarified that he and his family members were not in anyway involved in the royal massacre in 2001.
"Me and my family have been continuously defamed with ill intentions which was saddening and still is. The accusations that were targeted against us were inhuman."
Gyanendra ascended to the throne after King Birendra and his family were killed in the June 2001 massacre allegedly carried out by Crown Prince Dipendra at the royal palace.
"In 2001, I did not even get to mourn the deaths of my brother and sister-in-law and my nephews and nieces," he said.
Gyanendra, who moves to Nagarjuna [Images] palace, located seven km west of the capital, said he recognised the Constituent Assembly polls held on April 10 and decisions taken by it on May 28, including declaration of Nepal as a republic.
Gyanendra said he will cooperate with the government in 'every way' for the successful implementation of the Constituent Assembly's decisions.
He also denied reports of stashing money abroad. "There was also an accusation that I have lots of property and money abroad," the ex-king also complained.
"All my properties are in Nepal. All the properties I have are nationalised. In the last seven years, I have not gathered any money or property," he insisted.
"There was also an accusation that I have lots of property and money abroad. All my properties are in Nepal. All the properties I have are nationalised. In the last seven years I have not gathered any money or property," he said. In his speech, Gyanendra, stopped short of apologising to those killed during his reign but said, "If any people have been harmed, I hope you understand it was unintentional." The last Hindu King of the world lost his crown last month after a Constituent Assembly voted to formally end the institution of monarchy, turning him into an ordinary citizen.
Home Minister Krishna Sitaula said the government will not provide any allowance or cultural power to the former monarch and clarified that the Nagarjun forest bungalow has been provided to Gyanendra for temporary purpose only.
The government, however, provided two buildings within the Narayanhity palace for Gyanendra's stepmother Ratna and his grandmother Sarala for the time-being. The government plans to turn the Narayanhiti palace into a museum.
Over 1,000 journalists attended the address by the deposed king at the palace on Wednesday.
The end of Nepal's monarchy is a key part of the 2006 peace deal reached between Nepal's former rebel Maoists and mainstream parties.