LONDON: Mumbai-born Gulam Noon, known as ‘Curry King’, was caught in the terror strike at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel, and he lived to tell the tale.
It was for the second time that Noon had a miraculous escape in a terror strike in Mumbai. He had earlier escaped unhurt during the 1993 bomb blasts and he was staying at the Taj hotel at that time too.
Noon had booked a table for four at the hotel’s restaurant, but he felt unwell and decided to have the meal in his room. When the firing began, Noon thought of coming out of his room, but changed his mind and instead called the duty manager who told him not to do so.
Mumbai will continue to be centre of prosperity: Bush
WASHINGTON: Leaders of India can know that nations around the world support them in the face of the latest terrorist attack and they can count on the world's oldest democracy to stand by their side, President Bush said in a statement on Saturday on the Mumbai carnage, adding lavish praise for the idea of India and spirit of the Indian people.
Arriving at the White House from his Camp David getaway, Bush read out a formal statement as soon as he stepped off his chopper with his wife Laura, adding to his earlier expressions of support and condolences. "The killers who struck this week are brutal and violent, but terror will not have the final word," Bush said, adding, "People of India are resilient. People of India are strong. They have built a vibrant, multiethnic democracy that can withstand this trial. Their financial capital of Mumbai will continue to be the center of commerce and prosperity."
The US President, now at the tail-end of his presidency, said he had been monitoring the situation through the crisis, including holding a video conference this morning with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, India's envoy to Washington Ronen Sen, and the US Consul General in Mumbai, to review the situation. He had also spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday morning and kept President-elect Barack Obama abreast of the developments.
"We pledge the full support of the United States as India investigates these attacks, brings the guilty to justice, and sustained its democratic way of life," Bush said.
The US President made no reference to Pakistan or its intelligence agency ISI, whose alleged role in the terror attack has attracted universal revulsion and disgust. He ended his brief remarks saying "May God bless the people of India." But officials said Bush had offered US help and cooperation on every front - from intelligence to forensics to technical help - to bring the masterminds behind the Mumbai massacre to justice.
Earlier, President-elect Barack Obama also called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to offer condolences and support in India's hour of crisis. In a separate statement, Obama too lavished praise on India's resilience, saying, "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them."
"The United States must stand with India and all nations and people who are committed to destroying terrorist networks, and defeating their hate-filled ideology," he added.
Arriving at the White House from his Camp David getaway, Bush read out a formal statement as soon as he stepped off his chopper with his wife Laura, adding to his earlier expressions of support and condolences. "The killers who struck this week are brutal and violent, but terror will not have the final word," Bush said, adding, "People of India are resilient. People of India are strong. They have built a vibrant, multiethnic democracy that can withstand this trial. Their financial capital of Mumbai will continue to be the center of commerce and prosperity."
The US President, now at the tail-end of his presidency, said he had been monitoring the situation through the crisis, including holding a video conference this morning with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, India's envoy to Washington Ronen Sen, and the US Consul General in Mumbai, to review the situation. He had also spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday morning and kept President-elect Barack Obama abreast of the developments.
"We pledge the full support of the United States as India investigates these attacks, brings the guilty to justice, and sustained its democratic way of life," Bush said.
The US President made no reference to Pakistan or its intelligence agency ISI, whose alleged role in the terror attack has attracted universal revulsion and disgust. He ended his brief remarks saying "May God bless the people of India." But officials said Bush had offered US help and cooperation on every front - from intelligence to forensics to technical help - to bring the masterminds behind the Mumbai massacre to justice.
Earlier, President-elect Barack Obama also called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to offer condolences and support in India's hour of crisis. In a separate statement, Obama too lavished praise on India's resilience, saying, "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them."
"The United States must stand with India and all nations and people who are committed to destroying terrorist networks, and defeating their hate-filled ideology," he added.
Violence against women in Lanka on the rise: Report
COLOMBO: Despite being high on education and other social indices, at least 60 per cent of all women in Sri Lanka have experienced domestic violence, an international study has said.
Specialists believe such abuse is on the increase in a country that scores well on most social issues such as education and healthcare, according to the Gender-Based Violence Forum (GBV Forum), a collective of UN and other international and local organisations.
It observed that 60 per cent of Sri Lankan women have experienced domestic violence despite the nation's good record on education and healthcare.
"The prevalence of gender-based violence is reported to be high and widespread, cutting across class, race, ethnicity and religion," the Lene K Christiansen, the country representative for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said.
"While some positive measures to address gender-based violence through enactment of laws are in place, it remains hidden in the private domain, shrouded by a veil of silence and denial," she said at a function here to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women late last week.
The GBV Forum stated that the number of reported incidents had been increasing. "Whether this is due to increasing incidents of gender-based violence or due to efforts by many organisations to encourage women to speak out against this crime remains unclear," it said.
Nonetheless, even the increasing incidence of abuse did not indicate the true dimensions of the problem, it stated.
Specialists believe such abuse is on the increase in a country that scores well on most social issues such as education and healthcare, according to the Gender-Based Violence Forum (GBV Forum), a collective of UN and other international and local organisations.
It observed that 60 per cent of Sri Lankan women have experienced domestic violence despite the nation's good record on education and healthcare.
"The prevalence of gender-based violence is reported to be high and widespread, cutting across class, race, ethnicity and religion," the Lene K Christiansen, the country representative for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said.
"While some positive measures to address gender-based violence through enactment of laws are in place, it remains hidden in the private domain, shrouded by a veil of silence and denial," she said at a function here to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women late last week.
The GBV Forum stated that the number of reported incidents had been increasing. "Whether this is due to increasing incidents of gender-based violence or due to efforts by many organisations to encourage women to speak out against this crime remains unclear," it said.
Nonetheless, even the increasing incidence of abuse did not indicate the true dimensions of the problem, it stated.
Foreign SIM cards, fake IDs from Bangladesh
NEW DELHI: In the fresh leads from the Mumbai terror attack investigation, Intelligence sources say they intercepted conversation between Muzammil, Muzaffarabad chief of LeT operations, and a certain Yahya in Bangladesh.
Yahya arranged SIM cards, fake ID-cards primarily from western countries like Mauritius, UK, US, Australia. A Mauritian identity card was found on one of the terrorists shot down.
The satellite phone found on the MV Kuber also has shown that calls were made to Jalalabad. These calls were traced to Zakir Ur Rehman, a chief of training of the LeT.
Intelligence sources have also revealed that in the second week of July, intelligence officials knew about 25 terrorists training in the Pakistan village of Durbari Mitho, and that an ISI agent was also involved in the training.
Yahya arranged SIM cards, fake ID-cards primarily from western countries like Mauritius, UK, US, Australia. A Mauritian identity card was found on one of the terrorists shot down.
The satellite phone found on the MV Kuber also has shown that calls were made to Jalalabad. These calls were traced to Zakir Ur Rehman, a chief of training of the LeT.
Intelligence sources have also revealed that in the second week of July, intelligence officials knew about 25 terrorists training in the Pakistan village of Durbari Mitho, and that an ISI agent was also involved in the training.
India security chief resigns after Mumbai attacks
MUMBAI, India – With corpses still being pulled from a once-besieged hotel, India's top security official resigned Sunday as the government struggled under growing accusations of security failures following terror attacks that killed 174 people.Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who has become highly unpopular during a long series of terror attacks across India, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who accepted it, according to the president's office.
The Cabinet reshuffle comes as a chorus of criticism about the government's handling of the Mumbai attacks grows louder.
"Our Politicians Fiddle as Innocents Die," read a headline Sunday in the Times of India newspaper.
A day after the siege ended, authorities were still removing victims bodies from the ritzy Taj Mahal hotel, where three suspected Muslim militants made a last stand before Indian commandos killed them in a blaze of gunfire and explosions.
On Sunday, the waterfront landmark, popular among foreign tourists and Indian high society, was surrounded by metal barricades, its shattered windows boarded over. At the iconic Gateway of India basalt arch nearby, a shrine of candles, flowers and messages commemorated victims.
"We have been to two funerals already," Mumbai resident Karin Dutta said as she placed a small bouquet of white flowers for several friends killed in the hotel. "We're going to another one now."
The rampage was carried out by gunmen at 10 sites across Mumbai starting Wednesday night. At least 239 were wounded.
One site, the Cafe Leopold, a famous tourist restaurant and the scene of one of the first attacks, opened Sunday for the first time since the mayhem — but police asked it to close just minutes later because they said the eatery needed permission first.
Mirrors, doors and paneling were riddled with bullet holes from the assault that killed seven people there.
"I want them (the attackers) to feel we have won, they have lost," restaurant manager Farzad Jehani said of the symbolic opening. "We're back in action."
The death toll was revised down Sunday from 195 after authorities said some bodies were counted twice, but they said it could rise again as areas of the Taj Mahal were still being searched. Among the dead were 18 foreigners, including six Americans. Nine gunmen were killed.
The dead also included Germans, Canadians, Israelis and nationals from Britain, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand, Australia and Singapore.
A previously unknown Muslim group called Deccan Mujahideen — a name suggesting origins inside India — has claimed responsibility for the attacks that killed more than 170 people. But Indian officials said the sole surviving gunman, now in custody, was from Pakistan and voiced suspicions of their neighbor.
Pakistan denied it was involved and demanded evidence.
The assaults have raised fears among U.S. officials about a possible surge in violence between Pakistan and India. The nuclear-armed rivals have fought three wars against each other, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Prime Minister Singh called a rare meeting of leaders from the country's main political parties to discuss the situation Sunday.
As officials pointed the finger at "elements in Pakistan," public ire over the government's actions widened.
"People are worried, but the key difference is anger," said Rajesh Jain, chief executive officer at a brokerage firm, Pranav Securities. "Does the government have the will, the ability to tackle the dangers we face?"
But J.K. Dutt, director general of India's elite commandos, brushed off criticism that his unit, which had to fly from New Delhi to Mumbai, was slow to respond to the attacks.
"There was no delay," he told reporters Sunday.
But Patil, the former home minister, succumbed to the mounting criticism of the government's inability to prevent repeated terrorist attacks. To replace him, Singh tapped Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, a Harvard-educated lawyer who has been one of the most prominent faces in the administration.
Chidambaram, 63, served as Minister of Internal Security in the 1980s under slain Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Authorities say the gunmen may have arrived in Mumbai on a trawler that was found abandoned and drifting off the coast with a bound corpse aboard a day after the attacks started.
The government suspects they then transferred to a dinghy and docked at a fishermen's colony near the two hotels and Jewish center targeted in the assaults.
Local fishermen were suspicious of the group of young men, police inspector Dattatray Rajbhog said.
"The fishermen shouted at them and asked who they were and where they had come from. But they abused them and fled," he said.
Suspicions in Indian media quickly settled on the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, long seen as a creation of the Pakistani intelligence service to help wage its clandestine war against India in disputed Kashmir.
A U.S. counterterrorism official said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, another group that has operated in Kashmir. Both are reported to be linked to al-Qaida.
President George W. Bush pledged full U.S. support for the investigation, saying the killers "will not have the final word." FBI agents were sent to India to help with the probe.
It was the country's deadliest terrorist act since 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai killed 257 people.
US, UK, Israel ramp up intelligence aid to India
WASHINGTON: Unprecedented intelligence cooperation involving investigating agencies and spy outfits of India, United States, United Kingdom and Israel has got underway to crack the method and motive behind the Mumbai terrorist massacre, now widely blamed on Islamist radicals who appeared to have all four countries on their hit list when they arrived on the shores of India.
Investigators, forensic analysts, counter-terrorism experts and spymasters from agencies the four countries are converging in New Delhi and Mumbai to put their heads, resources, and skills together to understand the evolving nature of the beast. The spy chief of the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI) is also being summoned to India to help with the investigations because of the widely-held view that the terrorists' footprints go back to Pakistan. ( Watch )
The Bush administration has taken the lead to forge cooperation, partly out of concern that charges by India that the terror plot has Pakistani fingerprints could setback fast-improving government-to-government and people-to-people ties between the two countries, officials said.
But there is an implicit recognition both in New Delhi and Washington, and also other world capitals, that Pakistan's hard-line Army and its spy agency are spoilers of the honeymoon between the civilian governments and the people of India and Pakistan. Hence the summons to the country's chief spook, Ahmad Shuja Pasha, an acolyte of the new Army Chief Pervez Kiyani, himself a former ISI chief.
President Bush, who spent Thanksgiving Thursday at Camp David, monitored the developments in Mumbai along with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who joined him for dinner. Bush also spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offering all U.S help.
In fact, CNN reported that Washington suggested sending US Special Forces for on-the-ground operations in Mumbai but New Delhi declined the offer, saying its own forces could take care of the situation. The report could not be separately verified although officials acknowledged cooperation in investigations and intelligence sharing.
The Bush administration is also keeping President-elect Barack Obama up-to-speed on the fast moving developments. Obama spoke with Secretary Rice by phone to get an update on the situation in Mumbai. Additionally, his transition office said, the President-elect received an intelligence briefing on the attacks.
The President-elect is also receiving regular situational updates from the State Department Ops Center and the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), an Obama spokesperson added.
The multi-nation intelligence cooperation has been precipitated in part by the death of Americans, Britons, and Israelis, in the carnage. Thousands of Indians have died in terror attacks in India in the previous two decades without the world getting exercised about it, but the manner in which the terrorists who attacked Mumbai are reported to have singled out Americans and Britons, besides pointedly occupying a Jewish center, has revealed that their agenda was wider than just domestic discontent or the Kashmir issue.
Some unconfirmed reports also speak of at least two of the terrorists being British nationals of Pakistani origin, of the kind who were involved in the London underground bombing. Their attire (cargo pants and t-shirts), their heavy weaponry, and the sophisticated nature of their attack, certainly goes far beyond anything local or indigenous terror groups have displayed so far.
More significantly, none of the local groups have targeted Americans, Britons, and Israelis with the kind of specific intent as the current set of terrorists did. While US officials are concerned about the possibility of the new warmth in ties between India and Pakistan dissipating because of the gravity of the charges from New Delhi, there is also a recognition and acknowledgment that India's anger is directed against the hard-line elements in the Pakistani Army and its surrogates in the ISI, and not the civilian government or the people of Pakistan.
In fact, Washington itself has been trying to get Pakistan's civilian government to get a grip on the ISI, which many believe is now infiltrated by rogue elements.
That joint effort by Washington and the civilian dispensation in Islamabad has been repeatedly thwarted by Pakistan's hard-line army which believes it is the custodian and guarantor of the Islamist ideology that keep Pakistan intact and differentiates it from India, and which the ISI as its fighting arm for a covert asymmetrical war against India. Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari recently attracted the wrath of the hardliners by saying "there is a little bit of India inside every Pakistani" and presenting a no-first-use of nuclear weapons proposal to India.
The Bush administration has only lately begun to realise that the ISI is a different beast from the one which helped it defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan to end the Cold War. The first sign that the ISI had turned rogue came during 9/11 when Pakistan's spy chief who was tasked to go and ask the Taliban to surrender did exactly the opposite. India's mistrust of ISI has a longer history, with the nadir coming during the Kargil war.
But under withering scrutiny from the international community, Pakistan, which is desperately broke and begging for international aid and loans, has agreed to send the ISI chief to New Delhi with promise of cooperation. That promise will be tested in the coming days and weeks.
Investigators, forensic analysts, counter-terrorism experts and spymasters from agencies the four countries are converging in New Delhi and Mumbai to put their heads, resources, and skills together to understand the evolving nature of the beast. The spy chief of the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI) is also being summoned to India to help with the investigations because of the widely-held view that the terrorists' footprints go back to Pakistan. ( Watch )
The Bush administration has taken the lead to forge cooperation, partly out of concern that charges by India that the terror plot has Pakistani fingerprints could setback fast-improving government-to-government and people-to-people ties between the two countries, officials said.
But there is an implicit recognition both in New Delhi and Washington, and also other world capitals, that Pakistan's hard-line Army and its spy agency are spoilers of the honeymoon between the civilian governments and the people of India and Pakistan. Hence the summons to the country's chief spook, Ahmad Shuja Pasha, an acolyte of the new Army Chief Pervez Kiyani, himself a former ISI chief.
President Bush, who spent Thanksgiving Thursday at Camp David, monitored the developments in Mumbai along with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who joined him for dinner. Bush also spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offering all U.S help.
In fact, CNN reported that Washington suggested sending US Special Forces for on-the-ground operations in Mumbai but New Delhi declined the offer, saying its own forces could take care of the situation. The report could not be separately verified although officials acknowledged cooperation in investigations and intelligence sharing.
The Bush administration is also keeping President-elect Barack Obama up-to-speed on the fast moving developments. Obama spoke with Secretary Rice by phone to get an update on the situation in Mumbai. Additionally, his transition office said, the President-elect received an intelligence briefing on the attacks.
The President-elect is also receiving regular situational updates from the State Department Ops Center and the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), an Obama spokesperson added.
The multi-nation intelligence cooperation has been precipitated in part by the death of Americans, Britons, and Israelis, in the carnage. Thousands of Indians have died in terror attacks in India in the previous two decades without the world getting exercised about it, but the manner in which the terrorists who attacked Mumbai are reported to have singled out Americans and Britons, besides pointedly occupying a Jewish center, has revealed that their agenda was wider than just domestic discontent or the Kashmir issue.
Some unconfirmed reports also speak of at least two of the terrorists being British nationals of Pakistani origin, of the kind who were involved in the London underground bombing. Their attire (cargo pants and t-shirts), their heavy weaponry, and the sophisticated nature of their attack, certainly goes far beyond anything local or indigenous terror groups have displayed so far.
More significantly, none of the local groups have targeted Americans, Britons, and Israelis with the kind of specific intent as the current set of terrorists did. While US officials are concerned about the possibility of the new warmth in ties between India and Pakistan dissipating because of the gravity of the charges from New Delhi, there is also a recognition and acknowledgment that India's anger is directed against the hard-line elements in the Pakistani Army and its surrogates in the ISI, and not the civilian government or the people of Pakistan.
In fact, Washington itself has been trying to get Pakistan's civilian government to get a grip on the ISI, which many believe is now infiltrated by rogue elements.
That joint effort by Washington and the civilian dispensation in Islamabad has been repeatedly thwarted by Pakistan's hard-line army which believes it is the custodian and guarantor of the Islamist ideology that keep Pakistan intact and differentiates it from India, and which the ISI as its fighting arm for a covert asymmetrical war against India. Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari recently attracted the wrath of the hardliners by saying "there is a little bit of India inside every Pakistani" and presenting a no-first-use of nuclear weapons proposal to India.
The Bush administration has only lately begun to realise that the ISI is a different beast from the one which helped it defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan to end the Cold War. The first sign that the ISI had turned rogue came during 9/11 when Pakistan's spy chief who was tasked to go and ask the Taliban to surrender did exactly the opposite. India's mistrust of ISI has a longer history, with the nadir coming during the Kargil war.
But under withering scrutiny from the international community, Pakistan, which is desperately broke and begging for international aid and loans, has agreed to send the ISI chief to New Delhi with promise of cooperation. That promise will be tested in the coming days and weeks.
Five US citizens killed in Mumbai attacks: State Dept
WASHINGTON: The State Department said on Friday that five US citizens had been killed in the attacks on Mumbai and that more Americans remained missing.
"The Department is now able to confirm the deaths of five American citizens. Consular staff have been in contact with all of the victims' families," Gordon Duguid, acting deputy spokesman, said in a statement.
"The Consulate in Mumbai will continue to work with the Indian Police until all missing American citizens have been accounted for," he added.
The State Department did not identify the victims killed in the wave of attacks by Pakistan-based Islamic militants that have left up to 155 dead.
Earlier, the Synchronicity Foundation, a meditation community outside Charlottesville, Virginia, said two of their members, a father and daughter, had been killed at the Oberoi Hotel.
And a Jewish outreach group said a New York-based rabbi and his wife had been killed in an assault on the group's center in Mumbai.
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was born in Israel and moved to New York as a child, and his Israeli wife, Rivka, were the directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, the community said.
The couple's son Moshe, who turns two on Saturday, was rescued from the attack by their nanny, and has now been handed over to his grandparents -- who live in Israel.
"The Department is now able to confirm the deaths of five American citizens. Consular staff have been in contact with all of the victims' families," Gordon Duguid, acting deputy spokesman, said in a statement.
"The Consulate in Mumbai will continue to work with the Indian Police until all missing American citizens have been accounted for," he added.
The State Department did not identify the victims killed in the wave of attacks by Pakistan-based Islamic militants that have left up to 155 dead.
Earlier, the Synchronicity Foundation, a meditation community outside Charlottesville, Virginia, said two of their members, a father and daughter, had been killed at the Oberoi Hotel.
And a Jewish outreach group said a New York-based rabbi and his wife had been killed in an assault on the group's center in Mumbai.
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was born in Israel and moved to New York as a child, and his Israeli wife, Rivka, were the directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai, the community said.
The couple's son Moshe, who turns two on Saturday, was rescued from the attack by their nanny, and has now been handed over to his grandparents -- who live in Israel.
US fears Pakistani role in Mumbai attacks
WASHINGTON – U.S. officials are worried about a possible surge in violence between India and Pakistan after the bloody attacks in Mumbai that killed at least 195 people, including five Americans. To ease tensions, intelligence officials are searching urgently for clues that might identify the attackers even as Indian officials claim "elements in Pakistan" were involved.FBI agents were preparing to fly to India to investigate the bloody attacks in the Indian financial capital as the State Department warned U.S. citizens still in the city that their lives remain at risk.
A U.S. counterterrorism official said some "signatures of the attack" were consistent with the work of Pakistani militant groups known as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed that have fought Indian troops in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and also are reported to be linked to al-Qaida.
But the official emphasized it was premature to pinpoint who was responsible for the attacks. Another official, specializing in counterintelligence, also cautioned against rushing to judgment on the origins of the gunmen who waged a two-and-a-half-day rampage through India's leading commercial center before being killed.
The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir. U.S. officials are concerned about a flare-up in animosity similar to one that occurred after Pakistani militants attacked the Indian parliament in December 2001, the officials said.
Underscoring those fears, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called the foreign minister of India twice, along with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, since the crisis began.
"There were very worrying tensions in the region," said Gordon Duguid, a State Department spokesman. "She was calling the president of Pakistan to get his read on how those tensions might be affected."
As U.S. officials worked to ease hard feelings between India and Pakistan, a tentative rapprochement between the two nuclear-armed rivals could hang in the balance.
Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, said in a statement that his country is "confronting the menace of terrorism with great vigor." Haqqani insisted "it is unfair to blame Pakistan or Pakistanis for these acts of terrorism even before an investigation is undertaken."
President George W. Bush pledged cooperation with Indian authorities and mourned the deaths of at least 195 people at the hands of gunmen.
"My administration has been working with the Indian government and the international community as Indian authorities work to ensure the safety of those still under threat," Bush said in statement Friday.
Bush was receiving regular updates, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Friday night. Senior administration officials were focused on ensuring that Americans were being helped in every way possible, she said.
Duguid, the State Department spokesman, cautioned that "Americans are still at risk on the ground," and repeated calls for U.S. citizens not to travel to the stricken city at least through the weekend.
Officials were working out the final details with Indian diplomats Friday for the departure of an FBI team, said U.S. authorities, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the operation. A second group of investigators was on alert to join the first team if necessary.
U.S. officials were checking with Indian authorities and hospitals to learn more about the extent of casualties.
Among the dead were:
_Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28. They were killed in an attack on the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin said in New York. Officials could not confirm whether Rivkah Holtzberg was, like her husband, an American citizen.
_Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship who was visiting the center.
_Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum of Brooklyn, N.Y., who was visiting the center.
_Alan Scherr, 58, and daughter Naomi, 13, of Virginia, who died in a cafe Wednesday night. They lived at the Synchronicity Foundation sanctuary about 15 miles southwest of Charlottesville, Va., and were among 25 foundation participants in a spiritual program in Mumbai, said Bobbie Garvey, a spokeswoman for the foundation, which promotes a form of meditation.
Duguid said consular staff would continue to work with Indian police until all missing Americans were accounted for.
U.S. officials have activated a phone tree to contact American citizens who registered with the U.S. consulate in Mumbai, State Department spokesman Robert McInturff said.
President-elect Barack Obama has spoken by telephone with Rice about the attacks and received several intelligence briefings, State Department officials said. They said Rice spoke again Friday with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
"These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them," Obama said in a statement. "The United States must stand with India and all nations and people who are committed to destroying terrorist networks, and defeating their hate-filled ideology."
The State Department set up a call center for Americans concerned about family members who may be in Mumbai. The number is 1-888-407-4747.
US Jewish, meditation groups' members die in India
NEW YORK – A New York couple who recognized the threat of terrorism in India but believed their mission of spreading Jewish pride was greater than the potential danger were slain in a series of attacks across Mumbai that have killed at least five Americans.Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28, died in the attack on the ultra-Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement's center in Mumbai, Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin said in New York.
The group said three other victims in the building apparently had been visiting there. Shmotkin said the dead included Bentzion Chroman, an Israeli with dual U.S. citizenship; Rabbi Leibish Teitlebaum, an American from Brooklyn; and an Israeli woman whose name was not released. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the body of a fourth victim, an unidentified woman, was also found inside the five-story building.
Some of the victims had been bound.
The Holtzbergs' toddler son, Moshe, was rescued by an employee and taken to his grandparents.
More than 150 people had been killed since gunmen attacked 10 sites across India's financial capital, Mumbai, also known as Bombay, starting Wednesday night, officials said.
Also killed were a man and his teenage daughter from a Virginia community that promotes a form of meditation, a colleague said Friday. Alan Scherr, 58, and daughter Naomi, 13, died in a cafe Wednesday night, said Bobbie Garvey, a spokeswoman for the Synchronicity Foundation.
The U.S. State Department confirmed their deaths.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the deaths of the three victims from New York were "tragic losses" for the city. He said Teitlebaum, a Brooklyn native who moved to Jerusalem several years ago, was a kosher food supervisor.
"Our hearts go out to these families and to the many New Yorkers of all different religions and ethnicities who have been affected by the attacks," Bloomberg said.
Members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement gathered at the group's headquarters Friday to pray for the families of the dead.
"Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg made the ultimate sacrifice," said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch.
"As emissaries to Mumbai, Gabi and Rivky gave up the comforts of the West in order to spread Jewish pride in a corner of the world that was a frequent stop for throngs of Israeli tourists," he said.
Shmotkin said at least three of the five victims at the center held U.S. citizenship: Teitlebaum was an American from Brooklyn, while the Israeli-born rabbi, who moved to the U.S. as a child, and Chroman both had dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship. Officials were not sure whether Rivkah Holtzberg, also born in Israel, had obtained dual citizenship.
Twelve hours after gunmen stormed the center Wednesday, Sandra Samuel, a cook at the center, heard little Moshe's cries outside the room in which she had barricaded herself. She opened the door, grabbed the toddler and ran outside with another center worker. The little boy's pants were soaked with blood, and Samuel said she saw four people lying on the floor as she fled.
Kotlarsky said Holtzberg's last known call was to the Israeli consulate. He said that "the situation is not good" before the phone went dead, according to Kotlarsky.
The Holtzbergs arrived in Mumbai in 2003 to run a synagogue, provide religious instruction and help people dealing with drug addiction and poverty, Kotlarsky said.
Hillary Lewin, a New Yorker met the Holtzbergs last summer at the center in India, said both the rabbi and his wife were aware of possible terrorism, but believed their mission was greater than the potential danger.
Their attitude was "If I don't do it, who's going to do it?", Lewin said.
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky said Moshe will turn 2 on Saturday. "Today, he became an orphan," he said. A second son, who has been ailing, was with relatives in Israel when the attack happened. A third child died earlier this year of a genetic disease, the group said.
The Scherrs were among 25 foundation participants in a spiritual program in Mumbai. Four others on the mission were injured in the cafe attack in the luxury Oberoi hotel, Garvey said, including two women from Tennessee.
"I would call them bright stars," Garvey said of the Scherrs. "Extraordinary, bright, very positive — examples to the world."
Scherr was a former college professor who lived at the Synchronicity sanctuary about 15 miles southwest of Charlottesville. His wife, Kia, and her two sons did not travel with them to India.
According to the foundation's Web site, the community is led by Master Charles, a former leading disciple of Swami Paramahansa Muktananda. He is described as "one of the most popular spiritual teachers from India to build a following the West in the 1970s." He taught a form of yoga.
Garvey identified the Synchronicity injured as Helen Connolly of Toronto, who was grazed by a bullet; Rudrani Devi and Linda Ragsdale, both of Nashville, who both underwent surgery for bullet wounds; and Michael Rudder of Montreal, who remains in intensive care after being shot three times. Other members of the mission narrowly escaped the attack.
Black Friday shoppers out in force, but cautious
NEW YORK – Shoppers, who had snapped their wallets shut since September, turned out in force Friday to grab early morning deals and hard-to-find items like Elmo Live and the "Wii Fit" exercise game, but many said worries about the economy have them focusing on fewer gifts and less expensive, more practical items.Meanwhile, the start of the shopping season proved deadly at both a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, N.Y., and a Toys "R" Us store in Palm Desert, Calif.
A temporary Wal-Mart worker died after a throng of unruly shoppers broke down the doors and trampled him moments after the store opened early Friday, police said.
Nassau County police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the Wal-Mart store at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man down as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.
Shoppers stepped over the 34-year-old man on the ground and streamed into the store. When told to leave, they complained that they had been in line since Thursday morning.
"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."
A shooting inside the Toys "R" Us killed two people, authorities said. Toys "R" Us released a statement late Friday, noting "our understanding is that this act seems to have been the result of a personal dispute between the individuals involved. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to associate the events of today with Black Friday." The Wayne, N.J.-based retailer added that it's "working closely with local law enforcement officials to determine the specific details of what occurred."
Elsewhere at malls and stores, it was the usual hectic start of the season, as crowds of shoppers frantically picked through piles of discounted merchandise.
"It was like everything we bought was already on sale and was an additional 50 percent off at the register," said Lynn Mahloy of Snellville, Ga., who arrived at Atlanta's Lenox Square Mall just after 6 a.m. on the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. But she's slashing her holiday budget to about $1,000 this year from about $2,500 in past years because of economic worries.
"I'm just buying smaller, less expensive presents," added Mahloy, who had bags filled with sweaters, shirts and dresses.
Preliminary reports from major retailers including Macy's, KB Toys Inc., Best Buy Co. and Toys "R" Us and mall operators such as Taubman Centers Inc. said the crowds were at least as large as last year's. But analysts said sales Friday may not match the year-ago levels as Americans, worried about layoffs, dwindling retirement accounts, and tightening credit, slash their holiday budgets, even for their own children.
"I've always filled the tree. But you have to be honest," said Shannon Keane, 38, of Cary, N.C., a single mother who was recently laid off from her job. "This year, I'll do the best I can." She was out with her 13-year-old son, Miles, at a local Wal-Mart, buying one item: an iPod.
"He really wanted this one thing," Keane said. "So we're here for this one thing."
And while the steep price cuts — which were even more aggressive than the deep discounting offered throughout the month — are great for consumers, such moves are expected to depress sales and profits in a season that many believe could show a rare contraction in spending, according to Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail practice of Accenture.
At a Milwaukee Wal-Mart store, Shirley Jackson, a technician, arrived at about 8 a.m., too late to get a 42-inch Polaroid HDTV selling for $598. Instead she focused on the necessities, buying shoes and pajamas for her family and stocking up on 500-threadcount sheets discounted to $20 from $70.
"It's just as well I didn't get the TV. I have to focus on what I need — I need sheets, I need groceries," said Jackson, who is in her 40s. "I'm spending a whole lot less this year. I have bills to pay, and I don't want to have it come down to choosing between buying medicine and buying groceries."
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability — into the black — for the full year.
But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70 percent throughout the month amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry could be fading.
Still, while Black Friday isn't a predictor of holiday sales, it's an important barometer of people's willingness to spend for the rest of the season. This year, industry executives are taking note of how the economy is shaping buying habits.
One significant change — and a big worry for merchants — is that an increasing number of shoppers like Jared Smith are using cash or debit cards, instead of credit cards to pay for their purchases as they are either maxed out or just want to manage their money better.
"I'll spend less this year because I want to reduce my debt," said Smith, who was at the Owings Mills Malls in Owings Mills, Md. "I'm going to try not to use my credit card."
Hoffman noted that based on reports from retailers, children's clothing is faring better than adult clothing as parents focus on their young ones.
Karen MacDonald, spokeswoman at Taubman, which operates 24 malls in the U.S., said sales of small home appliances like pots and pans as well as coffee makers did well Friday, indicating that people are staying closer to home and are wanting to buy more necessities. She added that children's and teen apparel also fared well.
Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and chief executive of Macy's Inc., reported about 5,000 shoppers in line for the 5 a.m. opening at the New York flagship store, at least as many as a year ago. But he also agreed that shoppers are focusing more on basics. He noted that heavily discounted coats and anything cashmere, including basic sweaters and gloves, were selling out, while houseware products like single-serve coffee makers fared well.
Sales of flat-screen TVs, which had seen a slowdown in recent weeks, were a big attraction, but they were heavily discounted, according to reports from Sears Holdings Corp. and Best Buy Co. Tom Aiello, a spokesman at Sears Holdings, which operates Sears Roebuck and Co., and Kmart, said that as of noon Friday, both chains were beginning to sell out of TVs, including a 46-inch Sharp TV, at $899, down from $1,399.
Chuck O'Donnell, a manager at the Best Buy store in West Paterson, N.J., said that video games did especially well as shoppers focus on items that can be enjoyed by the entire family.
As for traditional toys, Toys "R" Us Chief Executive Jerry Storch pointed out that customers were either looking for bargains or the hot, hard-to-find toys like Fisher-Price's Elmo Live and Spin Master Ltd.'s Bakugan. He added that the $139 Spike, a radio-controlled dinosaur from Fisher-Price, was faring well. Another popular item, which has been hard to keep in stock, has been Nintendo's "Wii Fit" game.
"What kids want are the hot toys," he said. "It's not about the cheap toy."
James Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide, however, noted that parents are focusing on deals. "The magic price was anything under $15," he said.
Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down
NEW YORK – A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday when "out-of-control" shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5 a.m. sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.At least four other people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were taken to hospitals for observation or minor injuries, and the store in Valley Stream on Long Island closed for several hours before reopening.
Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store. When told to leave, they complained that they had been in line since Thursday morning.
Nassau police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store doors at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man, identified by police as Jdimytai Damour of Queens, to the ground as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled like an accordion.
"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau police spokesman Lt. Michael Fleming. He described the scene as "utter chaos."
Dozens of store employees trying to fight their way out to help Damour were also getting trampled by the crowd, Fleming said.
Items on sale at the store included a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.
Damour, 34, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 6 a.m., police said. The exact cause of death has not been determined.
A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital, where she and the baby were reported to be OK, said police Sgt. Anthony Repalone.
Police said criminal charges were possible in the case, but Fleming said it would be difficult to identify individual shoppers. Authorities were reviewing surveillance video.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., called the incident a "tragic situation" and said the employee came from a temporary agency and was doing maintenance work at the store.
"The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," said Dan Fogleman, a company spokesman. "At this point, facts are still being assembled and we are working closely with the Nassau County Police as they investigate what occurred."
Kimberly Cribbs, who witnessed the stampede, said shoppers were acting like "savages."
"When they were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning,'" she said. "They kept shopping."
Shoppers around the country line up early outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving in the annual bargain-hunting ritual known as Black Friday. It got that name because it has historically been the day when stores broke into profitability for the full year.
Indian forces kill last gunmen in Mumbai
MUMBAI, India – Indian commandos killed the last remaining gunmen holed up at a luxury Mumbai hotel Saturday, ending a 60-hour rampage through India's financial capital by suspected Islamic militants that killed 195 people and rocked the nation. Orange flames and black smoke engulfed the landmark 565-room Taj Mahal hotel after dawn Saturday as Indian forces ended the siege in a hail of gunfire, just hours after elite commandos stormed a Jewish center and found six hostages dead.
"There were three terrorists, we have killed them," said J.K. Dutt, director general of India's elite National Security Guard commando unit.
Some 295 people were also wounded in the violence that started when more than a dozen assailants attacked 10 sites across Mumbai on Wednesday night. Fifteen foreigners were among the dead.
Dutt told reporters outside the hotel his forces would continue to search and clear it. A major in the commandos was killed in the final assault, he said.
Some hotel guests were still believed to be in their rooms. "They are still scared, so even when we request them to come out and identify ourselves, they are naturally afraid," said Dutt.
Outside, anxious relatives stood in groups hoping family members trapped inside would walk out. Many had been keeping a vigil since the attack began.
With the end of one of the most brazen terror attacks in India's history, attention turned from the military operation to questions of who was behind the attack and the heavy toll on human life.
The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center. Their son, Moshe, who turned 2 on Saturday, was scooped up by an employee Thursday as she fled the building. Two Israelis and another American were also killed in the house, said Rabbi Zalman Schmotkin, a spokesman for the Chabad Lubavitch movement, which ran the center.
Authorities scrambled to identify those responsible for the unprecedented attack, with Indian officials pointing across the border at rival Pakistan, and Pakistani leaders promising to cooperate in the investigation. A team of FBI agents was ordered to fly to India to help investigate.
On Friday, commandos killed the last gunmen inside the luxury Oberoi hotel, where 24 bodies had been found, authorities said. Dozens of people were evacuated from the Oberoi earlier Friday.
The group rescued from the Oberoi, many holding passports, included at least two Americans, a Briton, two Japanese nationals and several Indians. Some carried luggage with Canadian flags. One man in a chef's uniform was holding a small baby. About 20 airline crew members were freed, including staff from Lufthansa and Air France.
"I'm going home, I'm going to see my wife," said Mark Abell, with a huge smile on his face after emerging from the hotel. Abell, from Britain, had locked himself in his room during the siege.
As fighting stretched into a fourth day Saturday, the Taj Mahal hotel was wracked by hours of intermittent gunfire and explosions, even though authorities said earlier they cleared it of gunmen.
Indian forces launched grenades and traded gunfire with what authorities believed was one or two militants holed up in the ballroom. What appeared to be a black-clad figure toppled from a first-floor window.
Officials said at least 12 gunmen had been killed and one arrested after the attack that shook the city and the country.
"There is a limit a city can take. This is a very, very different kind of fear. It will be sometime before things get back to normal," said Ayesha Dar, a 33-year-old homemaker.
In the most dramatic of the counterstrikes Friday morning, masked Indian commandos rappelled from a helicopter to the rooftop of the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish center as snipers laid down cover fire.
For nearly 12 hours, explosions and gunfire erupted from the five-story building as the commandos fought their way downward, while thousands of people gathered behind barricades in the streets to watch.
The assault blew huge holes in the center, and, at one point, Indian forces fired a rocket at the building.
Soon after, elated commandos ran outside with their rifles raised over their heads in a sign of triumph.
But inside the Chabad House was a scene of tragedy.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel's Channel 1 TV that the bodies of three women and three men were found at the center. Some of the victims had been bound, Barak said.
The attackers were well-prepared, apparently scouting some targets ahead of time and carrying large bags of almonds to keep up their energy during a long siege. One backpack found contained 400 rounds of ammunition.
The gunmen moved skillfully through the blood-slickened corridors of the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, switching off lights to confuse the commandos.
Authorities were working to find out who was behind the attacks, claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.
President-elect Barack Obama said he was closely monitoring the situation. "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them," he said in a statement.
India's foreign minister said the blame appeared to point to Pakistan. "According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are responsible for Mumbai terror attacks," Pranab Mukherjee told reporters.
Jaiprakash Jaiswal, India's home minister, said a captured gunmen had been identified as a Pakistani.
Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar denied involvement by his country Friday. "I will say in very categoric terms that Pakistan is not involved in these gory incidents."
India has been shaken repeatedly by terror attacks blamed on Muslim militants in recent years, but most were bombings striking crowded places: markets, street corners, parks. Mumbai — one of the most populated cities in the world with some 18 million people — was hit by a series of bombings in July 2006 that killed 187 people.
These attacks were more sophisticated — and more brazen.
They began at about 9:20 p.m. with shooters spraying gunfire across the Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station, one of the world's busiest terminals. For the next two hours, there was an attack roughly every 15 minutes — the Jewish center, a tourist restaurant, one hotel, then another, and two attacks on hospitals. There were 10 targets in all.
Official says siege ends at Mumbai's Taj hotel
MUMBAI, India – A state official says the siege has ended Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel and the last three gunmen there have been killed.An official with the Maharashtra state home department, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said there were no further details.
A state official also said eight hostages have been freed from the Mumbai headquarters of Jewish outreach group.
At least 119 people were killed and 288 injured when suspected Islamic militants attacked 10 sites in Mumbai.
Black-clad Indian commandoes raided two luxury hotels to try to free hostages Thursday, and explosions and gunshots shook India's financial capital a day after the attacks.
About 10 to 12 gunmen remained holed up inside the hotels and a Jewish center, a top Indian general said. The remaining gunmen appeared to have been killed or captured, Maj. Gen. R.K. Hooda told New Delhi Television.
Authorities said 119 people died and 288 were injured when suspected Islamic militants — armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and explosives — launched a highly coordinated attack against 10 sites in the city Wednesday night.
Officials said eight militants were also killed.
Dozens of people were being held hostage at the hotels, as well as a nearby Jewish center, by the well-trained and heavily armed gunmen, authorities said.
While hostages trickled out of the hotels throughout the day, witnesses said many bodies remained inside and the two-day siege showed few signs of ending quickly. Several bodies were carried out of the five-star Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel.
The attackers had specifically targeted Britons and Americans inside the hotels, witnesses said.
Dozens of people were also apparently still hiding in their hotel rooms, terrified by occasional bursts of gunfire and explosions, as well as fires burning in parts of both hotels, and waiting for authorities to get them to safety.
After dusk Thursday, police brought hostages out of the Oberoi, one of the city's best-known five-star hotels.
One man, a who identified himself as a Pole but did not give his name, told reporters he had seen many bodies inside, but refused to give more details, saying he had promised police not to discuss details of the rescue operation.
The Maharashtra state home ministry said 84 people had been freed from the Oberoi — 60 of them hostages — and dozens more were still trapped inside.
Police said they were going slowly to protect the captives.
A previously unknown Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the carnage, the latest in a series of terror attacks over the past three years that have dented India's image as an industrious nation galloping toward prosperity.
Among the dead were at least four Australian and a Japanese national, according to the state home ministry. An Italian, a Briton and a German were also killed, according to their foreign ministries.
The most high-profile target was the Taj Mahal hotel, a landmark of Mumbai luxury since 1903, and a favorite watering hole of the city's elite.
Police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the hotel Thursday afternoon, and commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area. Into the night, brief exchanges of gunfire and explosions could be heard coming from the building.
The attackers, dressed in black shirts and jeans, stormed into the hotel about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and opened fire indiscriminately.
Dalbir Bains, who runs a lingerie shop in Mumbai, was about to eat a steak by the hotel pool when she heard gunfire. She ran upstairs, taking refuge in the Sea Lounge restaurant with about 50 other people.
They huddled beneath tables in the dark, trying to remain silent as explosions went off.
"We were trying not to draw attention to ourselves," she said. The group managed to escape before dawn.
The gunmen also seized the Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-orthodox Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch. Around 10:30 a.m., a woman, a child and an Indian cook were seen being led out of the building by police, said one witness.
Chabad spokesman Moni Ender in Israel said there were eight Israelis inside the house, including Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife.
Among those foreigners still held captive in all three buildings were Americans, British, Italians, Swedes, Canadians, Yemenis, New Zealanders, Spaniards, Turks, French, Israelis and a Singaporean.
At least three top Indian police officers — including the chief of the anti-terror squad — were among those killed, said Roy.
The United States and Pakistan were among the countries that condemned the attacks.
In Washington, President George W. Bush offered Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "support and assistance" as he works to restore order in the populous and growing Southwest Asian nation, according to White House press secretary Dana Perino.
The motive for the onslaught was not immediately clear, but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2006 that killed 187 people.
An Indian media report said a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attacks in e-mails to several media outlets. There was no way to verify that claim.
Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism specialist with the Swedish National Defense College, said there are "very strong suspicions" that the coordinated Mumbai attacks have a link to al-Qaida.
He said the fact that Britons and Americans were singled out is one indicator, along with the coordinated style of the attacks.
India's prime minister blamed "external forces."
"The well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic, by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners," Singh said in address to the nation.
Indian navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said navy officers had boarded a cargo vessel that had recently come to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan. Hours later, he said nothing suspicious had been found on board and the ship had been released.
Mumbai, on the western coast of India overlooking the Arabian Sea, is home to splendid Victorian architecture built during the British Raj and is one of the most populated cities in the world with some 18 million crammed into shantytowns, high rises and crumbling mansions.
Among the other places attacked was the 19th century Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station — a beautiful example of Victorian Gothic architecture — where gunmen sprayed bullets into the crowded terminal, leaving the floor splattered with blood.
"They just fired randomly at people and then ran away. In seconds, people fell to the ground," said Nasim Inam, a witness.
Other gunmen attacked Leopold's restaurant, a landmark popular with foreigners, and the police headquarters in southern Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks took place. Gunmen also attacked Cama and Albless Hospital and G.T. Hospital.
Congo refugees stream east
KINSHASA (Reuters) – Thousands of Congolese civilians streamed into Uganda on Thursday, fleeing fresh fighting in east Congo which added urgency to calls for more international peacekeepers to be deployed immediately.The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said 13,000 refugees, 10,000 of them on Thursday alone, had crossed the border at and around Ishasha in 48 hours. Most had walked for several days to escape fighting and rebel attacks on their villages in the Rutshuru district of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province.
"The rebels attacked my village. They killed all the women, even pregnant women," said one 20-year-old refugee, Jean, in comments cited by UNHCR officials, who were seeking to transport the refugees to a safe settlement in Uganda far from the border.
"I'm exhausted. I just want to be safe," Jean added.
Humanitarian agencies, struggling to help a quarter of a million civilians displaced by fighting since August in east Congo, are worried that a United Nations plan to send troop reinforcements may come too late to prevent more bloodshed.
The U.N. Security Council has approved an increase in the stretched U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo (MONUC) from 17,000 to just over 20,000 to try to definitively end fighting between Tutsi rebels and government forces and their militia allies.
But it could take months for the U.N. reinforcements to be mustered and to arrive. The Congolese government also wants Indian troops to be excluded because it considers them unreliable, diplomats in Kinshasa said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a statement calling for a concerted international push to establish peace in Congo and stop atrocities against those caught up in the fighting, especially women.
"Recent reports suggest an escalation of sexual violence in its most brutal forms, committed by all sides in the conflict, including soldiers belonging to the national army," she said ahead of the U.N. Human Rights Council's emergency session on Congo, scheduled for Friday in Geneva.
She also suggested illicit trade in Congo's mineral riches may be fuelling the continued fighting, saying: "This has to be exposed and comprehensively addressed."
Congo's objections to Indian troops emerged as world figures appealed to the European Union to help provide more security for east Congo, where rebels loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda have gained territory since August.
"While the U.N. has authorized an additional 3,000 troops it will likely take between three and six months to deploy them. The Congolese people cannot wait," they said in a public letter.
They said the EU could send one of its standing battle groups to help protect civilians which the U.N. says have suffered massacres, executions, rapes and torture by both sides.
Evoking previous massacres in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, the figures, among them Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and billionaire investor George Soros, said world leaders had vowed never to let such atrocities happen again.
"It needs your personal political leadership to ... ensure 'never again' really means never again," their letter said.
INDIAN PEACEKEEPERS INVESTIGATED
In their objections to the Indian peacekeepers, Congolese officials described them as "an instrument of destabilization" but sought to minimize the diplomatic sensitivity of their move by trying not to mention India in public statements. "They mean the Indians, it's well known," a western diplomat told Reuters.
Some Indian peacekeepers in Congo have been investigated for sexual misconduct and illicit gold and arms trading, and have also faced accusations of showing support for Nkunda.
Belgium said on Wednesday it could contribute to a possible European force in its former colony, where there are fears the latest conflict could escalate into a repeat of a devastating 1998-2003 war that sucked in neighboring states.
But there have been doubts about the idea of a European force for Congo among some EU members.
"Nothing is off the table, but our main priority is to strengthen MONUC," said Nick Kay, British ambassador to Congo.
4 Peru police killed in ambush by suspected rebels
LIMA, Peru – Peru's defense minister says suspected rebels armed with machine guns and grenades ambushed a police patrol in Peru's central jungle, killing four officers and wounding five others.
Lima-based RPP radio is reporting that about 40 leftist Shining Path rebels attacked the four-car police convoy in the cocaine-producing Huallaga valley on a highway outside Tingo Maria, a city 200 miles northeast of Lima.
RPP says that 12 police officers are missing after Wednesday's ambush.
The Maoist Shining Path nearly brought Peru's government to its knees in the 1980s and 1990s, before being largely defeated. Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz said Wednesday it has become more active in recent years as it finances itself through the drug trade.
Lima-based RPP radio is reporting that about 40 leftist Shining Path rebels attacked the four-car police convoy in the cocaine-producing Huallaga valley on a highway outside Tingo Maria, a city 200 miles northeast of Lima.
RPP says that 12 police officers are missing after Wednesday's ambush.
The Maoist Shining Path nearly brought Peru's government to its knees in the 1980s and 1990s, before being largely defeated. Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz said Wednesday it has become more active in recent years as it finances itself through the drug trade.
Palestinian rocket hits Israeli house
ERUSALEM – Israeli police say a rocket fired from Gaza has hit a house in southern Israel but caused no injuries.Israel has kept its frontier with Gaza closed except for occasional shipments of essential humanitarian aid since a truce with Palestinian militants there started unraveling in early November in a series of cross-border rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes.
Israel says the border crossings will stay closed until the rocket fire comes to a stop.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Thursday's rocket attack damaged a house on a kibbutz, or collective farm.
Britain: India attack had some al-Qaida hallmarks
LONDON – Britain's spy agencies had little warning of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, which bore some al-Qaida hallmarks but appears unlikely to be linked to the group's core leadership, officials said Thursday.
Westerners in India's financial center were targeted in the spectacular attack comprised of multiple, simultaneous assaults — a signature of past al-Qaida actions including the Sept. 11 attacks. But the Indian attack was carried out by gunmen and not the suicide bombers frequently employed by al-Qaida and its affiliates.
The group who claimed responsibility — Deccan Mujahideen — was unknown to security officials, a British security official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding the work. He said terror threats in India had been increasing but the scale of the attack on Wednesday was a surprise and there were no indications attacks would target Westerners.
"We have been actively monitoring plots in Britain and abroad and there was nothing to indicate something like this was about to happen," the official told the AP.
Britain is the former colonial power in India and Pakistan and closely monitors terrorist suspects in those countries. The majority of the nearly 2 million British Muslims are of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. More than 2,000 terror suspects are being monitored in the UK alone, with dozens more being watched in other countries, Britain's security services have said.
"It's too early to say definitively at this stage, but based on what we've seen so far this doesn't look like a core al-Qaida attack," another British security official told the AP on condition of anonymity. "It certainly looks to have been inspired by Islamic extremist ideology."
Western security officials believe attacks organized, directed and funded specifically by al-Qaida's core leadership along the Afghan/Pakistan border are not frequent. More common are incidents in which terrorists have either some limited contact with al-Qaida leaders, or are inspired to carry out attacks by the ideology of Islamic extremism.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed "external forces" and the Indian navy said its forces were boarding a cargo vessel suspected of ties to the attacks.
Navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said Thursday that the ship, the MV Alpha, had recently come to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan.
Pakistani officials in Britain said they were unaware of the plot. In September, a massive suicide truck bomb devastated the Marriott Hotel in the capital, Islamabad, killing at least 54 people, including three Americans and the Czech ambassador.
"This type of terrorism is spreading, through Pakistan and now India, but we were all surprised by such a large-scale attack like this," said Wajid Hassan, Pakistan's High Commissioner in London. "This is no coincidence that this type of attack happened so soon after the bombing of the Marriott Hotel. People from all countries are being paid to fight this al-Qaida war. This is a war that goes beyond any nationality."
Few terrorism experts have heard of the Deccan Mujahadeen.
"Initially we saw violence in India imported from outside — with allegations of Pakistani government support — but now we are seeing new, homegrown groups," said Nigel Inkster, director of Transnational Threats at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
"There is a possible link to al-Qaida," he said. "Logically it would be easier for al-Qaida to get things done in India than in the U.S. and Europe. Everyone's been expecting some type of pre-U.S. election or post-U.S. election spectacular, and there is some speculation that this is it."
Westerners in India's financial center were targeted in the spectacular attack comprised of multiple, simultaneous assaults — a signature of past al-Qaida actions including the Sept. 11 attacks. But the Indian attack was carried out by gunmen and not the suicide bombers frequently employed by al-Qaida and its affiliates.
The group who claimed responsibility — Deccan Mujahideen — was unknown to security officials, a British security official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding the work. He said terror threats in India had been increasing but the scale of the attack on Wednesday was a surprise and there were no indications attacks would target Westerners.
"We have been actively monitoring plots in Britain and abroad and there was nothing to indicate something like this was about to happen," the official told the AP.
Britain is the former colonial power in India and Pakistan and closely monitors terrorist suspects in those countries. The majority of the nearly 2 million British Muslims are of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. More than 2,000 terror suspects are being monitored in the UK alone, with dozens more being watched in other countries, Britain's security services have said.
"It's too early to say definitively at this stage, but based on what we've seen so far this doesn't look like a core al-Qaida attack," another British security official told the AP on condition of anonymity. "It certainly looks to have been inspired by Islamic extremist ideology."
Western security officials believe attacks organized, directed and funded specifically by al-Qaida's core leadership along the Afghan/Pakistan border are not frequent. More common are incidents in which terrorists have either some limited contact with al-Qaida leaders, or are inspired to carry out attacks by the ideology of Islamic extremism.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed "external forces" and the Indian navy said its forces were boarding a cargo vessel suspected of ties to the attacks.
Navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said Thursday that the ship, the MV Alpha, had recently come to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan.
Pakistani officials in Britain said they were unaware of the plot. In September, a massive suicide truck bomb devastated the Marriott Hotel in the capital, Islamabad, killing at least 54 people, including three Americans and the Czech ambassador.
"This type of terrorism is spreading, through Pakistan and now India, but we were all surprised by such a large-scale attack like this," said Wajid Hassan, Pakistan's High Commissioner in London. "This is no coincidence that this type of attack happened so soon after the bombing of the Marriott Hotel. People from all countries are being paid to fight this al-Qaida war. This is a war that goes beyond any nationality."
Few terrorism experts have heard of the Deccan Mujahadeen.
"Initially we saw violence in India imported from outside — with allegations of Pakistani government support — but now we are seeing new, homegrown groups," said Nigel Inkster, director of Transnational Threats at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
"There is a possible link to al-Qaida," he said. "Logically it would be easier for al-Qaida to get things done in India than in the U.S. and Europe. Everyone's been expecting some type of pre-U.S. election or post-U.S. election spectacular, and there is some speculation that this is it."
Indian troops raid hotels to free hostages
MUMBAI, India – Black-clad Indian commandoes raided two luxury hotels to try to free hostages Thursday, and explosions and gunshots shook India's financial capital a day after attacks by suspected Muslim militants killed at least 119 people.About 10 to 12 gunmen remain holed up inside the hotels and a Jewish center, a top Indian general said. The remaining gunmen appeared to have been killed or captured, Maj. Gen. R.K. Hooda told New Delhi Television.
Authorities said 119 people died and 288 were injured when suspected Islamic militants — armed with assault rifles, hand grenades and explosives — launched a highly coordinated attack against 10 sites in the city Wednesday night.
Officials said eight militants were also killed.
Dozens of people were being held hostage at the hotels, as well as a nearby Jewish center, by the well-trained and heavily armed gunmen, authorities said.
While hostages trickled out of the hotels throughout the day, witnesses said many bodies remained inside and the two-day siege showed few signs of ending quickly. Several bodies were carried out of the five-star Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel.
The attackers had specifically targeted Britons and Americans inside the hotels, witnesses said.
Dozens of people were also apparently still hiding in their hotel rooms, terrified by occasional bursts of gunfire and explosions, as well as fires burning in parts of both hotels, and waiting for authorities to get them to safety.
After dusk Thursday, police brought hostages out of the Oberoi, one of the city's best-known five-star hotels.
One man, a who identified himself as a Pole but did not give his name, told reporters he had seen many bodies inside, but refused to give more details, saying he had promised police not to discuss details of the rescue operation.
The Maharashtra state home ministry said 84 people had been freed from the Oberoi — 60 of them hostages — and dozens more were still trapped inside.
Police said they were going slowly to protect the captives.
A previously unknown Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the carnage, the latest in a series of terror attacks over the past three years that have dented India's image as an industrious nation galloping toward prosperity.
Among the dead were at least four Australian and a Japanese national, according to the state home ministry. An Italian, a Briton and a German were also killed, according to their foreign ministries.
The most high-profile target was the Taj Mahal hotel, a landmark of Mumbai luxury since 1903, and a favorite watering hole of the city's elite.
Police loudspeakers declared a curfew around the hotel Thursday afternoon, and commandos ran into the building as fresh gunshots rang out from the area. Into the night, brief exchanges of gunfire and explosions could be heard coming from the building.
The attackers, dressed in black shirts and jeans, stormed into the hotel about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday and opened fire indiscriminately.
Dalbir Bains, who runs a lingerie shop in Mumbai, was about to eat a steak by the hotel pool when she heard gunfire. She ran upstairs, taking refuge in the Sea Lounge restaurant with about 50 other people.
They huddled beneath tables in the dark, trying to remain silent as explosions went off.
"We were trying not to draw attention to ourselves," she said. The group managed to escape before dawn.
The gunmen also seized the Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-orthodox Jewish outreach group Chabad Lubavitch. Around 10:30 a.m., a woman, a child and an Indian cook were seen being led out of the building by police, said one witness.
Chabad spokesman Moni Ender in Israel said there were eight Israelis inside the house, including Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife.
Among those foreigners still held captive in all three buildings were Americans, British, Italians, Swedes, Canadians, Yemenis, New Zealanders, Spaniards, Turks, French, Israelis and a Singaporean.
At least three top Indian police officers — including the chief of the anti-terror squad — were among those killed, said Roy.
The United States and Pakistan were among the countries that condemned the attacks.
In Washington, President George W. Bush offered Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "support and assistance" as he works to restore order in the populous and growing Southwest Asian nation, according to White House press secretary Dana Perino.
The motive for the onslaught was not immediately clear, but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2006 that killed 187 people.
An Indian media report said a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attacks in e-mails to several media outlets. There was no way to verify that claim.
Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism specialist with the Swedish National Defense College, said there are "very strong suspicions" that the coordinated Mumbai attacks have a link to al-Qaida.
He said the fact that Britons and Americans were singled out is one indicator, along with the coordinated style of the attacks.
India's prime minister blamed "external forces."
"The well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic, by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners," Singh said in address to the nation.
Indian navy spokesman Capt. Manohar Nambiar said navy officers had boarded a cargo vessel that had recently come to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan. Hours later, he said nothing suspicious had been found on board and the ship had been released.
Mumbai, on the western coast of India overlooking the Arabian Sea, is home to splendid Victorian architecture built during the British Raj and is one of the most populated cities in the world with some 18 million crammed into shantytowns, high rises and crumbling mansions.
Among the other places attacked was the 19th century Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station — a beautiful example of Victorian Gothic architecture — where gunmen sprayed bullets into the crowded terminal, leaving the floor splattered with blood.
"They just fired randomly at people and then ran away. In seconds, people fell to the ground," said Nasim Inam, a witness.
Other gunmen attacked Leopold's restaurant, a landmark popular with foreigners, and the police headquarters in southern Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks took place. Gunmen also attacked Cama and Albless Hospital and G.T. Hospital.
___
Associated Press writers Ramola Talwar Badam, Erika Kinetz and Jenny Barchfield in Mumbai, Raphael G. Satter in London and Cristian Salazar in New York contributed to this report.
Paulson pulling more tricks to bolster US economy
WASHINGTON – With the economy showing further signs that it is headed into a steep swoon, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is pulling more tricks out of his bag to try bolster the country's battered financial sector.The administration and the Federal Reserve rolled out two new programs Tuesday that would provide up to $800 billion in an effort to get more loans flowing in such critical areas as mortgage lending, credit cards, auto loans and small business loans.
Credit markets liked the new efforts, but private economists said the new moves were not likely to be the last changes in the government's vast rescue program, which has already undergone significant alterations since it was passed by Congress on Oct. 3.
Analysts believe more work will need to be done because of their expectations that the economy's vital signs will continue to worsen as the country slips into what many believe could be the worst recession since the early 1980s.
More news on economic performance will be revealed Wednesday with release of data on personal spending, orders to factories for big-ticket durable goods, new home sales and weekly applications for unemployment benefits.
The report on jobless claims is expected to show that applications for benefits fell slightly last week to 537,000, according to a survey of economists by Thomson Reuters. That would be down by 5,000 from the previous week when claims hit 542,000, the highest level for weekly claims since July 1992. Even with the tiny drop, analysts said claims remain at levels indicating severe stress on the labor market.
The unemployment rate has hit a 14-year high of 6.5 percent, putting pressure on personal incomes, with income growth expected to be a modest 0.1 percent for November, according to the Thomson Reuters survey. These Wall Street economists are expecting that consumer spending plunged by 0.9 percent in October, a dismal showing that would follow a period of extended weakness.
The government reported Tuesday that the overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, shrank at an annual rate of 0.5 percent in the July-September quarter, reflecting the fact that consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity, fell at the fastest pace in 28 years.
A weak reading for October would indicate that the current quarter could be off to a rocky start. Nariman Behravesh, an economist at IHS Global Insight, said he was expecting GDP to shrink at a 4 percent rate in the current quarter, reflecting the battering consumers are taking from the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. He predicted that the economy would remain in recession through the first half of next year.
"We are in the early stages of one of the worst recessions in the postwar period, even factoring in a massive stimulus program," Behravesh.
The other reports due out Wednesday were also expected to show further October weakness with orders to factories for big-ticket durable goods plunging by 3 percent and sales of new homes falling by 3 percent, according to the Thomson Reuters survey.
To revive the economy, President-elect Barack Obama has said a top priority will be working with Congress to enact a stimulus package with the goal of creating 2.5 million new jobs over the next two years. Analysts believe such an effort will require spending between $500 billion to $700 billion, a figure that would be on top of all the money being spent to stabilize the financial system.
In the latest efforts to stabilize the financial system, the Federal Reserve announced Tuesday that it will buy $200 billion in securities backed by different types of debt including credit card loans, auto loans, student loans and loans to small businesses. That market essentially froze in October. These types of loans as a result have become harder to obtain and have carried higher interest rates
The Fed also announced that it will spend $500 billion to buy mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and another $100 billion to directly purchase mortgages held by Fannie, Freddie and the Federal Home Loan Banks.
This would greatly expand an initial modest effort announced in September with the goal of creating increased demand for mortgage-related assets. The hope is that this will drive down the price of mortgages and make home loans more available.
Analysts predict the Fed program could send mortgage rates down by as much as one-half to a full percentage point in coming months, helping to spur demand in the beleaguered housing market, which is suffering its worst downturn in decades.
The latest federal moves raised U.S. commitments to contain the financial crisis to nearly $7 trillion — though no one thinks the government will actually spend anything like that figure.
In the case of the Federal Reserve, the amount covers huge loans that financial institutions will have to pay back. In the case of the Treasury rescue effort, the government will at some point sell the stock it owns back to the banks, presumably when the banking system is doing better and the stock will be worth more.
Mumbai train blasts accused detained at London airport
MUMBAI: Interpol has detained Rahil Sheikh, an accused in the July 2006 train blasts here, at London airport, police sources said here on Tuesday.
Sheikh was wanted for allegedly providing funds for carrying out the explosions which claimed 185 lives and left over 400 injured.
He was detained on the basis of a red corner notice issued against him by the interpol, the sources said, adding the international police body has informed Mumbai Police about the detention.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Mumbai Police, which probed the blasts, has so far chargsheeted 28 accused in the case.
Sheikh was wanted for allegedly providing funds for carrying out the explosions which claimed 185 lives and left over 400 injured.
He was detained on the basis of a red corner notice issued against him by the interpol, the sources said, adding the international police body has informed Mumbai Police about the detention.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Mumbai Police, which probed the blasts, has so far chargsheeted 28 accused in the case.
'Sex on the beach' Britons spared jail in Dubai
DUBAI: An appeals court in Dubai on Tuesday suspended three-month jail terms against two Britons convicted of having sex on the beach in the booming Gulf emirate but ordered them to leave the country.
Michelle Palmer, 37, and Vince Acors, 34, who have been on bail during their trial, were not in court when the verdict was issued.
Their lawyer Hassan Matar said the three-month prison sentence had been suspended by the court but that the pair would now be deported.
The two were found guilty in October of having sex in a public place and drinking alcohol in a highly publicised case in the emirate, which despite its pro-Western outlook still adheres to certain strict Islamic rules and bans sex out of wedlock.
Palmer and Acors denied charges of having sex in public and committing public indecency, but admitted to being under the influence of alcohol when they were caught on Dubai's Jumeirah public beach in July after meeting at a champagne brunch in a five-star hotel.
In addition to the jail sentence and deportation, they were each fined 1,000 dirhams ($270) for drinking alcohol. Both had remained free on bail during the trial.
"The verdict concerning their expulsion remains valid," Matar said. "There are only a few routine procedures to complete for their departure."
At the opening of their trial in August, Palmer denied having sex with Acors, saying they were simply "kissing and hugging."
Matar has insisted that the results of a medical test on Palmer just hours after they were arrested on July 5 showed "she had not engaged in recent sexual intercourse," while the medical report for Acors was inconclusive.
Palmer was sacked from her job as a publishing executive in the UAE following the case, while Acors was visiting Dubai at the time.
The case turned the spotlight on the lifestyle of the 120,000-plus British residents of the UAE, around 100,000 of whom live in Dubai, a bustling city state which hosts hundreds of thousands of Western residents and tourists.
Michelle Palmer, 37, and Vince Acors, 34, who have been on bail during their trial, were not in court when the verdict was issued.
Their lawyer Hassan Matar said the three-month prison sentence had been suspended by the court but that the pair would now be deported.
The two were found guilty in October of having sex in a public place and drinking alcohol in a highly publicised case in the emirate, which despite its pro-Western outlook still adheres to certain strict Islamic rules and bans sex out of wedlock.
Palmer and Acors denied charges of having sex in public and committing public indecency, but admitted to being under the influence of alcohol when they were caught on Dubai's Jumeirah public beach in July after meeting at a champagne brunch in a five-star hotel.
In addition to the jail sentence and deportation, they were each fined 1,000 dirhams ($270) for drinking alcohol. Both had remained free on bail during the trial.
"The verdict concerning their expulsion remains valid," Matar said. "There are only a few routine procedures to complete for their departure."
At the opening of their trial in August, Palmer denied having sex with Acors, saying they were simply "kissing and hugging."
Matar has insisted that the results of a medical test on Palmer just hours after they were arrested on July 5 showed "she had not engaged in recent sexual intercourse," while the medical report for Acors was inconclusive.
Palmer was sacked from her job as a publishing executive in the UAE following the case, while Acors was visiting Dubai at the time.
The case turned the spotlight on the lifestyle of the 120,000-plus British residents of the UAE, around 100,000 of whom live in Dubai, a bustling city state which hosts hundreds of thousands of Western residents and tourists.
Britain launches ID cards for foreigners
LONDON: Britain launched the first phase of a controversial new identity card scheme on Tuesday, forcing certain foreign nationals to start carrying the documents from later this week.
The government has stuck with the programme, claiming it will help fight terrorism and illegal immigration, despite criticism from opposition parties and civil liberties groups who argue that ID cards threaten individual privacy.
Those thought most likely to abuse the immigration system, individuals applying for marriage or student visas, will be the first to apply for the cards, which will be issued from later this week.
Government ministers say that within three years, all new workers from outside the European Economic Area will have ID cards, with 90 percent coverage by 2014.
"In time identity cards for foreign nationals will replace paper documents and give employers a safe and secure way of checking a migrant's right to work and study in the UK," Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of rights group Liberty, has said the plan to force non-EEA nationals to apply for the cards "in order to soften up the public is the most unpleasant type of politics."
The documents will feature the holder's name and date of birth, their visa status and right to work, as well as a photograph, fingerprint record, and other biometric data.
Workers in airports and other high-security jobs will have to carry them from next year.
Anyone applying for a British passport from 2011 will be automatically added to a national identity database, but citizens will not be forced to obtain ID cards.
In addition to civil liberties concerns, the ID card scheme has been particularly hurt by a string of losses by the government of sensitive data, most notably the loss of 25 million Britons' personal information by a government agency last year.
The losses prompted concerns about the ability of the authorities to manage vast databanks of private information.
There have also been disputes over the cost of the plan.
The Home Office says the scheme can be delivered for 4.74 billion pounds (7.17 billion dollars, 5.57 billion euros) over 10 years, but some researchers say the figure could be much higher.
Unlike its continental European neighbours, Britain has never had a mandatory ID card scheme other than during wartime, but the idea has gathered momentum since suicide bombings in London in July 2005 that left 56 dead.
The government has stuck with the programme, claiming it will help fight terrorism and illegal immigration, despite criticism from opposition parties and civil liberties groups who argue that ID cards threaten individual privacy.
Those thought most likely to abuse the immigration system, individuals applying for marriage or student visas, will be the first to apply for the cards, which will be issued from later this week.
Government ministers say that within three years, all new workers from outside the European Economic Area will have ID cards, with 90 percent coverage by 2014.
"In time identity cards for foreign nationals will replace paper documents and give employers a safe and secure way of checking a migrant's right to work and study in the UK," Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of rights group Liberty, has said the plan to force non-EEA nationals to apply for the cards "in order to soften up the public is the most unpleasant type of politics."
The documents will feature the holder's name and date of birth, their visa status and right to work, as well as a photograph, fingerprint record, and other biometric data.
Workers in airports and other high-security jobs will have to carry them from next year.
Anyone applying for a British passport from 2011 will be automatically added to a national identity database, but citizens will not be forced to obtain ID cards.
In addition to civil liberties concerns, the ID card scheme has been particularly hurt by a string of losses by the government of sensitive data, most notably the loss of 25 million Britons' personal information by a government agency last year.
The losses prompted concerns about the ability of the authorities to manage vast databanks of private information.
There have also been disputes over the cost of the plan.
The Home Office says the scheme can be delivered for 4.74 billion pounds (7.17 billion dollars, 5.57 billion euros) over 10 years, but some researchers say the figure could be much higher.
Unlike its continental European neighbours, Britain has never had a mandatory ID card scheme other than during wartime, but the idea has gathered momentum since suicide bombings in London in July 2005 that left 56 dead.
Bin Laden's driver heading home to Yemen
WASHINGTON: Former Osama bin Laden driver Salim Hamdan is being transferred from the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, back to his home country of Yemen, a senior defense official said on Monday.
Hamdan was convicted of aiding al-Qaida in August and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. He would be eligible for release in January with credit for time served.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said Hamdan will serve out the remainder of his sentence in Yemen.
A jury of six US military officers sentenced Hamdan at Guantanamo's first war-crimes trial earlier this year, and at the time he had already served five years and a month at the Cuba facility.
Pentagon officials had suggested all along that they could hold the 40-year-old Guantanamo prisoner indefinitely regardless of the sentence. The Pentagon reserves the right to hold him and other "enemy combatants" who are considered dangerous to the United States, even those who are acquitted or complete sentences in the tribunal system.
Guantanamo prosecutors had sought a sentence of 30 years to life for Hamdan, whose trial inaugurated the special commission system in July. They also had argued that as an "enemy combatant" he should not receive credit for his time detained there. A military judge rejected that argument.
While convicted of supporting terrorism, Hamdan was acquitted by a jury of military officers of providing missiles to al-Qaida and knowing his work would be used for terrorism. He was cleared of being part of al-Qaida's conspiracy to attack the United States. He could have faced up to life in prison and his relatively light sentence was considered a rebuke to military prosecutors who portrayed him as a hardened al-Qaida warrior.
Hamdam's defense lawyers did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment on his release.
Hamdan was convicted of aiding al-Qaida in August and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. He would be eligible for release in January with credit for time served.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said Hamdan will serve out the remainder of his sentence in Yemen.
A jury of six US military officers sentenced Hamdan at Guantanamo's first war-crimes trial earlier this year, and at the time he had already served five years and a month at the Cuba facility.
Pentagon officials had suggested all along that they could hold the 40-year-old Guantanamo prisoner indefinitely regardless of the sentence. The Pentagon reserves the right to hold him and other "enemy combatants" who are considered dangerous to the United States, even those who are acquitted or complete sentences in the tribunal system.
Guantanamo prosecutors had sought a sentence of 30 years to life for Hamdan, whose trial inaugurated the special commission system in July. They also had argued that as an "enemy combatant" he should not receive credit for his time detained there. A military judge rejected that argument.
While convicted of supporting terrorism, Hamdan was acquitted by a jury of military officers of providing missiles to al-Qaida and knowing his work would be used for terrorism. He was cleared of being part of al-Qaida's conspiracy to attack the United States. He could have faced up to life in prison and his relatively light sentence was considered a rebuke to military prosecutors who portrayed him as a hardened al-Qaida warrior.
Hamdam's defense lawyers did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment on his release.
Pranab says new Indo-Nepal border soon
KATHMANDU: An updated Indo-Nepal border would be ready soon and boundary "differences and divergences" between the two neighbours resolved,
Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee promised in Kathmandu on Tuesday after his third official meeting with Nepali prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
Accompanied by foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, the Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and other officials of his 11-member delegation, Mukherjee had a 45-minute meeting with Prachanda on the second day of his three-day visit to discuss wide-ranging bilateral issues.
Calling the talks "extremely fruitful", Mukherjee said 98 percent work had been complete to update the existing Indo-Nepal border and the "one or two" corrections suggested by Nepal would be incorporated soon to unveil a new border map that would be signed by the plenipotentiaries of both countries.
The 1800km open border is one of the major irritants in Indo-Nepal relations. Based on the flow of Himalayan rivers, the border became contentious after the rivers changed their course. Two other border dispute hot spots - Susta in western Nepal’s Nawalparasi district and Kalapani in farwestern Darchula - were also discussed with Mukherjee assuring that all "differences and divergences" would be resolved.
While Nepal claims Susta has become an "Indian colony", the Kalapani area is even more contentious due to the presence of Indian troops, who have been occupying the area since the Indo-China war of 1962. Last week, Nepal’s home minister Bam Dev Gautam asked a visiting Chinese military delegation to help resolve the row, saying tripartite talks were needed since Kalapani is at the confluence of Nepal, India and China.
Prachanda’s foreign affairs adviser Hira Bahadur Thapa told the media that India is ready to help Nepal correct its trade imbalance with India, increase investment in Nepal, discuss compensation for the havoc created by the Kosi river during the monsoon flood and repair the section of the East-West Highway that was washed out by the river.
Also discussed were the updated extradition treaty that the previous Girija Prasad Koirala government was to have signed during its tenure but was held back by the Maoists and the rebuilding of the damaged embankment on the Kosi river that, India has assured, would be completed as per schedule by March 2009.
During his meeting with Nepal’s foreign affairs minister Upendra Yadav, Mukherjee conveyed India’s readiness to rebuild a key road in the Terai, assist in the feasibility study on a east-west railway that would cut down travel time and expenses between the two neighbours considerably and developing the 245MW Naumure hydropower project on the Rapti river in west Nepal that would benefit the power-starved Himalayan republic.
Mukherjee, who also met opposition party Nepali Congress chief and former PM Koirala, was told that the Maoists were violating the peace agreement and resorting to violence. The visiting minister’s suggestion was for all the major parties to work in harness to ensure that the new constitution was written within the stipulated two years. India has also asked the parties to work on the basis of consensus and integrate the Maoist army with the Nepal Army, as they had agreed during the peace pact.
Mukherjee would also visit Sunsari in the Terai to inspect the work on the Kosi embankment and the integrated checkpost at Birgunj on the Indo-Nepal border during his three-day visit, leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday.
Indian external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee promised in Kathmandu on Tuesday after his third official meeting with Nepali prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.
Accompanied by foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, the Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and other officials of his 11-member delegation, Mukherjee had a 45-minute meeting with Prachanda on the second day of his three-day visit to discuss wide-ranging bilateral issues.
Calling the talks "extremely fruitful", Mukherjee said 98 percent work had been complete to update the existing Indo-Nepal border and the "one or two" corrections suggested by Nepal would be incorporated soon to unveil a new border map that would be signed by the plenipotentiaries of both countries.
The 1800km open border is one of the major irritants in Indo-Nepal relations. Based on the flow of Himalayan rivers, the border became contentious after the rivers changed their course. Two other border dispute hot spots - Susta in western Nepal’s Nawalparasi district and Kalapani in farwestern Darchula - were also discussed with Mukherjee assuring that all "differences and divergences" would be resolved.
While Nepal claims Susta has become an "Indian colony", the Kalapani area is even more contentious due to the presence of Indian troops, who have been occupying the area since the Indo-China war of 1962. Last week, Nepal’s home minister Bam Dev Gautam asked a visiting Chinese military delegation to help resolve the row, saying tripartite talks were needed since Kalapani is at the confluence of Nepal, India and China.
Prachanda’s foreign affairs adviser Hira Bahadur Thapa told the media that India is ready to help Nepal correct its trade imbalance with India, increase investment in Nepal, discuss compensation for the havoc created by the Kosi river during the monsoon flood and repair the section of the East-West Highway that was washed out by the river.
Also discussed were the updated extradition treaty that the previous Girija Prasad Koirala government was to have signed during its tenure but was held back by the Maoists and the rebuilding of the damaged embankment on the Kosi river that, India has assured, would be completed as per schedule by March 2009.
During his meeting with Nepal’s foreign affairs minister Upendra Yadav, Mukherjee conveyed India’s readiness to rebuild a key road in the Terai, assist in the feasibility study on a east-west railway that would cut down travel time and expenses between the two neighbours considerably and developing the 245MW Naumure hydropower project on the Rapti river in west Nepal that would benefit the power-starved Himalayan republic.
Mukherjee, who also met opposition party Nepali Congress chief and former PM Koirala, was told that the Maoists were violating the peace agreement and resorting to violence. The visiting minister’s suggestion was for all the major parties to work in harness to ensure that the new constitution was written within the stipulated two years. India has also asked the parties to work on the basis of consensus and integrate the Maoist army with the Nepal Army, as they had agreed during the peace pact.
Mukherjee would also visit Sunsari in the Terai to inspect the work on the Kosi embankment and the integrated checkpost at Birgunj on the Indo-Nepal border during his three-day visit, leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday.
WWII sex slaves demand Japan apology
TOKYO: A group of Asian women forced to work as sex slaves for Japan's soldiers during World War II urged the country's lawmakers on Tuesday to
pass a resolution demanding an official apology.
"Survivors are quickly ageing, still suffering from pain and complications from damage in the days of sexual slavery," said a statement from a committee representing the so-called "comfort women" and their families.
"Due to the delay to an apology and compensation by the Japanese government, the situation has become even more painful for the survivors," it said.
The group is calling for a fact-finding body, an official apology and state compensation for victims, as well as the inclusion of historical facts in school textbooks.
Japan has apologised for the military's involvement in crimes against the sex slaves — which it has euphemistically referred to as "comfort women" — but it has denied responsibility for running a system of military brothels.
Last year then premier Shinzo Abe triggered uproar when he said there was no evidence Japan directly coerced women into sexual slavery, although he later renewed an apology to them.
Lee Soo-San, 80, said she still suffers physical and emotional pain after being forcefully put into a military brothel at the age of 16 in what was then Japanese-controlled Manchuria.
"Military men were standing in a long line in front of the room (where she was imprisoned). I did not think I could ever survive," she said.
When she became pregnant, a military doctor forced her to abort, and removed her entire womb. "My body is damaged and full of scars," she said.
Last year, the US and Canadian parliaments called for a fresh apology from Japan for forcing women into sexual slavery.
Historians say up to 200,000 young women, mostly from Korea but also from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, were forced to serve as sex slaves in Japanese army brothels.
pass a resolution demanding an official apology.
"Survivors are quickly ageing, still suffering from pain and complications from damage in the days of sexual slavery," said a statement from a committee representing the so-called "comfort women" and their families.
"Due to the delay to an apology and compensation by the Japanese government, the situation has become even more painful for the survivors," it said.
The group is calling for a fact-finding body, an official apology and state compensation for victims, as well as the inclusion of historical facts in school textbooks.
Japan has apologised for the military's involvement in crimes against the sex slaves — which it has euphemistically referred to as "comfort women" — but it has denied responsibility for running a system of military brothels.
Last year then premier Shinzo Abe triggered uproar when he said there was no evidence Japan directly coerced women into sexual slavery, although he later renewed an apology to them.
Lee Soo-San, 80, said she still suffers physical and emotional pain after being forcefully put into a military brothel at the age of 16 in what was then Japanese-controlled Manchuria.
"Military men were standing in a long line in front of the room (where she was imprisoned). I did not think I could ever survive," she said.
When she became pregnant, a military doctor forced her to abort, and removed her entire womb. "My body is damaged and full of scars," she said.
Last year, the US and Canadian parliaments called for a fresh apology from Japan for forcing women into sexual slavery.
Historians say up to 200,000 young women, mostly from Korea but also from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, were forced to serve as sex slaves in Japanese army brothels.
Government plans massive Citigroup rescue effort
WASHINGTON – Rushing to rescue Citigroup, the government agreed to shoulder hundreds of billions of dollars in possible losses at the stricken bank and to plow a fresh $20 billion into the company.Regulators hope the dramatic action will bolster badly shaken confidence in the once-mighty banking giant as well as the nation's financial system, a goal that so far has been elusive despite a flurry of government interventions to battle the worst global crisis since the 1930s.
Wall Street appeared encouraged as stock futures moved higher ahead of the market opening in New York. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose almost 2 percent. Stock markets in Britain and Germany gained more than 4 percent in afternoon trading. Citigroup shares themselves climbed 44 percent to $5.64 in premarket trading.
"If they didn't help, the damage would be beyond imagination," said Teck-Kin Suan, economist at United Overseas Bank in Singapore.
The action, announced late Sunday by the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., is aimed at shoring up a huge financial institution whose collapse would wreak havoc on the already fragile financial system and the U.S. economy.
"With these transactions, the U.S. government is taking the actions necessary to strengthen the financial system and protect U.S. taxpayers and the U.S. economy," the three agencies said in a joint statement. "We will continue to use all of our resources to preserve the strength of our banking institutions, and promote the process of repair and recovery and to manage risks."
Analysts said a Citigroup failure would have seized up still fragile lending markets and caused untold losses among institutions holding debt and financial products backed by the company.
"It would create chaos," said Winson Fong, managing director at SG Asset Management in Hong Kong, which oversees about $3 billion in equities in Asia. "Simply put, you couldn't borrow or lend for a while. This is a nightmare scenario."
The bold move is the latest in a string of high-profile government bailout efforts. The Fed in March provided financial backing to JPMorgan Chase's buyout of ailing Bear Stearns. Six months later, the government was forced to take over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and throw a financial lifeline — which was recently rejiggered — to insurer American International Group.
Critics worry the actions could put billions of taxpayers' dollars in jeopardy and encourage financial companies to take excessive risk on the belief that the government will bail them out of their messes.
The Citigroup rescue came after a weekend of marathon discussions led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who is being tapped by President-elect Barack Obama as his Treasury chief also participated.
Vikram S. Pandit, Citi's chief executive officer, welcomed the action. "We appreciate the tremendous effort by the government to assure market stability," he said in a statement issued early Monday.
The $20 billion cash injection by the Treasury Department will come from the $700 billion financial bailout package. The capital infusion follows an earlier one — of $25 billion — in Citigroup in which the government also received an ownership stake.
As part of the plan, Treasury and the FDIC will guarantee against the "possibility of unusually large losses" on up to $306 billion of risky loans and securities backed by commercial and residential mortgages.
Under the loss-sharing arrangement, Citigroup Inc. will assume the first $29 billion in losses on the risky pool of assets. Beyond that amount, the government would absorb 90 percent of the remaining losses, and Citigroup 10 percent. Money from the $700 billion bailout and funds from the FDIC would cover the government's portion of potential losses. The Federal Reserve would finance the remaining assets with a loan to Citigroup.
In exchange for the guarantees, the government will get $7 billion in preferred shares of Citigroup. In addition, Citi said it will issue warrants to the U.S. Treasury and the FDIC for approximately 254 million shares of the company's common stock at a strike price of $10.61.
As a condition of the rescue, Citigroup is barred from paying quarterly dividends to shareholders of more than 1 cent a share for three years unless the company obtains consent from the three federal agencies. The bank is currently paying a dividend of 16 cents, halved from a 32-cent payout in the previous quarter. The agreement also places restrictions on executive compensation, including bonuses.
Importantly, the agreement calls on Citigroup to take steps to help distressed homeowners.
Specifically, Citigroup will modify mortgages to help people avoid foreclosure along the lines of an FDIC plan that was put into effect at IndyMac Bank, a major failed savings and loan based in Pasadena, Calif.
Under the IndyMac plan, struggling home borrowers pay interest rates of about three percent for five years. Rates are reduced so that borrowers aren't paying more than 38 percent of their pretax income on housing.
The IndyMac plan also was used as a model for a new program by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for two other failed thrifts taken over by the government on Friday. FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair has been pressing Treasury to use $24 billion from the $700 billion bailout program to put the mortgage modification program on national footing, but Paulson is opposed to that idea.
Citigroup has seen its shares lose 60 percent of their value in the past week, reflecting a crisis of confidence among skittish investors. They are worried all the risky debt on Citigroup's balance sheet will turn into losses as the economy worsens and the markets stay turbulent — losses that could be nearly impossible to reverse.
Citigroup is such a large, interconnected player in the financial system that it is seen by Washington policymakers as too big to fail. The company has operations stretching around the globe in more than 100 countries.
Analysts consider Citigroup the most vulnerable among the major U.S. banks — especially after it failed to nab Wachovia Corp., which was bought instead by Wells Fargo & Co. That was a missed opportunity for Citi to gets its hands on much-needed U.S. deposits that would bolster its cash position.
Citigroup was especially hard hit by the meltdown in risky, subprime mortgages made to people with tarnished credit or low incomes. Foreclosures on those mortgages spiked, leaving Citi and other financial companies wracking up huge losses on the soured investments. The company has failed to turn a profit during the past four quarters and has announced plans to slash thousands of jobs.
Baghdad bombs kill 20, 1 hits Green Zone entry
BAGHDAD – A female suicide bomber blew herself up near an entrance to the U.S.-protected Green Zone and a bomb tore through a minibus carrying Iraqi government employees in separate attacks on Monday that killed at least 20 people, Iraqi officials said.Three more people were killed in bomb attacks on police patrols in Baghdad and Baqouba, northeast of the capital, police said.
The violence came as Iraqi lawmakers prepared for a vote Wednesday on a security pact with the United States that would allow American forces to stay in Iraq for up to three more years under strict Iraqi oversight.
The Interior Ministry said it was stepping up security in the capital in response to the attacks. Additional measures included putting more undercover agents on the streets, it said in a statement.
The first attack occurred shortly before 8 a.m. when a bomb attached to a bus used by the Trade Ministry to ferry employees to work exploded in eastern Baghdad, police and hospital officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Thirteen ministry employees were killed and three were wounded, according to an official with the state-owned Iraqi shopping centers company who also spoke on condition of anonymity. The company is part of the Trade Ministry.
The rush-hour attack occurred in a Shiite area and the injured were taken to Kindi and Ibn al-Nafis hospitals in Baghdad.
An official at Kindi hospital's emergency wing and another official at Ibn al-Nafis said eight women were among the 13 people killed. Most of the bodies were severely burned, making identification difficult.
The U.S. military said 14 people were killed and four were injured in the 7:20 a.m. bombing of the minibus. It said American soldiers assisted Iraqi police in securing the area and treating casualties.
About 45 minutes later, a female suicide bomber blew herself up as she stood in line to be searched at a checkpoint near the Green Zone in central Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding 13, according to an Interior Ministry official who declined to give his name.
Iraq's intelligence service said the bomber had targeted the checkpoint where its workers enter the Green Zone to go to work at the agency's headquarters, which is inside the fortified area. The service said female employees, including a pregnant woman, were killed and some of its guards were injured.
Kindi hospital said two women were among those killed in the blast.
The U.S. military said the bombing near the Green Zone occurred between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and killed two Iraqi army members and three civilians. One civilian was injured, it said.
The Green Zone houses the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government headquarters.
In a third attack, a roadside bomb targeted a police patrol around 10:30 a.m. near Technology University in eastern Baghdad, killing two civilians and wounding four other people, an Iraqi police officer and an official at Ibn al-Nafis hospital said on condition of anonymity. Two police officers were among the injured.
In Baqouba, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, a policeman was killed when a roadside bomb blew up near his car, police said.
Random House to digitize thousands of books
NEW YORK – With e-book sales exploding in an otherwise sleepy market, Random House Inc. announced Monday that it was making thousands of additional books available in digital form, including novels by John Updike and Harlan Coben, as well as several volumes of the "Magic Treehouse" children's series.
Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement that "more people everyday are enjoying reading in the electronic format and Random House wants to extend our reach to them with more of our books."
The publisher already has more than 8,000 books in the electronic format and will have a digital library of nearly 15,000. The new round of e-books is expected to be completed within months; excerpts can be viewed online through the publisher's Insight browsing service.
Random House's vice president for digital operations, Matt Shatz, says e-book sales have increased by triple digit percentages in 2008, thanks in part to Amazon.com's Kindle reader, but he declined to offer specific number. E-books remain a tiny part of the overall market, widely estimated in the industry at 1 percent or less.
Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement that "more people everyday are enjoying reading in the electronic format and Random House wants to extend our reach to them with more of our books."
The publisher already has more than 8,000 books in the electronic format and will have a digital library of nearly 15,000. The new round of e-books is expected to be completed within months; excerpts can be viewed online through the publisher's Insight browsing service.
Random House's vice president for digital operations, Matt Shatz, says e-book sales have increased by triple digit percentages in 2008, thanks in part to Amazon.com's Kindle reader, but he declined to offer specific number. E-books remain a tiny part of the overall market, widely estimated in the industry at 1 percent or less.
Karolina Kurkova is 'World's sexiest woman'
Beating a host of beautiful ladies in Hollywood, Karolina Kurkova has won the title of ‘World's Sexiest Woman’ in a Karolina KurkovaKarolina Kurkova (Reuters photo)
new poll.
The leggy Czech lingerie model topped of World's Sexiest Top 10 list by E! Online. The list was a clear example of globalisation of sexiness as it included ladies from all corners of the world.
"Far from being a US centric list, you'll find a face and body, from six continents," Fox News quoted E! as saying in a strange statement. Standing second in the list is Israeli model and Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest squeeze, Bar Rafaeli. The third spot has been nabbed by Brad Pitt’s hot partner, Angelina Jolie.
While former Leonardo DiCaprio squeeze Gisele Bundchen came in fourth, Scarlett Johansson rounded up at the fifth place in the list of sexy women.
E! Entertainment’s World's Sexiest Top 10 are:
1. Karolina Kurkova
2. Bar Rafaeli
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Gisele Bundchen
5. Scarlett Johansson
6. Adriana Lima
7. Heidi Klum
8. Penelope Cruz
9. Manuela Arcuri
10. Shakira
'I'm a sexless person'
She might be known for playing troubled characters, but Kangna Ranaut says that in real life, she’s more confident and content compared to when Kangna Ranaut
Kangna Ranaut (TOI photo)
she started out.
I’m very calm and at peace now. Things are different, I’m more confident, know what I’m talking about, have learnt a lot... I’ve matured,” she says.
But she hasn’t been around for very long, has she? Kangna says that though she had an unconventional start in the business, she had the patience to wait for people to accept her the way she is. “People take some time accepting something new. I did not come to the industry with a typical look and style, like other actresses do. Many of them commented on the way my hair is, the way I look, the way I talk and how thin I am. But all this did not affect me because Gangster did well and I knew that I’d worked very hard in the movie. The movie will always be a very special part of my life. And now, when people have accepted me, they say that I compete with myself with every role. It’s a great feeling!”
But it hasn’t been all peaches and cream. Kangna had a very public falling out with friend and ‘benefactor’ Aditya Pancholi, didn’t she? “I was very young when I joined the industry,” she says, being careful with her words. “I could not differentiate between right and wrong. There were people who helped me and were really sweet to me. But soon, those people started to think that they owned me. I paid off all my debts and I’m free now – free of all that, and like I said, more mature. The problem is that our industry can intoxicate anyone. That’s why I believe no actor should take their star status seriously. If they do, then they lose it! Thankfully, I’m not one of them,” she says.
She’s on a high with the success of Fashion, but perhaps that’s the reason she stands by her previous films too. “I am proud of all the movies I have done so far. Fashion is one of them. I feel that Woh Lamhe could have shaped up a bit better, but hey, no regrets there either,” she says.
And is life pleasant now with Shekhar Suman’s son Adhyayan? “Yes, I have been dating him for the last eight months and that’s all I’ll tell you,” she says, quickly now. “I want this to be personal. I hope everyone respects that.” Alright, then, some time ago, she had been quoted saying that when she is alone, she either likes to be left alone with a bottle of wine or listen to music. “That was a long time ago. It is just music now and some heart-to-heart with myself.” And what about the tag of being a ‘sexy lady’? “Sexy and me don’t go together in the same line. In fact, I am a sexless person!”
Hasina, Khaleda exchange pleasantries
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia exchanged greetings at a reception on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day at Senakunja at Dhaka cantonment yesterday evening.The two, in smiles, enquired about each other's welfare standing on the lawn of the Senakunja at about 7:10pm. Guests attending the function cheered--some by clapping--at the sight of their exchanging pleasantries.
Flanked by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and chiefs of the three services, both Hasina and Khaleda looked quite cheerful.
Hasina, clad in a cream colour sari, arrived at Senakunja at 7:00am. After a while, Khaleda wearing an off-white siphon turned up.
As the BNP chairperson entered the reception venue, the AL president approached her and shook hands.
After talking for about five minutes, they took seats reserved on the left and right side of the chief adviser and the president.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed talked to the two leaders after the president's speech.
The archrivals, who were in makeshift jail in the parliament building complex in connection with graft cases, were released on bail recently as election process restarted in the country.
Both the leaders are poised to fight yet another round of battle of ballots next month.
Bra for the boys an online bestseller in Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) – Who said bras are only for women? A Japanese online lingerie retailer is selling bras for cross-dressing men and they've quickly become one of its most popular items.Since launching two weeks ago on Rakuten, a major Japanese web shopping mall, the Wishroom shop has sold over 300 men's bras for 2,800 yen ($30) each. The shop also stocks men's panties, as well as lingerie for women.
"I like this tight feeling. It feels good," Wishroom representative Masayuki Tsuchiya told Reuters as he modeled the bra, which can be worn discreetly under men's clothing.
Wishroom Executive Director Akiko Okunomiya said she was surprised at the number of men who were looking for their inner woman.
"I think more and more men are becoming interested in bras. Since we launched the men's bra, we've been getting feedback from customers saying 'wow, we'd been waiting for this for such a long time'," she said.
But the bra, available in black, pink and white, is not an easy sell for all men.
The underwear has stirred a heated debate online with more than 8,000 people debating the merits of men wearing bras in one night on Mixi, Japan's top social network website.
($1=94.34 Yen)
Kin outraged, distraught over teen's cyber suicide
MIAMI – The family of a college student who killed himself live on the Internet say they're horrified his life ended before a virtual audience, and infuriated that viewers of the live webcam or operators of the Web site that hosted it didn't act sooner to save him.
Only after police arrived to find Abraham Biggs dead in his father's bed did the Web feed stop Wednesday — 12 hours after the 19-year-old Broward College student first declared on a Web site that he hated himself and planned to die.
"It didn't have to be," said the victim's sister, Rosalind Bigg. "They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours."
Biggs announced his plans to kill himself over a Web site for bodybuilders, authorities said. He posted a link from there to Justin.tv, a site that allows users to broadcast live videos from their webcams.
A computer user who claimed to have watched said that after swallowing some pills, Biggs went to sleep and appeared to be breathing for a few hours while others cracked jokes.
Some members of his virtual audience encouraged him to do it, others tried to talk him out of it, and some discussed whether he was taking a dose big enough to kill himself, said Wendy Crane, an investigator with the Broward County medical examiner's office.
Some users told investigators they did not take him seriously because he had threatened suicide on the site before.
Eventually, someone notified the moderator of the bodybuilding site, who traced Biggs' location and called police, Crane said. The drama unfolded live on Justin.tv, which allows viewers to post comments alongside the video images.
As police entered the room, the audience's reaction was filled with Internet shorthand: "OMFG," one wrote, meaning "Oh, my God." Others, either not knowing what they were seeing, or not caring, wrote "lol," which means "laughing out loud," and "hahahah."
His father, Abraham Biggs Sr., told The Miami Herald he didn't want to watch the video.
"We were very good friends," he said. "It's wrong that it was allowed to happen."
An autopsy concluded Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which his family said was prescribed for his bipolar disorder.
"Abe, i still wish this was all a joke," a friend wrote on the teenager's MySpace page, which he described himself as a goodhearted guy who would always be available for his pals, no matter what time of day.
In a statement, Justin.tv CEO Michael Seibel said: "We regret that this has occurred and want to respect the privacy of the broadcaster and his family during this time."
It is unclear how many people watched it happen. The Web site would not say how many people were watching the broadcast. The site as a whole had 672,000 unique visitors in October, according to Nielsen.
Biggs was not the first person to commit suicide with a webcam rolling. But the drawn-out drama — and the reaction of those watching — was seen as an extreme example of young people's penchant for sharing intimate details about themselves over the Internet.
Montana Miller, an assistant professor of popular culture at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said Biggs' very public suicide was not shocking, given the way teenagers chronicle every facet of their lives on sites like Facebook and MySpace.
"If it's not recorded or documented then it doesn't even seem worthwhile," she said. "For today's generation it might seem, `What's the point of doing it if everyone isn't going to see it?'"
She likened Biggs' death to other public ways of committing suicide, like jumping off a bridge.
Crane said she knows of a case in which a Florida man shot himself in the head in front of an online audience, though she didn't know how much viewers saw. In Britain last year, a man hanged himself while chatting online.
Miami lawyer William Hill said there is probably nothing that could be done legally to those who watched and did not act. As for whether the Web site could be held liable, Hill said there doesn't seem to be much of a case for negligence.
"There could conceivably be some liability if they knew this was happening and they had some ability to intervene and didn't take action," said Hill, who does business litigation and has represented a number of Internet-based clients. But "I think it would be a stretch."
Condolences poured into Biggs' MySpace page, where the mostly unsmiling teen is seen posing in a series of pictures with various young women. On the bodybuilding Web site, Biggs used the screen name CandyJunkie. His Justin.tv alias was "feels_like_ecstacy."
Bigg described her brother as an outgoing person who struck up conversations with Starbucks baristas and enjoyed taking his young nieces to Chuck E. Cheese. He was health-conscious and exercised but was not a bodybuilder, she said.
"This is very, very sudden and unexpected for us," the sister said. "It boggles the mind. We don't understand."
Only after police arrived to find Abraham Biggs dead in his father's bed did the Web feed stop Wednesday — 12 hours after the 19-year-old Broward College student first declared on a Web site that he hated himself and planned to die.
"It didn't have to be," said the victim's sister, Rosalind Bigg. "They got hits, they got viewers, nothing happened for hours."
Biggs announced his plans to kill himself over a Web site for bodybuilders, authorities said. He posted a link from there to Justin.tv, a site that allows users to broadcast live videos from their webcams.
A computer user who claimed to have watched said that after swallowing some pills, Biggs went to sleep and appeared to be breathing for a few hours while others cracked jokes.
Some members of his virtual audience encouraged him to do it, others tried to talk him out of it, and some discussed whether he was taking a dose big enough to kill himself, said Wendy Crane, an investigator with the Broward County medical examiner's office.
Some users told investigators they did not take him seriously because he had threatened suicide on the site before.
Eventually, someone notified the moderator of the bodybuilding site, who traced Biggs' location and called police, Crane said. The drama unfolded live on Justin.tv, which allows viewers to post comments alongside the video images.
As police entered the room, the audience's reaction was filled with Internet shorthand: "OMFG," one wrote, meaning "Oh, my God." Others, either not knowing what they were seeing, or not caring, wrote "lol," which means "laughing out loud," and "hahahah."
His father, Abraham Biggs Sr., told The Miami Herald he didn't want to watch the video.
"We were very good friends," he said. "It's wrong that it was allowed to happen."
An autopsy concluded Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which his family said was prescribed for his bipolar disorder.
"Abe, i still wish this was all a joke," a friend wrote on the teenager's MySpace page, which he described himself as a goodhearted guy who would always be available for his pals, no matter what time of day.
In a statement, Justin.tv CEO Michael Seibel said: "We regret that this has occurred and want to respect the privacy of the broadcaster and his family during this time."
It is unclear how many people watched it happen. The Web site would not say how many people were watching the broadcast. The site as a whole had 672,000 unique visitors in October, according to Nielsen.
Biggs was not the first person to commit suicide with a webcam rolling. But the drawn-out drama — and the reaction of those watching — was seen as an extreme example of young people's penchant for sharing intimate details about themselves over the Internet.
Montana Miller, an assistant professor of popular culture at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said Biggs' very public suicide was not shocking, given the way teenagers chronicle every facet of their lives on sites like Facebook and MySpace.
"If it's not recorded or documented then it doesn't even seem worthwhile," she said. "For today's generation it might seem, `What's the point of doing it if everyone isn't going to see it?'"
She likened Biggs' death to other public ways of committing suicide, like jumping off a bridge.
Crane said she knows of a case in which a Florida man shot himself in the head in front of an online audience, though she didn't know how much viewers saw. In Britain last year, a man hanged himself while chatting online.
Miami lawyer William Hill said there is probably nothing that could be done legally to those who watched and did not act. As for whether the Web site could be held liable, Hill said there doesn't seem to be much of a case for negligence.
"There could conceivably be some liability if they knew this was happening and they had some ability to intervene and didn't take action," said Hill, who does business litigation and has represented a number of Internet-based clients. But "I think it would be a stretch."
Condolences poured into Biggs' MySpace page, where the mostly unsmiling teen is seen posing in a series of pictures with various young women. On the bodybuilding Web site, Biggs used the screen name CandyJunkie. His Justin.tv alias was "feels_like_ecstacy."
Bigg described her brother as an outgoing person who struck up conversations with Starbucks baristas and enjoyed taking his young nieces to Chuck E. Cheese. He was health-conscious and exercised but was not a bodybuilder, she said.
"This is very, very sudden and unexpected for us," the sister said. "It boggles the mind. We don't understand."
Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle
KATHMANDU (AFP) – A young man who is believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to Nepal's jungles to meditate alone, police said Saturday, as scholars cast doubt on his supporters' claims.Known as the "Buddha Boy," Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, became famous in 2005 after supporters said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.
"Bomjam went back into the jungle late Friday, and all the devotees have left," local police officer Gobinda Kushwaha told AFP from Neejgad, a town in Bara District, 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) south of Kathmandu.
The "Buddha Boy" reappeared earlier this month, after his supporters had said in March 2007 that he was going to meditate for three years in an underground bunker, although he was spotted on two occasions.
For the last 10 days, he has been blessing thousands of devotees who came daily to the site in dense jungle close to Neejgad.
The president of the Nepal Buddhist Council said claims by his supporters that he was a reincarnation of Siddartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, were not credible.
"We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities," said Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya, president of the Nepal Buddhist Council, a centre for Buddhist study and research in Kathmandu.
"He may have achieved great heights in meditation, but that alone does not make him a Buddha. A Buddha needs life experience, a young man who has not seen the world at all cannot be a Buddha," said Bajracharya.
The head of the committee that organises events around Bomjam continues to claim that he survives without food and water.
"We have never seen him eat or drink and we believe he is a god in human form," said Bed Bahadur Thing, president of the Buddha Jungle Meditation Conservation and Prosperity Committee.
At the height of his fame a French TV crew filmed the youth eating fruit and an AFP correspondent caught him napping.
Pak woos ‘friends’ to stop US strikes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government has launched an “aggressive diplomatic initiative” aimed at taking into confidence “all friendly countries” to
counter a series of US missile strikes on its territory that have killed scores of people, including key Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
As part of the move, Pakistan will contact the European Union, China, Arab nations and other key countries that have a say in international affairs and seek their influence in ending the US missile attacks, a high-level government source told state-run APP news agency.
Pakistan has already conveyed a message about ending the missile strikes to Nato through diplomatic channels as the attacks are not helping the ongoing military operations against militants in the country’s tribal belt, the source said. The new “aggressive diplomatic initiative” is aimed at “taking into confidence all friendly countries and to build up pressure on the US to stop such attacks”, the source said.
The government had informed the US administration that such strikes were “creating a negative impact in achieving the desired objectives”.
counter a series of US missile strikes on its territory that have killed scores of people, including key Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
As part of the move, Pakistan will contact the European Union, China, Arab nations and other key countries that have a say in international affairs and seek their influence in ending the US missile attacks, a high-level government source told state-run APP news agency.
Pakistan has already conveyed a message about ending the missile strikes to Nato through diplomatic channels as the attacks are not helping the ongoing military operations against militants in the country’s tribal belt, the source said. The new “aggressive diplomatic initiative” is aimed at “taking into confidence all friendly countries and to build up pressure on the US to stop such attacks”, the source said.
The government had informed the US administration that such strikes were “creating a negative impact in achieving the desired objectives”.
Malaysia's top Islamic body bans yoga for Muslims
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's top Islamic body on Saturday banned Muslims from practicing yoga, saying the Indian physical exercise contains elements of
Hinduism and could corrupt Muslims.
The National Fatwa Council, which has the authority to rule on how Muslims must conduct their faith, issued a fatwa, or edict, saying yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.
Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters that many Muslims who practice the globally popular yoga failed to understand that its ultimate aim was to be one with a god of a different religion.
``We are of the view that yoga, which originates from Hinduism, combines physical exercise, religious elements, chanting and worshipping for the purpose of achieving inner peace and ultimately to be one with god,'' he said.
``It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim,'' he said.
The Fatwa Council's decisions are not legally binding on Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 27 million people, unless they are enshrined in national or Shariah laws.
However, many Muslims abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.
The fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multiethnicity. About 25 per cent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 per cent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.
Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.
The issue of yoga came into the limelight last month when an Islamic scholar expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic, prompting the Fatwa Council to step in.
Local newspapers have received several letters from Muslims, expressing indignation at the scholar's view, saying yoga is simply a way to maintain health and has nothing to do with religion.
There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.
In a recent blog, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it ``a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance.''
``Yoga may have spiritual roots but most of us do it for the exercise, both for the mind and body,'' Marina wrote.
Hinduism and could corrupt Muslims.
The National Fatwa Council, which has the authority to rule on how Muslims must conduct their faith, issued a fatwa, or edict, saying yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.
Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters that many Muslims who practice the globally popular yoga failed to understand that its ultimate aim was to be one with a god of a different religion.
``We are of the view that yoga, which originates from Hinduism, combines physical exercise, religious elements, chanting and worshipping for the purpose of achieving inner peace and ultimately to be one with god,'' he said.
``It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim,'' he said.
The Fatwa Council's decisions are not legally binding on Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 27 million people, unless they are enshrined in national or Shariah laws.
However, many Muslims abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.
The fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multiethnicity. About 25 per cent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 per cent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.
Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.
The issue of yoga came into the limelight last month when an Islamic scholar expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic, prompting the Fatwa Council to step in.
Local newspapers have received several letters from Muslims, expressing indignation at the scholar's view, saying yoga is simply a way to maintain health and has nothing to do with religion.
There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.
In a recent blog, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it ``a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance.''
``Yoga may have spiritual roots but most of us do it for the exercise, both for the mind and body,'' Marina wrote.
Air hostess helps land plane after co-pilot has breakdown
DUBLIN (IRELAND): An Air Canada co-pilot having a mental breakdown had to be forcibly removed from the cockpit, restrained and sedated, and a flight
attendant with flying experience helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing, an Irish investigation concluded.
The report by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit into an incident in January applauded the decision-making of the pilot and the cockpit skills of the flight attendant.
None of the 146 passengers or other nine crew members on board the Boeing 767 bound from Toronto to London was injured after the 58-year-old co-pilot had to be removed by attendants and sedated by two doctors on board.
The pilot noticed that his co-pilot was not in good professional shape. He reported that the co-pilot's behaviour worsened once they were airborne. The pilot called flight attendants to remove the co-pilot from the cockpit, and one flight attendant injured his wrist in the struggle. Doctors on board said that the co-pilot was disoriented.
The pilot then asked flight attendants to find out if any passenger was a qualified pilot. A flight attendant said she held a pilot's license and helped the pilot land the plane at Shannon airport.
attendant with flying experience helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing, an Irish investigation concluded.
The report by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit into an incident in January applauded the decision-making of the pilot and the cockpit skills of the flight attendant.
None of the 146 passengers or other nine crew members on board the Boeing 767 bound from Toronto to London was injured after the 58-year-old co-pilot had to be removed by attendants and sedated by two doctors on board.
The pilot noticed that his co-pilot was not in good professional shape. He reported that the co-pilot's behaviour worsened once they were airborne. The pilot called flight attendants to remove the co-pilot from the cockpit, and one flight attendant injured his wrist in the struggle. Doctors on board said that the co-pilot was disoriented.
The pilot then asked flight attendants to find out if any passenger was a qualified pilot. A flight attendant said she held a pilot's license and helped the pilot land the plane at Shannon airport.
e=mc2: 103 years later, Einstein's proven right
PARIS: It's taken more than a century, but Einstein's celebrated formula e=mc2 has finally been corroborated, thanks to a heroic computational
effort by French, German and Hungarian physicists.
A brainpower consortium led by Laurent Lellouch of France's Centre for Theoretical Physics, using some of the world's mightiest supercomputers, have set down the calculations for estimating the mass of protons and neutrons, the particles at the nucleus of atoms.
According to the conventional model of particle physics, protons and neutrons comprise smaller particles known as quarks, which in turn are bound by gluons.
The odd thing is this: the mass of gluons is zero and the mass of quarks is only five percent. Where, therefore, is the missing 95 percent?
The answer, according to the study published in the US journal Science on Thursday, comes from the energy from the movements and interactions of quarks and gluons.
In other words, energy and mass are equivalent, as Einstein proposed in his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905.
The e=mc2 formula shows that mass can be converted into energy, and energy can be converted into mass.
By showing how much energy would be released if a certain amount of mass were to be converted into energy, the equation has been used many times, most famously as the inspirational basis for building atomic weapons.
But resolving e-mc2 at the scale of sub-atomic particles -- in equations called quantum chromodynamics -- has been fiendishly difficult.
"Until now, this has been a hypothesis," France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said proudly in a press release.
"It has now been corroborated for the first time."
For those keen to know more: the computations involve "envisioning space and time as part of a four-dimensional crystal lattice, with discrete points spaced along columns and rows."
effort by French, German and Hungarian physicists.
A brainpower consortium led by Laurent Lellouch of France's Centre for Theoretical Physics, using some of the world's mightiest supercomputers, have set down the calculations for estimating the mass of protons and neutrons, the particles at the nucleus of atoms.
According to the conventional model of particle physics, protons and neutrons comprise smaller particles known as quarks, which in turn are bound by gluons.
The odd thing is this: the mass of gluons is zero and the mass of quarks is only five percent. Where, therefore, is the missing 95 percent?
The answer, according to the study published in the US journal Science on Thursday, comes from the energy from the movements and interactions of quarks and gluons.
In other words, energy and mass are equivalent, as Einstein proposed in his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905.
The e=mc2 formula shows that mass can be converted into energy, and energy can be converted into mass.
By showing how much energy would be released if a certain amount of mass were to be converted into energy, the equation has been used many times, most famously as the inspirational basis for building atomic weapons.
But resolving e-mc2 at the scale of sub-atomic particles -- in equations called quantum chromodynamics -- has been fiendishly difficult.
"Until now, this has been a hypothesis," France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said proudly in a press release.
"It has now been corroborated for the first time."
For those keen to know more: the computations involve "envisioning space and time as part of a four-dimensional crystal lattice, with discrete points spaced along columns and rows."
Palestinians push Arab peace plan in Israel
JERUSALEM: The Palestinian Authority published a full-page ad in Israeli newspapers on Thursday promoting a peace plan calling for Arab recognition
of Israel in exchange for an end to the occupation.
Yediot Aharonot, Maariv and Haaretz, the three leading Israeli dailies, printed the advertisement, which is headed by the Palestinian and Israeli flags.
The text, in Hebrew, states that "57 Arab and Muslim countries will establish diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for a full peace accord and the end of the occupation."
The full text of the seven-point initiative is published in the papers, framed by the flags of 50 Arab and Muslim countries.
The ad is aimed "at explaining the Arab peace initiative to public opinion" in Israel, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Similar ads were published in Palestinian media and, according to Rabbo, in some European newspapers.
The Saudi-inspired peace plan was presented at an Arab summit in Beirut in 2002 and relaunched at a Riyadh summit in 2007.
It calls for a full normalisation of relations between Arab states and Israel in exchange for a full withdrawal by Israel from Arab land it has occupied since 1967, the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem and an "equitable" solution for Palestinian refugees.
Israel has pointed to "positive aspects" in the initiative but has not formally accepted it, largely because of the reference to the refugees.
of Israel in exchange for an end to the occupation.
Yediot Aharonot, Maariv and Haaretz, the three leading Israeli dailies, printed the advertisement, which is headed by the Palestinian and Israeli flags.
The text, in Hebrew, states that "57 Arab and Muslim countries will establish diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for a full peace accord and the end of the occupation."
The full text of the seven-point initiative is published in the papers, framed by the flags of 50 Arab and Muslim countries.
The ad is aimed "at explaining the Arab peace initiative to public opinion" in Israel, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Similar ads were published in Palestinian media and, according to Rabbo, in some European newspapers.
The Saudi-inspired peace plan was presented at an Arab summit in Beirut in 2002 and relaunched at a Riyadh summit in 2007.
It calls for a full normalisation of relations between Arab states and Israel in exchange for a full withdrawal by Israel from Arab land it has occupied since 1967, the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem and an "equitable" solution for Palestinian refugees.
Israel has pointed to "positive aspects" in the initiative but has not formally accepted it, largely because of the reference to the refugees.
NASA scraps controversial hardware from its next-gen Mars rover
LOS ANGELES: NASA is scrapping a controversial piece of hardware from its next-generation Mars rover that would have allowed the spacecraft to store
rock fragments in a mini-basket for a future mission.
The decision to slash the storage bin from the Mars Science Laboratory's payload came as engineers raced to meet an October 2009 launch deadline on a project beset by escalating costs and technical challenges.
After consulting with independent scientists, NASA this week notified the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission, to fly the nuclear-powered mega-rover without the container because of its "low science value." Removing the already-built part also means engineers would not have to spend time testing it.
Project scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology said the box would have taken time away from other instruments during the mission.
"The cache would have tied our hands to some extent," Grotzinger said. "Now it restores our freedom."
The Mars Science Lab is billed as the most advanced craft to roam the Martian plains. The size of a small sports utility vehicle, it will study whether the environment was habitable in Mars' early history and will carry high-tech instruments to analyze rocks and soil in greater detail than previous surface missions.
Over USD 1.5 billion has been spent so far to develop the supersized project, but the final price tag is expected to top USD 2 billion.
The storage box was controversial ever since it was added to the project last year long after the mission goals had been defined.
rock fragments in a mini-basket for a future mission.
The decision to slash the storage bin from the Mars Science Laboratory's payload came as engineers raced to meet an October 2009 launch deadline on a project beset by escalating costs and technical challenges.
After consulting with independent scientists, NASA this week notified the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission, to fly the nuclear-powered mega-rover without the container because of its "low science value." Removing the already-built part also means engineers would not have to spend time testing it.
Project scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology said the box would have taken time away from other instruments during the mission.
"The cache would have tied our hands to some extent," Grotzinger said. "Now it restores our freedom."
The Mars Science Lab is billed as the most advanced craft to roam the Martian plains. The size of a small sports utility vehicle, it will study whether the environment was habitable in Mars' early history and will carry high-tech instruments to analyze rocks and soil in greater detail than previous surface missions.
Over USD 1.5 billion has been spent so far to develop the supersized project, but the final price tag is expected to top USD 2 billion.
The storage box was controversial ever since it was added to the project last year long after the mission goals had been defined.
Gold touches 13k level again on higher global cues
MUMBAI: Gold prices touched the Rs13,000 level again after a gap of more than one month on the bullion market here today on heavy stockists buying,
triggered by smart rise in global market.
Silver prices recovered on renewed industrial demand. Gold prices rallied in New York above $800 an ounce on strong physical demand due to economic uncertainties.
Spot gold rose to $800.70 an ounce, its highest since October 21. It ended at $798.15 up 7.2% from Thursday's close.
Gold futures for December delivery jumped by $43.10 an ounce to $791.80 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Silver futures for March delivery also rose by 45.6 cents to $9.505 an ounce on Comex.
In the local market, standard gold (99.5 purity) shot up by Rs665 per 10 grams to end at Rs12,995 as against the yesterday's closing level of Rs 12,330, after crossing a 13k level at the opening session.
Pure gold (99.9 purity) also rose to Rs 13,060 from Rs 12,385 yesterday.
Silver ready (.999 fineness) firmed up by Rs 295 per kilo to Rs 16,775 from Rs 16,480 yesterday.
triggered by smart rise in global market.
Silver prices recovered on renewed industrial demand. Gold prices rallied in New York above $800 an ounce on strong physical demand due to economic uncertainties.
Spot gold rose to $800.70 an ounce, its highest since October 21. It ended at $798.15 up 7.2% from Thursday's close.
Gold futures for December delivery jumped by $43.10 an ounce to $791.80 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Silver futures for March delivery also rose by 45.6 cents to $9.505 an ounce on Comex.
In the local market, standard gold (99.5 purity) shot up by Rs665 per 10 grams to end at Rs12,995 as against the yesterday's closing level of Rs 12,330, after crossing a 13k level at the opening session.
Pure gold (99.9 purity) also rose to Rs 13,060 from Rs 12,385 yesterday.
Silver ready (.999 fineness) firmed up by Rs 295 per kilo to Rs 16,775 from Rs 16,480 yesterday.
Pak will not use N-weapons first against India: Zardari
NEW DELHI: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday declared that his country will not be the first to use nuclear weapons against India and
would work towards opening trade, besides underscoring that Kashmir belonged to the Kashmiri people.
He also said that Pakistan does not feel threatened by India and New Delhi should also not feel threatened by Islamabad.
Addressing a conference in Delhi via satellite, Zardari said that he was against nuclear warfare altogether.
"We do not hope to even get to that position when we have to use (nuclear weapons)," he said and proposed a South Asia free of nuclear weapons.
Seeking to reach out to people across the border, he recalled his late wife Benazir Bhutto's lines -- "there is little of Indian in every Pakistani and a little of Pakistani in every Indian."
Zardari also favoured India and Pakistan rising as an "economic block" like greater Europe.
would work towards opening trade, besides underscoring that Kashmir belonged to the Kashmiri people.
He also said that Pakistan does not feel threatened by India and New Delhi should also not feel threatened by Islamabad.
Addressing a conference in Delhi via satellite, Zardari said that he was against nuclear warfare altogether.
"We do not hope to even get to that position when we have to use (nuclear weapons)," he said and proposed a South Asia free of nuclear weapons.
Seeking to reach out to people across the border, he recalled his late wife Benazir Bhutto's lines -- "there is little of Indian in every Pakistani and a little of Pakistani in every Indian."
Zardari also favoured India and Pakistan rising as an "economic block" like greater Europe.
As winter sets in, vitamin C vanishes from shops
NEW DELHI: If vitamin C supplements are your staple every winter, you may have to consider switching to natural alternatives like amla this year.
Reason: There is an acute shortage of vitamin C in the country because a mix of economic and price-control factors has made production of the vitamin unviable for pharmaceutical companies.
Stocks of popular vitamin C tablets like Celin, Suckcee, Chewcee and Limcee are fast depleting. "There has been no supply for the past 2-3 months. Though the demand for the supplement has almost doubled with the onset of winter, there is no fresh stock available," said R K Bhatia, president of All Delhi Chemist Association.
The reason for the disappearance of vitamin C is said to be the sudden increase in the cost of its raw material, which is imported from China, clubbed with the government's decision to slash down its retail price to make it affordable. Industry experts blame the government for not revising the prices of vitamin C drugs in keeping with the rise in input costs.
"We had warned the government that a situation like this would arise soon and they should revise the prices of vitamin C. Nearly 60% of the raw material used in manufacturing the vitamin is imported. It is impossible for indigenous manufacturers to produce vitamin C and sell it at prices laid down by the government," said D G Shah, secretary general, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
Vitamin C is given as a one of the main drugs for common cold, allergies, and respiratory disorders, and the shortage is making doctors suggest that patients should rely on natural sources.
"It is possible to get it from natural sources like amla and lemon but in case of those who are suffering from vitamin C deficiency, it is very important that there is no discontinuation of dosage," said Dr Sanjeev Bagai, director and head of the department of paediatrics, Rockland Hospital. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy in which there is lack of synthesis of collagen in the human body. It often results in bleeding disorders, malformation of bones and growth retardation.
It is not just chemist shops that have running out of vitamin C stock, the government sector too is banking on the last stock procured a few months ago. "At present, we have stock for vitamin C, which is supplied to Delhi government dispensaries. This can last for a month or two, but by then we are hopeful that we will get the new stock," said Zille Devi, director health services, Delhi government.
Doctors say vitamin C is commonly given to prevent allergic reaction and respiratory disorders. "A lot of research has been done which shows that vitamin C plays an important role in preventing and treating respiratory disorders. It is an antioxidant and helps cell membrane of vital organs from getting damaged due to oxidation. Though the real mechanism is yet to be established, it is found to be very effective in treating respiratory disorders," said Dr Ashutosh Shukla, head of the department medicine, Artemis Healthcare Institute.
In the last two years, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, a government body, has slashed the price of vitamin C twice following reduction in customs duty. "We are trying to work out a way to make vitamin C available in the market at the earliest," said A K Banerjee, chairman, APPA. Pharma companies manufacturing vitamin C say that they have been forced to curtail production by over 70% as the hike in the raw material price cannot be passed on to the consumer since vitamin C prices are controlled by the government under the Drug Price Control Order, 1995.
"Since June-July this year, prices of raw material for vitamin C have jumped by 300-500% and we have been forced to decrease production by nearly 70-80%," said an executive of a leading Mumbai-based pharma company.
Smaller Chinese companies, which were producing the raw material have been forced to shut shop due to regulatory issues over quality in China. This has affected the production of the raw material which was in turn imported by leading domestic players such as GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, Piramal Healthcare and others manufacturing vitamin C. "We have been affected by the shortage of APIs," said Swati Piramal, director of Piramal Healthcare, a major player in the industry.
Reason: There is an acute shortage of vitamin C in the country because a mix of economic and price-control factors has made production of the vitamin unviable for pharmaceutical companies.
Stocks of popular vitamin C tablets like Celin, Suckcee, Chewcee and Limcee are fast depleting. "There has been no supply for the past 2-3 months. Though the demand for the supplement has almost doubled with the onset of winter, there is no fresh stock available," said R K Bhatia, president of All Delhi Chemist Association.
The reason for the disappearance of vitamin C is said to be the sudden increase in the cost of its raw material, which is imported from China, clubbed with the government's decision to slash down its retail price to make it affordable. Industry experts blame the government for not revising the prices of vitamin C drugs in keeping with the rise in input costs.
"We had warned the government that a situation like this would arise soon and they should revise the prices of vitamin C. Nearly 60% of the raw material used in manufacturing the vitamin is imported. It is impossible for indigenous manufacturers to produce vitamin C and sell it at prices laid down by the government," said D G Shah, secretary general, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
Vitamin C is given as a one of the main drugs for common cold, allergies, and respiratory disorders, and the shortage is making doctors suggest that patients should rely on natural sources.
"It is possible to get it from natural sources like amla and lemon but in case of those who are suffering from vitamin C deficiency, it is very important that there is no discontinuation of dosage," said Dr Sanjeev Bagai, director and head of the department of paediatrics, Rockland Hospital. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy in which there is lack of synthesis of collagen in the human body. It often results in bleeding disorders, malformation of bones and growth retardation.
It is not just chemist shops that have running out of vitamin C stock, the government sector too is banking on the last stock procured a few months ago. "At present, we have stock for vitamin C, which is supplied to Delhi government dispensaries. This can last for a month or two, but by then we are hopeful that we will get the new stock," said Zille Devi, director health services, Delhi government.
Doctors say vitamin C is commonly given to prevent allergic reaction and respiratory disorders. "A lot of research has been done which shows that vitamin C plays an important role in preventing and treating respiratory disorders. It is an antioxidant and helps cell membrane of vital organs from getting damaged due to oxidation. Though the real mechanism is yet to be established, it is found to be very effective in treating respiratory disorders," said Dr Ashutosh Shukla, head of the department medicine, Artemis Healthcare Institute.
In the last two years, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, a government body, has slashed the price of vitamin C twice following reduction in customs duty. "We are trying to work out a way to make vitamin C available in the market at the earliest," said A K Banerjee, chairman, APPA. Pharma companies manufacturing vitamin C say that they have been forced to curtail production by over 70% as the hike in the raw material price cannot be passed on to the consumer since vitamin C prices are controlled by the government under the Drug Price Control Order, 1995.
"Since June-July this year, prices of raw material for vitamin C have jumped by 300-500% and we have been forced to decrease production by nearly 70-80%," said an executive of a leading Mumbai-based pharma company.
Smaller Chinese companies, which were producing the raw material have been forced to shut shop due to regulatory issues over quality in China. This has affected the production of the raw material which was in turn imported by leading domestic players such as GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, Piramal Healthcare and others manufacturing vitamin C. "We have been affected by the shortage of APIs," said Swati Piramal, director of Piramal Healthcare, a major player in the industry.
'Celeb' Palin flooded with offers
ANCHORAGE: Oprah Winfrey wants her, and so do other US TV show hosts. Fresh from her political defeat, Sarah Palin is juggling offers to writebooks, appear in films and sit on dozens of interview couches at a rate that would be astonishing for most Hollywood stars, let alone a first-term governor.
The failed Republican vice presidential candidate, who is still Alaska's governor, crunched state budget numbers this week in her 17th-floor office as tumbling oil prices hit Alaska's revenues. Meanwhile, her staff fielded television requests seeking the 44-year-old Palin for late-night banter and Sunday morning Washington policy.
Agents, including those from the William Morris Agency, have come knocking. There's even been an offer to host a TV show.
``Tomorrow, Gov. Palin could do an interview with any news media on the planet,'' said her spokesman, Bill McAllister. ``Tomorrow, she could probably sign any one of a dozen book deals. She could start talking to people about a documentary or a movie on her life. That's the level we are at here.''
McAllister said he had ``multiple conversations'' with producers for Winfrey as well as some late night TV hosts and other shows.
Asked whether Winfrey was pursuing Palin for a sit-down, Michelle McIntyre, a spokeswoman for Winfrey's Chicago-based Harpo Productions Inc., said she was ``unable to confirm any future plans'' for the show.
Palin may have emerged from the Nov. 4 election politically wounded, with quesember through 2009, with 75 percent coming from out of state. A year ago, just a sprinkle of requests came from beyond Alaska's borders. They range from invitations to speak at The Chief Executives' Club of Boston to attend a 5-year-old's birthday party, from a prayer breakfast in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to a business conference in Britain.
Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor who wants to be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, is seeking face time.
She has invitations to make appearances in 20 foreign countries, typically with all expenses paid, McAllister said. She has more than 200 requests for media interviews, again from around the globe.
``She has to pace herself,'' suggested veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman. ``She wants a career made in a Crock-Pot, not a microwave.''
In her two months on the national stage, Palin energized the Republican base but turned off moderates and independents, according to some surveys. Flubbed answers in national television interviews raised questions about her competence. She was embarrassed by the disclosure that the Republican National Committee spent at least $150,000 for designer clothing, accessories and beauty services for her and her family.
The right book or movie deal could help Palin reintroduce herself to the nation, on terms she could dictate.
While books and movie deals could be worth millions of dollars, it's not clear if Palin would be able to legally earn it. State rules say she cannot accept outside employment for compensation. But there appears to be little in the way of precedent left by former governors to judge if book deals or lucrative speaking appearances amount to ``employment.''
Palin has sent unmistakable signals she is open to running for president in 2012, but to advance her political ambitions she must stay in the public eye nationwide. As with any celebrity, there is the risk of overexposure. At the same time, she'll be under pressure to attend to governing her home state, which is thousands of miles from the rest of the nation.
``She has to deal with the perception that she bobbled her debut,'' said Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney. ``She needs to stay home for a while. If she wants a future in national politics, her No. 1 job is doing a good job as governor.''
Just this week, shortly after conducting a string of national TV interviews and skipping a state education conference, she was scolded by the Anchorage Daily News. ``There are ... low graduation rates, plummeting North Slope oil prices, proposals to build alternative energy projects, the gas pipeline,'' the paper said in an editorial. ``It's time for the governor to refocus on Alaska's needs.''
Prince William to fight pirates in Caribbean
LONDON: Prince William, the second-in-line to the English throne, has joined an elite force of the British military on a secret training mission
to fight pirates in the Caribbean.
According to a report published in British tabloid 'The Sun', the 26-year-old Royal will experience how the Special Boat Service (SBS) unit deals with drug runners and pirates during his deployment.
SBS troops carry out secret missions in the notorious Caribbean, making daring raids on suspicious vessels as well as gathering intelligence.
Sources said that William flew to Barbados on Sunday and would spend at least 10 days with the SBS. His training entails going on exercise in powerful speed boats that are used to capture sea bandits.
"William will not face a conflict situation. It's a training mission, not an operational one. It's a first for the Royals and is only possible because he's a trained soldier," a military source was quoted as saying.
William has already spent time with the RAF, Navy and Air Corps as is to train as a Navy search-and-rescue chopper pilot in January.
to fight pirates in the Caribbean.
According to a report published in British tabloid 'The Sun', the 26-year-old Royal will experience how the Special Boat Service (SBS) unit deals with drug runners and pirates during his deployment.
SBS troops carry out secret missions in the notorious Caribbean, making daring raids on suspicious vessels as well as gathering intelligence.
Sources said that William flew to Barbados on Sunday and would spend at least 10 days with the SBS. His training entails going on exercise in powerful speed boats that are used to capture sea bandits.
"William will not face a conflict situation. It's a training mission, not an operational one. It's a first for the Royals and is only possible because he's a trained soldier," a military source was quoted as saying.
William has already spent time with the RAF, Navy and Air Corps as is to train as a Navy search-and-rescue chopper pilot in January.
Al-Qaida may decay sooner: US Intelligence report
NEW YORK: Al-QaIda could soon be on the decline even as it remains a major threat with a strong presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan, a
report by American intelligence agencies said.
A new study of the global future by US intelligence agencies suggests that the group "may decay sooner" than many experts have assumed because of severe weaknesses like "unachievable strategic objectives, inability to attract broad-based support and self-destructive actions," the New York Times reported.
According to the Times, the report does not contradict intelligence assessments suggesting that al Qaeda remains a major threat with a strong presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan but says that the terrorist group has alienated Muslim supporters with indiscriminate killing and inattention to practical problems of poverty, unemployment and education.
"The appeal of terrorism is waning," Mathew J Burrows, head of long-range analysis in the office of the director of national intelligence and a lead author of "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World," was quoted as saying by the Times.
Burrows said polls and anecdotal evidence strongly suggested disillusionment among Muslims with Al Qaeda and its methods and goals since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Even if al Qaeda and other terrorist groups gradually lose support, the remaining violent extremists may have access to increasingly lethal technology, including biological weapons, the report found.
The predicted decline of al Qaeda, the New York Times says, is one of the few bright spots in the generally gloomy report, which describes a decline in the United States' world dominance as China, India and other powers assert themselves.
report by American intelligence agencies said.
A new study of the global future by US intelligence agencies suggests that the group "may decay sooner" than many experts have assumed because of severe weaknesses like "unachievable strategic objectives, inability to attract broad-based support and self-destructive actions," the New York Times reported.
According to the Times, the report does not contradict intelligence assessments suggesting that al Qaeda remains a major threat with a strong presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan but says that the terrorist group has alienated Muslim supporters with indiscriminate killing and inattention to practical problems of poverty, unemployment and education.
"The appeal of terrorism is waning," Mathew J Burrows, head of long-range analysis in the office of the director of national intelligence and a lead author of "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World," was quoted as saying by the Times.
Burrows said polls and anecdotal evidence strongly suggested disillusionment among Muslims with Al Qaeda and its methods and goals since the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Even if al Qaeda and other terrorist groups gradually lose support, the remaining violent extremists may have access to increasingly lethal technology, including biological weapons, the report found.
The predicted decline of al Qaeda, the New York Times says, is one of the few bright spots in the generally gloomy report, which describes a decline in the United States' world dominance as China, India and other powers assert themselves.
China-Pak N-cooperation needs NSG approval: US
WASHINGTON: The US has asked China to halt its plan to construct two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan and indicated that any new Sino-Pak
cooperation in the atomic field would require "consensus" approval from the NSG, a "difficult" to achieve.
"Although Pakistan's energy needs are real and increasing, we believe Pakistan's proliferation record would make NSG consensus difficult were China to request an exception," State Department Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Matthew Reynolds said in a letter to Democrat Congressman from Massachusetts, Edward J Markey.
Reynolds said Washington has already communicated its "position clearly" to Islamabad and Beijing that the proposed cooperation between the two countries to construct two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan should not move forward.
"We have communicated our position clearly to our Chinese and Pakistani interlocutors at multiple levels in Washington, Beijing, and Islamabad, and have made plain our view that proposed cooperation on Chasma III and IV should not move forward.
The US position is that cooperation on the construction of two new reactors, Chasma III and IV, would be inconsistent with the commitments China made at the time of its adherence to Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines in 2004.
"We also have been in contact with other NSG members, a number of whom have expressed similar concern at the recent reports," the State Department said in the letter, which was made public today.
Reynolds also said that the US has sought and continue to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter.
Markey has been a vocal critic of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, arguing that Washington's atomic cooperation with New Delhi will send wrong signals to China and Pakistan.
This October, Markey had written the secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, expressing concerns on cooperation between China and Pakistan.
Following Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's October trip to Beijing, senior Pakistani officials have announced that Beijing and Islamabad had agreed to expand bilateral civil nuclear cooperation at the Chasma complex, to include the construction of two additional reactors.
"We have sought and continue to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter. In our discussions, both Pakistan and China have defended their long and well- known civil nuclear cooperation," the senior State Department official told Markey.
"Both countries have also affirmed that any new China- Pakistan cooperation would be conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and would be consistent with their international commitments," he added.
In 2004, China's representatives detailed in a statement China's ongoing nuclear cooperation with Pakistan that would be "grandfathered" upon China's adherence; nothing in that statement permitted construction of reactors beyond Chasma I and II, the senior US official maintained.
Meanwhile, Markey in a statement asked China not to violate its international obligations by selling new nuclear reactors to Pakistan.
"The United States has clearly stated that such a sale would be against international nonproliferation rules, and I hope other countries stand up to deliver the same message."
"Pakistan is responsible for more nuclear proliferation than any other single country; nuclear cooperation is off the table" he said
cooperation in the atomic field would require "consensus" approval from the NSG, a "difficult" to achieve.
"Although Pakistan's energy needs are real and increasing, we believe Pakistan's proliferation record would make NSG consensus difficult were China to request an exception," State Department Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Matthew Reynolds said in a letter to Democrat Congressman from Massachusetts, Edward J Markey.
Reynolds said Washington has already communicated its "position clearly" to Islamabad and Beijing that the proposed cooperation between the two countries to construct two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan should not move forward.
"We have communicated our position clearly to our Chinese and Pakistani interlocutors at multiple levels in Washington, Beijing, and Islamabad, and have made plain our view that proposed cooperation on Chasma III and IV should not move forward.
The US position is that cooperation on the construction of two new reactors, Chasma III and IV, would be inconsistent with the commitments China made at the time of its adherence to Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines in 2004.
"We also have been in contact with other NSG members, a number of whom have expressed similar concern at the recent reports," the State Department said in the letter, which was made public today.
Reynolds also said that the US has sought and continue to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter.
Markey has been a vocal critic of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, arguing that Washington's atomic cooperation with New Delhi will send wrong signals to China and Pakistan.
This October, Markey had written the secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, expressing concerns on cooperation between China and Pakistan.
Following Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's October trip to Beijing, senior Pakistani officials have announced that Beijing and Islamabad had agreed to expand bilateral civil nuclear cooperation at the Chasma complex, to include the construction of two additional reactors.
"We have sought and continue to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter. In our discussions, both Pakistan and China have defended their long and well- known civil nuclear cooperation," the senior State Department official told Markey.
"Both countries have also affirmed that any new China- Pakistan cooperation would be conducted under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and would be consistent with their international commitments," he added.
In 2004, China's representatives detailed in a statement China's ongoing nuclear cooperation with Pakistan that would be "grandfathered" upon China's adherence; nothing in that statement permitted construction of reactors beyond Chasma I and II, the senior US official maintained.
Meanwhile, Markey in a statement asked China not to violate its international obligations by selling new nuclear reactors to Pakistan.
"The United States has clearly stated that such a sale would be against international nonproliferation rules, and I hope other countries stand up to deliver the same message."
"Pakistan is responsible for more nuclear proliferation than any other single country; nuclear cooperation is off the table" he said
'Osama' number plates banned
LONDON: Licensing chiefs in Britain have banned all car registration numbers that resemble words associated with
terrorism.
The authorities took this decision after spotting hundreds of potentially offensive plates, including one with the number O54MA that could be read as 'OSAMA'.
There were also numbers plates like HO57AGE that resembled the word 'HOSTAGE', BU58OMB that could be read as 'BUS BOMB', MA56ACA appearing like 'MASSACRE', and HE58OLA that was quite near to 'HEZBOLLAH'.
The DVLA has made it clear that anything including JEHAD or HAMAS will also be out.
Their blacklist also contains some numbers that the panel thought could prove to be provocative on religious grounds and spark racial hatred, including one reading MO56LEM that resembled 'MOSLEM'.
Plates like BOO4ZYY, which may be read as 'BOOZY', has also been banned to discourage drink-driving.
"Every number is checked to ensure it doesn't cause offence," British tabloid The Sun quoted a spokesman for the Swansea-based DVLA as saying.
Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker, who obtained the list under Freedom of Information laws, said: "Some combinations would be deeply offensive.
Baker added: "But it's over the top to ban words about booze and sex. It's a bit nanny state
terrorism.
The authorities took this decision after spotting hundreds of potentially offensive plates, including one with the number O54MA that could be read as 'OSAMA'.
There were also numbers plates like HO57AGE that resembled the word 'HOSTAGE', BU58OMB that could be read as 'BUS BOMB', MA56ACA appearing like 'MASSACRE', and HE58OLA that was quite near to 'HEZBOLLAH'.
The DVLA has made it clear that anything including JEHAD or HAMAS will also be out.
Their blacklist also contains some numbers that the panel thought could prove to be provocative on religious grounds and spark racial hatred, including one reading MO56LEM that resembled 'MOSLEM'.
Plates like BOO4ZYY, which may be read as 'BOOZY', has also been banned to discourage drink-driving.
"Every number is checked to ensure it doesn't cause offence," British tabloid The Sun quoted a spokesman for the Swansea-based DVLA as saying.
Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker, who obtained the list under Freedom of Information laws, said: "Some combinations would be deeply offensive.
Baker added: "But it's over the top to ban words about booze and sex. It's a bit nanny state
World navies should follow Indian's example: Noel Choon
KUALA LUMPUR: Advocating that all foreign Navies present in the African waters conduct "stop and search" operation of suspicious vessels like
India did, a top official of an international maritime agency today said that it can help disrupt piracy operations.
"If the naval boats can stop and check suspicious trawlers and boats for arms, RPGs, ladders etc and confiscate them, this alone can sabotage piracy plans," Noel Choon, Head of the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre said.
He praised the Indian Naval Ship Tabar's attack on the pirate's mother ship in the Gulf of Aden and said other navies should follow Indian navy's example.
Malaysia has also commended the Indian navy's action. Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told the ongoing APEC meeting in Lima that the forum should get all nations to quickly enforce the recent UN Security Council Resolution 1816 to combat piracy in international waters as it would make global trade safer.
"It is imperative and timely for all APEC member economies to consider measures to address the issue of piracy in international waters in an effective manner," Rais said, adding that Malaysia was ready to work with other countries which shared the same predicament in the region.
"We can use UN Resolution 1816 as the basis to work together to ensure human security and secure trade," he said.
India did, a top official of an international maritime agency today said that it can help disrupt piracy operations.
"If the naval boats can stop and check suspicious trawlers and boats for arms, RPGs, ladders etc and confiscate them, this alone can sabotage piracy plans," Noel Choon, Head of the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre said.
He praised the Indian Naval Ship Tabar's attack on the pirate's mother ship in the Gulf of Aden and said other navies should follow Indian navy's example.
Malaysia has also commended the Indian navy's action. Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told the ongoing APEC meeting in Lima that the forum should get all nations to quickly enforce the recent UN Security Council Resolution 1816 to combat piracy in international waters as it would make global trade safer.
"It is imperative and timely for all APEC member economies to consider measures to address the issue of piracy in international waters in an effective manner," Rais said, adding that Malaysia was ready to work with other countries which shared the same predicament in the region.
"We can use UN Resolution 1816 as the basis to work together to ensure human security and secure trade," he said.
Michael Jackson has converted to Islam: Report
LONDON: Pop singer Michael Jackson has converted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel.Michael Jackson waves as he arrives at the Santa Barbara County courthouse in Santa Maria, California in May 2005. (AFP File)
)
The 50-year-old star, pledged his allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a friend's mansion in Los Angeles, the Sun reported.
Jackson sat on the floor wearing a tiny hat after an Imam was summoned to officiate -- days before the singer is due to appear at London's High Court where he is being sued by an Arab Sheik, the paper said.
The star decided to adopt the new religion while he was recording a song at the home of his friend where a Jehovah's witness was brought up to help him through the ceremony.
Apparently the star of hits like 'the Way You Make Me Feel-was convinced by his producer and songwriter friends David Wharnsby and Phillip Bubal.
"They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea.
"An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief," the source revealed.
Mikaeel is the name of one of Allah's angels. "Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa meaning "the chosen one", the source added.
The singer, who rarely ventures out without a mask, is due to give evidence on Monday in a 4.7 million pound lawsuit brought by Prince Abdulla Al-Khalif of Bahrain for defaulting on an exclusive recording contract.
Indira Gandhi's vision saved us from current financial crisis: Sonia Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday invoked her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi to send a message that but for the former prime
minister's "much reviled" bank nationalisation four decades back the country's financial institutions would have been hit by the current global economic crisis.
"Every passing day bears out the wisdom of that decision (bank nationalisation in 1969)," Gandhi said in her address at a conference in New Delhi.
"If you allow me the liberty of showing what is to you the proverbial 'red rag to bull', Let me take you back to Indira Gandhi's much reviled bank nationalisation of 40 years ago," she told the distinguished gathering.
Gandhi went on to say that "Our prudence has been marked in the case of the financial sector.”
Lauding the public sector financial institutions, Gandhi said they have given the country's economy the stability and resilience we are witnessing in the face of the economic slowdown.
Prudence implies ensuring an economic system that imposes clear, fair rules and rewards those who play by them, Gandhi said.
It implies a system that insists upon transparency in all economic transactions, and accountability on the part of those who conduct them, she added.
"And it implies a system that accepts the need for supervisory institutions to serve as effective watchdogs, so that the interests of society as whole are not overlooked in the justifiable quest for corporate gain," she said.
minister's "much reviled" bank nationalisation four decades back the country's financial institutions would have been hit by the current global economic crisis.
"Every passing day bears out the wisdom of that decision (bank nationalisation in 1969)," Gandhi said in her address at a conference in New Delhi.
"If you allow me the liberty of showing what is to you the proverbial 'red rag to bull', Let me take you back to Indira Gandhi's much reviled bank nationalisation of 40 years ago," she told the distinguished gathering.
Gandhi went on to say that "Our prudence has been marked in the case of the financial sector.”
Lauding the public sector financial institutions, Gandhi said they have given the country's economy the stability and resilience we are witnessing in the face of the economic slowdown.
Prudence implies ensuring an economic system that imposes clear, fair rules and rewards those who play by them, Gandhi said.
It implies a system that insists upon transparency in all economic transactions, and accountability on the part of those who conduct them, she added.
"And it implies a system that accepts the need for supervisory institutions to serve as effective watchdogs, so that the interests of society as whole are not overlooked in the justifiable quest for corporate gain," she said.
Indian navy destroys pirate boat, more ships taken
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – An Indian warship destroyed a pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden and gunmen from Somalia seized two more vessels despite a large international naval presence off their lawless country.
The buccaneers have taken a Thai fishing boat, a Greek bulk carrier and a Hong Kong-flagged ship heading to Iran since Saturday's spectacular capture of a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million of oil, the biggest ship hijacked in history.
The explosion of piracy off Somalia this year has driven up insurance costs, made some shipping companies divert around South Africa and prompted an unprecedented military response from NATO, the European Union and others.
"The pirates are sending out a message to the world that 'we can do what we want, we can think the unthinkable, do the unexpected'," Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, told Reuters in Mombasa.
The International Maritime Bureau said pirates from the Horn of Africa nation had hijacked a Thai fishing boat with 16 crew. That followed the capture of a Hong Kong-flagged ship carrying grain bound for Iran.
Mwangura's group said a Greek bulk carrier had also been seized, but an official at Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry told Reuters in Athens that no such incident had been recorded.
The sharp increase in attacks at sea this year off the poor and chaotic country has been fueled by a growing Islamist insurgency onshore -- gun battles broke out again in Mogadishu on Wednesday -- and the lure of multi-million-dollar ransoms.
No ransom has been demanded so far for the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, which the pirates seized after dodging international naval patrols in their boldest strike yet.
A spokesman for the owners, Saudi Aramco, said the company hoped to hear from the hijackers later on Wednesday. One Somali website said the attackers were demanding $250 million.
The Sirius Star was seized 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa, far beyond the gangs' usual area of operations. It was believed to be anchored near Eyl, a former Somali fishing village that is now a well-defended pirate base.
TANKER SPOTTED
"Eyl residents told me they could see the lights of a big ship far out at sea that seems to be the tanker," Aweys Ali, chairman of Somalia's Galkayo region, told Reuters by telephone.
Local officials said it had been sighted further south on Tuesday near Haradheere, in Mudug central region.
The Sirius held as much as 2 million barrels of oil, more than a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily exports, and had been heading for the United States via the Cape of Good Hope.
More of the world's big shipping firms are diverting their fleets via the Cape, experts say. But there is little evidence that big oil tanker firms carrying most of the world's crude are avoiding the Suez Canal, although many are expressing deep disquiet about Somali pirate activity.
Somali gunmen are believed to be holding about a dozen ships in the Eyl area and more than 200 hostages. Among those vessels is a Ukrainian ship loaded with 33 tanks and other weapons that was captured in another high-profile strike earlier this year.
The Sirius Star was seized despite an international naval effort, including by NATO, to guard one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Warships from the United States, France, Russia and India are stationed off Somalia.
Given that the pirates are well armed with grenades, heavy machineguns and rocket-launchers, most foreign navies have steered clear of direct confrontation once ships have been hijacked, for fear of putting hostages at risk. In most cases, the owners of hijacked ships are trying to negotiate ransoms.
British Royal Navy Commodore Keith Winstanley, deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East, said coalition forces could not be everywhere.
"The pirates will go somewhere we are not," he told shipping weekly Fairplay, part of Jane's Information Group. "If we patrol the Gulf of Aden then they will go to Mogadishu. If we go to Mogadishu, they will go to the Gulf of Aden."
In a show of resolve, Kenyan police paraded eight suspected pirates in a Mombasa court on Wednesday. The Royal Navy captured them, and killed two others, in the Gulf of Aden last week.
Ted Stevens' defeat in Alaska marks end of an era
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Sen. Ted Stevens' election defeat marks the end of an era in which he held a commanding place in Alaska politics while wielding power on some of the most influential committees in Congress.
It also moves Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority and gives President-elect Barack Obama a stronger hand when he assumes office on Jan. 20.
On the day the longest-serving Republican in Senate history turned 85, he was ousted by Alaska voters troubled by his conviction on federal felony charges and eager for a new direction in Washington, where Stevens served since Lyndon B. Johnson was president.
Alaska voters "wanted to see change," said Democrat Mark Begich, who claimed a narrow victory Tuesday after a tally of remaining ballots showed him holding a 3,724-vote edge.
"Alaska has been in the midst of a generational shift — you could see it," said Begich, the Anchorage mayor.
Democrats now hold 58 Senate seats, when two independents who align with Democrats are included, with undecided races in Minnesota and Georgia.
"With seven seats and counting now added to the Democratic ranks in the Senate, we have an even stronger majority that will bring real change to America," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
Stevens' pursuit of a seventh term was damaged by his conviction in federal court — just days before the election — for lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company.
He was trying to become the first convicted felon to win election to the Senate. A survey of people leaving polling places conducted for The Associated Press and television networks found that two of three voters considered Stevens' trial a factor in their decision. Begich voters cited it as an issue more often.
Stevens' lawyer had demanded a speedy trial, hoping for exoneration in time to fight the first serious threat to his seat in decades. But the trial in Washington not only left Stevens a felon, it deprived him of time to campaign in his home state.
"I wouldn't wish what I'm going through on anyone, my worst enemy," Stevens told reporters in Washington on Tuesday before the vote count. "I haven't had a night's sleep for almost four months."
Still, he said he will not ask President George W. Bush to give him a pardon for his seven felony convictions.
Tuesday's tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 150,728, or 47.76 percent, to 147,004, or 46.58 percent, for Stevens. There are about 2,500 overseas ballots yet to be counted.
A recount is possible. Stevens did not issue a statement, and campaign aides did not respond to calls for comment.
In Alaska, the losing candidate or a collection of 10 voters has three days to petition for a recount unless the vote was a tie, in which case it would be automatic. If the difference between the candidates is within 0.5 percent of the total votes cast, the state pays for the recount, to be started within three days of the recount petition. The state Elections Division has 10 days to complete the recount.
The crotchety octogenarian occupies an outsized place in Alaska history. His involvement in politics dates to the days before Alaska statehood, and he is esteemed for his ability to secure billions of dollars in federal aid for transportation and military projects. The Anchorage airport bears his name; to Alaskans, it's simply "Uncle Ted."
"He symbolizes Alaska's legitimacy, that Alaska is a player on the national stage as much as anybody else," University of Alaska Anchorage history professor Steve Haycox said.
His defeat could also allow Republican senators to sidestep the task of determining whether to kick out the longest serving member of their party in the Senate.
When counting resumed Tuesday, 1,022 votes divided the candidates out of about 315,000 ballots cast. Most of the those votes came from areas that had favored Begich — the Anchorage vicinity and the southeastern panhandle around Juneau.
It is a testament to Stevens' popularity — he was once named "Alaskan of the Century" — that he won nearly half the votes, even after his conviction. He routinely brought home the highest number of government dollars per capita in the nation — more than $9 billion in 2006 alone, according to one estimate.
In a state where oil and politics have always mixed, the conviction came as part of a long-running investigation into government corruption centered around VECO.
Following the trial Stevens said he wanted another term "because I love this land and its people" and vowed to press on with an appeal. Professing his innocence, he blamed his legal problems on his former friend Bill Allen, the former VECO Corp. chairman, the government's star witness.
Begich will be the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the Senate in nearly 30 years. He is the son of Nick Begich, Alaska's third congressman, who died in a 1972 plane crash.
Stevens refused pleas from his own party leaders to step down after the verdict, including Sen. John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee who said the Alaska senator had "broken his trust with the people."
Stevens' fall came shortly after another Alaskan, Gov. Sarah Palin, emerged as a national figure on the Republican presidential ticket. She called for Stevens to step aside at one point, but appeared to back away from that the day after the election, when returns showed Stevens with an edge.
"The people of Alaska just spoke," she said.
HSBC to cut 500 jobs in Asia as slump takes toll
HONG KONG: HSBC Holdings PLC, Europe's largest bank by market value, plans to cut 500 jobs in Asia due to the global economic
slump.
The cuts will be made in various parts of the business, including back office functions, with about 450 jobs in Hong Kong to be shed, the London-based lender announced to employees on Monday.
The bank decided to trim its work force because of "organizational changes in a number of areas as well as the deteriorating economic conditions and our cautious outlook for 2009," Peter Wong, an executive director for Hong Kong and China, said in an internal message released by the bank.
"In this day and age no guarantees of job security can be given," he said.
In September, the bank announced 1,100 job cuts worldwide in the wake of the financial turmoil.
HSBC has been hit hard by the financial crisis. The bank was forced to write down the value of its assets by USD 4.9bn in the third quarter, as the cost of bad loans in the US continued to mount and the credit market faltered.
slump.
The cuts will be made in various parts of the business, including back office functions, with about 450 jobs in Hong Kong to be shed, the London-based lender announced to employees on Monday.
The bank decided to trim its work force because of "organizational changes in a number of areas as well as the deteriorating economic conditions and our cautious outlook for 2009," Peter Wong, an executive director for Hong Kong and China, said in an internal message released by the bank.
"In this day and age no guarantees of job security can be given," he said.
In September, the bank announced 1,100 job cuts worldwide in the wake of the financial turmoil.
HSBC has been hit hard by the financial crisis. The bank was forced to write down the value of its assets by USD 4.9bn in the third quarter, as the cost of bad loans in the US continued to mount and the credit market faltered.
Metro man's new mission: Clean India
NEW DELHI: He's arguably India's best known technocrat, who became a middle-class household name following the success of Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation. But DMRC managing director E Sreedharan now has a new project: to spark a revival of ethics among Indians, especially the leadership. Sreedharan and a group of high-profile citizens want to change Indian attitudes towards corruption and graft. To implement this ambitious plan, they have formed the Foundation of Restoration of National Values (FRNV), with Sreedharan as President.
As a first step, the FRNV will hold a summit starting Tuesday. Lending the Metro chief support is a galaxy of heavyweights: Tata group chairman Ratan Tata, former chief justice of India MN Venkatachaliah, former chief
vigilance commissioner N Vittal and former NCW chairperson Vibha Parthasarathi, among others.
Fed up with Delhi's "lack of morals", Sreedharan said he has seen the city change for the worse. Citizens here have become extremely selfish and have little respect for the law, he said. This, along with India's slipping position on indexes like Transparency International, is what pushed the dyed-in-the-blue technocrat to kickstart a movement of sorts to restore national values and enforce ethical leadership across all walks of life.
Over the next two days, the national crisis of values and the remedy will be addressed by a host of speakers drawn from various walks of life, politicians and teachers, bureaucrats and literary persons. APJ Abdul Kalam, Somnath Chatterjee, Justice KG Balakrishnan, Sheila Dikshit and LK Advani will be the prominent voices at the summit.
"We hope the idea will be given direction at the summit. We are looking at introducing concepts like a national education syllabus for moral values for youngsters and ethical surveillance in the judiciary, public administration and so on. We hope to see change in the next five years," said Sreedharan. Ethical surveillance, read ensuring accountability and integrity at the top levels, will be key to the foundation's work, said FRNV's spiritual guide, Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.
Having demonstrated an enviable work culture in the rollout of Delhi's Metro rail system, the Metro chief wants the public to imbibe the values of punctuality, integrity and professionalism. "DMRC, today, is a shining example of a major government project implemented before time, and well within budget. The same values apply to the nation as well," he said.
He will start the drill with Metro's daily commuters on the one hand, and dialogue with bureaucrats and politicians on the other, to simply do their day's work honestly. 'Value champions' are being trained to spread the word, he said.
"There is a lot we have achieved as an organisation but there will always be such a case or two," he said, referring to the recent accident on Vikas Marg. "What marks the company's commitment to a value system is our response to the aberration. Never before has an incriminating report like this been released to the public so early," he asserted.
Corporation. But DMRC managing director E Sreedharan now has a new project: to spark a revival of ethics among Indians, especially the leadership. Sreedharan and a group of high-profile citizens want to change Indian attitudes towards corruption and graft. To implement this ambitious plan, they have formed the Foundation of Restoration of National Values (FRNV), with Sreedharan as President.
As a first step, the FRNV will hold a summit starting Tuesday. Lending the Metro chief support is a galaxy of heavyweights: Tata group chairman Ratan Tata, former chief justice of India MN Venkatachaliah, former chief
vigilance commissioner N Vittal and former NCW chairperson Vibha Parthasarathi, among others.
Fed up with Delhi's "lack of morals", Sreedharan said he has seen the city change for the worse. Citizens here have become extremely selfish and have little respect for the law, he said. This, along with India's slipping position on indexes like Transparency International, is what pushed the dyed-in-the-blue technocrat to kickstart a movement of sorts to restore national values and enforce ethical leadership across all walks of life.
Over the next two days, the national crisis of values and the remedy will be addressed by a host of speakers drawn from various walks of life, politicians and teachers, bureaucrats and literary persons. APJ Abdul Kalam, Somnath Chatterjee, Justice KG Balakrishnan, Sheila Dikshit and LK Advani will be the prominent voices at the summit.
"We hope the idea will be given direction at the summit. We are looking at introducing concepts like a national education syllabus for moral values for youngsters and ethical surveillance in the judiciary, public administration and so on. We hope to see change in the next five years," said Sreedharan. Ethical surveillance, read ensuring accountability and integrity at the top levels, will be key to the foundation's work, said FRNV's spiritual guide, Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.
Having demonstrated an enviable work culture in the rollout of Delhi's Metro rail system, the Metro chief wants the public to imbibe the values of punctuality, integrity and professionalism. "DMRC, today, is a shining example of a major government project implemented before time, and well within budget. The same values apply to the nation as well," he said.
He will start the drill with Metro's daily commuters on the one hand, and dialogue with bureaucrats and politicians on the other, to simply do their day's work honestly. 'Value champions' are being trained to spread the word, he said.
"There is a lot we have achieved as an organisation but there will always be such a case or two," he said, referring to the recent accident on Vikas Marg. "What marks the company's commitment to a value system is our response to the aberration. Never before has an incriminating report like this been released to the public so early," he asserted.
For $9995, book space in lunar cemetery
MIAMI: A US funeral business that specializes in launching cremated human remains into Earth's orbit has begun taking reservations for landing
small capsules of ashes on the moon, announced the founder.
"Celestis' first general public lunar mission could occur as early as 2010 and reservations are now being taken," said Charles Chafer, Celestis founder and president. "We can send up to 5000 individual capsules to the lunar surface," he said.
The company hopes to install a cemetery on the lunar surface to hold cremated remains of the dead, or a smaller symbolic portion of them, which one day could be visited by relatives of the deceased, said Chafer.
For transportation, Celestis has made deals with two other US private space companies, Odyssey Moon and Astrobotic Technology, which are currently working on making commercial flights to the moon.
For sending a tiny, one gram portion of cremated remains to the moon, the company charges $9,995 dollars.
small capsules of ashes on the moon, announced the founder.
"Celestis' first general public lunar mission could occur as early as 2010 and reservations are now being taken," said Charles Chafer, Celestis founder and president. "We can send up to 5000 individual capsules to the lunar surface," he said.
The company hopes to install a cemetery on the lunar surface to hold cremated remains of the dead, or a smaller symbolic portion of them, which one day could be visited by relatives of the deceased, said Chafer.
For transportation, Celestis has made deals with two other US private space companies, Odyssey Moon and Astrobotic Technology, which are currently working on making commercial flights to the moon.
For sending a tiny, one gram portion of cremated remains to the moon, the company charges $9,995 dollars.
Move to seek Tibetan independence doomed to fail: China
BEIJING: China insisted on Tuesday that any effort by Tibetan exiles to seek independence for their homeland would fail, as they held talks in
India on a new strategy for their campaign against Chinese rule.
"Our position on Tibet is clear and resolute. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is doomed to fail," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
"The so-called Tibetan government-in-exile is not recognised by any government in the world."
Qin's comments come as Tibetan leaders are meeting this week in the first major re-evaluation of their strategy since the Dalai Lama in 1988 outlined his “middle way,'' which pushes for autonomy but not outright independence for Tibet.
The meeting in India comes after the Dalai Lama expressed frustration over years of fruitless talks with China.
Earlier today, the prime minister of Tibet's exiled government said that leaders would push for Tibetan independence if a key meeting of exiles this week decides to drop the Dalai Lama's measured path of compromise.
More than 500 Tibetan exile leaders held ``emotionally charged'' closed door discussions as part of a pivotal weeklong meeting, said Samdhong Rinpoche, the exiled prime minister.
At the meeting, “there are mixed feelings, frustration, hope and determination to do something, but it's not very clear what to do,'' said Rinpoche.
The Dalai Lama has expressed frustration over years of fruitless talks with China and prominent Tibetan leaders have said the conciliatory approach ``has failed.''
Rinpoche said the meetings that began on Monday could lead to a dramatic new path for the Tibetan movement.
``If the outcome of the present meeting is we should switch over from the 'middle way' to independence, we will gladly follow that,'' Rinpoche said Tuesday.
He said any decision made this week would be taken to the exile parliament, which will have the final say.
``We are sincerely committed to a genuine democratic system to reflect public opinion,'' he said.
China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for 700 years, although many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of that time. Chinese forces invaded shortly after the 1949 communist revolution and the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an unsuccessful uprising.
Large numbers of Tibetans remain fervently Buddhist and loyal to the Dalai Lama. If the exiles choose a more confrontational approach, Tibetans living under Chinese rule would bear the brunt of any government response.
Much of the debate is expected to boil down to two main choices: whether to continue pursuing the politics of compromise or to begin a long-shot independence movement, a move almost certain to end talks held intermittently with Beijing since 2002.
Any deviation from current policies was almost certain to scuttle the tenuous ties with Beijing, which has long accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting an independence movement.
The Dalai Lama's envoys to the recent talks with Beijing said in a statement on Sunday that they had presented China with a detailed plan on how Tibetans could meet their autonomy needs within the framework of China's constitution.
The plan calls for the protection for the Tibetan language and culture, restrictions on non-Tibetans moving into Tibet and the rights of Tibetans to create an autonomous government.
But China apparently rejected the plan. Chinese officials said no progress was made in the talks two weeks ago, calling the Tibetan stance ``a trick'' and saying it lacked sincerity.
India on a new strategy for their campaign against Chinese rule.
"Our position on Tibet is clear and resolute. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is doomed to fail," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
"The so-called Tibetan government-in-exile is not recognised by any government in the world."
Qin's comments come as Tibetan leaders are meeting this week in the first major re-evaluation of their strategy since the Dalai Lama in 1988 outlined his “middle way,'' which pushes for autonomy but not outright independence for Tibet.
The meeting in India comes after the Dalai Lama expressed frustration over years of fruitless talks with China.
Earlier today, the prime minister of Tibet's exiled government said that leaders would push for Tibetan independence if a key meeting of exiles this week decides to drop the Dalai Lama's measured path of compromise.
More than 500 Tibetan exile leaders held ``emotionally charged'' closed door discussions as part of a pivotal weeklong meeting, said Samdhong Rinpoche, the exiled prime minister.
At the meeting, “there are mixed feelings, frustration, hope and determination to do something, but it's not very clear what to do,'' said Rinpoche.
The Dalai Lama has expressed frustration over years of fruitless talks with China and prominent Tibetan leaders have said the conciliatory approach ``has failed.''
Rinpoche said the meetings that began on Monday could lead to a dramatic new path for the Tibetan movement.
``If the outcome of the present meeting is we should switch over from the 'middle way' to independence, we will gladly follow that,'' Rinpoche said Tuesday.
He said any decision made this week would be taken to the exile parliament, which will have the final say.
``We are sincerely committed to a genuine democratic system to reflect public opinion,'' he said.
China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for 700 years, although many Tibetans say they were effectively independent for most of that time. Chinese forces invaded shortly after the 1949 communist revolution and the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an unsuccessful uprising.
Large numbers of Tibetans remain fervently Buddhist and loyal to the Dalai Lama. If the exiles choose a more confrontational approach, Tibetans living under Chinese rule would bear the brunt of any government response.
Much of the debate is expected to boil down to two main choices: whether to continue pursuing the politics of compromise or to begin a long-shot independence movement, a move almost certain to end talks held intermittently with Beijing since 2002.
Any deviation from current policies was almost certain to scuttle the tenuous ties with Beijing, which has long accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting an independence movement.
The Dalai Lama's envoys to the recent talks with Beijing said in a statement on Sunday that they had presented China with a detailed plan on how Tibetans could meet their autonomy needs within the framework of China's constitution.
The plan calls for the protection for the Tibetan language and culture, restrictions on non-Tibetans moving into Tibet and the rights of Tibetans to create an autonomous government.
But China apparently rejected the plan. Chinese officials said no progress was made in the talks two weeks ago, calling the Tibetan stance ``a trick'' and saying it lacked sincerity.
Women jealous of rape victims: Helen Mirren
LONDON: Hollywood actress Helen Mirren has been slammed for claiming that female jurors are less likely to sympathize with female rape victims,
as they tend to think the woman was "asking for it". She said "women would go against women" in a court of law because of sexual jealousy.
The Queen actress sparked the controversy after stating that the female jury is not adequately sympathetic towards women due to sexual jealousy, and a lawyer defending a man would want a jury constituting of women.
"In a rape case the courts would select as many women as they could for the jury, because women go against women. Whether in a deep-seated, animalistic way, going back billions of years, or a sense of tribal jealousy or just antagonism, I don't know," the Sun quoted Mirren, as saying.
"But other women on a rape case would say she was asking for it. The only reason I can think of is that they're sexually jealous," she added.
However, the female jury seems to be pretty offended with the actress' comments, as they find them to be utterly wrong. Lawyer general Vera Baird QC slammed Mirren's claims as "ignorant and absurd".
"This is a vast generalization based on nothing," Baird said. "To put forward this false idea that some covert conspiracy exists in the justice system is very ignorant and totally and utterly wrong," she added.
Baird said Mirren had made false assumptions about how juries were selected and warned her words could deter rape victims from reporting their ordeals. "This is a vast generalisation based on nothing, but unfortunately it is likely to have a deterrent effect," Baird warned.
Mirren's comments in the Sunday Times Magazine come only a few months after she admitted being a victim of date-rape. Sandra McNeill of the Campaign to End Rape said it was a "well-known fact" that lawyers representing rapists try and get a female-dominated jury. McNeill speculated that it was a "defence mechanism" on the part of women to think: "If I don't do something wrong (it won't happen to me), maybe she's to blame."
She added: "I think from the start of the police investigation right through to the jury, it's all trying to find a way to discredit the woman. If you can find something, anything, then the rapist goes free."
as they tend to think the woman was "asking for it". She said "women would go against women" in a court of law because of sexual jealousy.
The Queen actress sparked the controversy after stating that the female jury is not adequately sympathetic towards women due to sexual jealousy, and a lawyer defending a man would want a jury constituting of women.
"In a rape case the courts would select as many women as they could for the jury, because women go against women. Whether in a deep-seated, animalistic way, going back billions of years, or a sense of tribal jealousy or just antagonism, I don't know," the Sun quoted Mirren, as saying.
"But other women on a rape case would say she was asking for it. The only reason I can think of is that they're sexually jealous," she added.
However, the female jury seems to be pretty offended with the actress' comments, as they find them to be utterly wrong. Lawyer general Vera Baird QC slammed Mirren's claims as "ignorant and absurd".
"This is a vast generalization based on nothing," Baird said. "To put forward this false idea that some covert conspiracy exists in the justice system is very ignorant and totally and utterly wrong," she added.
Baird said Mirren had made false assumptions about how juries were selected and warned her words could deter rape victims from reporting their ordeals. "This is a vast generalisation based on nothing, but unfortunately it is likely to have a deterrent effect," Baird warned.
Mirren's comments in the Sunday Times Magazine come only a few months after she admitted being a victim of date-rape. Sandra McNeill of the Campaign to End Rape said it was a "well-known fact" that lawyers representing rapists try and get a female-dominated jury. McNeill speculated that it was a "defence mechanism" on the part of women to think: "If I don't do something wrong (it won't happen to me), maybe she's to blame."
She added: "I think from the start of the police investigation right through to the jury, it's all trying to find a way to discredit the woman. If you can find something, anything, then the rapist goes free."
Will Bill Clinton block Hillary's choice as top diplomat?
WASHINGTON: As US President-elect Barack Obama pondered over naming Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of sate, media reports
suggested that her husband Bill Clinton's complicated global interests may pose a hurdle.
Obama's advisers "have begun reviewing former President Bill Clinton's finances and activities to see whether they would preclude" the former first lady's appointment as the nation's top diplomat, said the New York Times.
The Clintons "could be positioned to lead a public-private partnership on the global stage unlike any before it, one that experts say would bring with it a host of potential benefits and pitfalls for the new president," suggested the Washington Post.
Bill Clinton's international business dealings, global foundation and penchant for going off script could present a significant obstacle to Hillary Clinton becoming secretary of state, said CNN citing observers.
On the one hand, his established relationships with world leaders could instantly make the New York senator a welcome face in embassies around the world, it said.
On the other, his complicated global business interests could present future conflicts of interest that result in unneeded headaches for the incoming commander-in-chief.
"These are issues that I'm sure are being discussed, and they will have to be worked out, and it's legitimate to ask these questions," James Carville, a former aide to the Clintons, old CNN.
CNN said two officials with Obama's transition team have confirmed that it is investigating Bill Clinton's finances and post-presidential dealings.
Besides Hillary Clinton, Obama last week met with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, another former rival for the Democratic nomination,about the secretary of state position. The 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry too is said to be in the run.
Another hurdle could be praise from three prominent Republicans. Henry Kissinger, who was secretary of state in the Nixon and Ford administrations, has said Clinton would be an "outstanding" selection.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told ABC it would be a "great move." And Republican senator Jon Kyl of Arizona told Fox News, "She's got the experience; she's got the temperament for it."
Meanwhile, A new poll suggests that most Americans are confident that Obama will make the right decisions when it comes to picking his top officials.
Forty-three percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday are very confident that Obama will make the right choices, with 34% somewhat confident and only 23% not confident.
"Obama is having the kind of honeymoon that no president-elect has had in at least 30 years," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "It's no surprise that Americans have a positive view of anything Obama might do - at least until he does something controversial."
Asked which appointment will matter the most to the country's future, 41% said the secretary of the treasury; 25% said secretary of state; 24% said secretary of defence and 8 percent named the attorney general.
suggested that her husband Bill Clinton's complicated global interests may pose a hurdle.
Obama's advisers "have begun reviewing former President Bill Clinton's finances and activities to see whether they would preclude" the former first lady's appointment as the nation's top diplomat, said the New York Times.
The Clintons "could be positioned to lead a public-private partnership on the global stage unlike any before it, one that experts say would bring with it a host of potential benefits and pitfalls for the new president," suggested the Washington Post.
Bill Clinton's international business dealings, global foundation and penchant for going off script could present a significant obstacle to Hillary Clinton becoming secretary of state, said CNN citing observers.
On the one hand, his established relationships with world leaders could instantly make the New York senator a welcome face in embassies around the world, it said.
On the other, his complicated global business interests could present future conflicts of interest that result in unneeded headaches for the incoming commander-in-chief.
"These are issues that I'm sure are being discussed, and they will have to be worked out, and it's legitimate to ask these questions," James Carville, a former aide to the Clintons, old CNN.
CNN said two officials with Obama's transition team have confirmed that it is investigating Bill Clinton's finances and post-presidential dealings.
Besides Hillary Clinton, Obama last week met with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, another former rival for the Democratic nomination,about the secretary of state position. The 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry too is said to be in the run.
Another hurdle could be praise from three prominent Republicans. Henry Kissinger, who was secretary of state in the Nixon and Ford administrations, has said Clinton would be an "outstanding" selection.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told ABC it would be a "great move." And Republican senator Jon Kyl of Arizona told Fox News, "She's got the experience; she's got the temperament for it."
Meanwhile, A new poll suggests that most Americans are confident that Obama will make the right decisions when it comes to picking his top officials.
Forty-three percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday are very confident that Obama will make the right choices, with 34% somewhat confident and only 23% not confident.
"Obama is having the kind of honeymoon that no president-elect has had in at least 30 years," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "It's no surprise that Americans have a positive view of anything Obama might do - at least until he does something controversial."
Asked which appointment will matter the most to the country's future, 41% said the secretary of the treasury; 25% said secretary of state; 24% said secretary of defence and 8 percent named the attorney general.
One rape every 26 seconds in South Africa
NEW YORK: South Africa's Academy Award winning actress and activist Charlize Theron said on Monday that a woman is raped every 26 seconds in her
country, a situation she described as "quite horrific".
Appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Theron took over her new job as United Nations Messenger of Peace to lead the campaign to end violence against women.
"The statistics on rape cases were quite horrific," Theron told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on her first day at work, joining nine other existing Messengers of Peace to help advance various UN campaigns.
"One in every three women is raped in her lifetime and the number was devastating," Theron said. "It is getting worse."
Theron founded the Cape Town Rape Crisis Centre in 1999 to deal with the widespread cases of rape and the high number of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But she said she now needs the support of the UN to fight rape more effectively.
"It's very exciting to work for the UN because it gives you access to the source of information and the responsibility," she said.
Theron founded The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to help improve the lives of poor children and their families in her native South Africa, particularly those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
"I am convinced you'll be a persuasive and powerful Messenger of Peace," Ban said, after he appointed Theron last week. "You have consistently dedicated yourself to improving the lives of women and children in South Africa, and to preventing and stopping violence against women and girls. I look forward to working with you to end this terrible scourge."
Other Messengers of Peace include George Clooney for UN peacekeeping, Daniel Barenboim for peace and tolerance, Michael Douglas for disarmament and Yo-Yo Ma for youth.
Theron, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a serial killer in the film "Monster", has used her star power to advocate for women since she emerged on the international scene more than a decade ago.
country, a situation she described as "quite horrific".
Appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Theron took over her new job as United Nations Messenger of Peace to lead the campaign to end violence against women.
"The statistics on rape cases were quite horrific," Theron told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on her first day at work, joining nine other existing Messengers of Peace to help advance various UN campaigns.
"One in every three women is raped in her lifetime and the number was devastating," Theron said. "It is getting worse."
Theron founded the Cape Town Rape Crisis Centre in 1999 to deal with the widespread cases of rape and the high number of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But she said she now needs the support of the UN to fight rape more effectively.
"It's very exciting to work for the UN because it gives you access to the source of information and the responsibility," she said.
Theron founded The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to help improve the lives of poor children and their families in her native South Africa, particularly those suffering from HIV/AIDS.
"I am convinced you'll be a persuasive and powerful Messenger of Peace," Ban said, after he appointed Theron last week. "You have consistently dedicated yourself to improving the lives of women and children in South Africa, and to preventing and stopping violence against women and girls. I look forward to working with you to end this terrible scourge."
Other Messengers of Peace include George Clooney for UN peacekeeping, Daniel Barenboim for peace and tolerance, Michael Douglas for disarmament and Yo-Yo Ma for youth.
Theron, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a serial killer in the film "Monster", has used her star power to advocate for women since she emerged on the international scene more than a decade ago.
Two-year-jail for Olympic ticket tout
BEIJING: China has sent an Olympic ticket tout to jail for 2-½ years, and fined him 450,000 yuan ($65,950) for illegally selling on over 500
passes to the Summer Games, in the biggest such case to come to court in Beijing.
The 41-year-old had agreed to arranged tickets for two companies at prices 50% to 60% higher than their face value, the official Xinhua agency quoted a district court saying.
He then used identities illegally obtained from a friend's construction company and other sources to spend 230,000 yuan on the online ticketing system set up for the Games.
The man was arrested in May, two months after Beijing warned that it was cracking down on scalping and would detain serious offenders for up to four years' "re-education through labour".
Despite the ban there was a thriving black market for the tickets, with the most sought-after ones for the opening ceremony offered on the internet for up to 150,000 yuan.
Some 7 million Olympic tickets went on sale, three-quarters of them inside China. All sold out, though not all the venues were full during the Games. Other touts, including several foreigners, were caught during the two-week long Games selling passes near the venues.
passes to the Summer Games, in the biggest such case to come to court in Beijing.
The 41-year-old had agreed to arranged tickets for two companies at prices 50% to 60% higher than their face value, the official Xinhua agency quoted a district court saying.
He then used identities illegally obtained from a friend's construction company and other sources to spend 230,000 yuan on the online ticketing system set up for the Games.
The man was arrested in May, two months after Beijing warned that it was cracking down on scalping and would detain serious offenders for up to four years' "re-education through labour".
Despite the ban there was a thriving black market for the tickets, with the most sought-after ones for the opening ceremony offered on the internet for up to 150,000 yuan.
Some 7 million Olympic tickets went on sale, three-quarters of them inside China. All sold out, though not all the venues were full during the Games. Other touts, including several foreigners, were caught during the two-week long Games selling passes near the venues.
Anglican Church faces split over homosexuality
LONDON: Fears of split in the Anglican Church have emerged as a top bishop in Britain has flayed the church for its "wishy-washy" attitude over
homosexuality.
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali told a meeting of conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church", that there has been a lack of discipline in the communion.
"No Church can be effective without discipline," stressed said Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester. He underlined that the Church has become too "wishy-washy" and urged evangelicals to stand against the liberal agenda.
The Bishop of Rochester told clergies that the new movement was equivalent to the Reformation in the sixteenth century, which led to the establishment of the Church of England.
"Now we need another movement to keep the Church faithful. I want to keep orthodox Anglicans together," the Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted the top bishop as telling conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church".
Traditionalists have been upset that the Episcopal Church escaped punishment despite consecrating Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop.
Though the bishop did not name Dr Rowan Williams, delegates at the conference said Nazir-Ali's message was a clear criticism on the Archbishop of Canterbury's handling of the crisis linked to role of homosexuals priests in the church.
homosexuality.
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali told a meeting of conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church", that there has been a lack of discipline in the communion.
"No Church can be effective without discipline," stressed said Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester. He underlined that the Church has become too "wishy-washy" and urged evangelicals to stand against the liberal agenda.
The Bishop of Rochester told clergies that the new movement was equivalent to the Reformation in the sixteenth century, which led to the establishment of the Church of England.
"Now we need another movement to keep the Church faithful. I want to keep orthodox Anglicans together," the Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted the top bishop as telling conservative evangelicals, who debated proposals for a new "church within a church".
Traditionalists have been upset that the Episcopal Church escaped punishment despite consecrating Gene Robinson as Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop.
Though the bishop did not name Dr Rowan Williams, delegates at the conference said Nazir-Ali's message was a clear criticism on the Archbishop of Canterbury's handling of the crisis linked to role of homosexuals priests in the church.
White House refines position on auto industry help
WASHINGTON – The Bush White House stressed Monday that it supports help for the struggling auto industry, but believes it should not be taken from the $700 billion financial system rescue program.
As lawmakers were returning to a lame duck session to focus on the troubled industry, President Bush's chief spokeswoman issued a statement saying the administration "does not want U.S. automakers to fail." Press secretary Dana Perino complained that reporting on the White House's statements on this issue has involved "attempts to shorthand the administration's position."
Perino's early morning statement also made clear, however, that the administration steadfastly opposes drawing funds from the bailout plan to help Detroit. She said the $25 billion that Democrats favor taking from the rescue plan should come, instead, from a Department of Energy program previously approved to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
Democrats want to use part of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout for emergency loans to help prop up the Big Three carmakers. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC are seeking an infusion of $25 billion, a figure that several Senate Democrats embraced Sunday.
Senate Democrats plan to introduce legislation Monday attaching an auto bailout to a House-passed bill extending unemployment benefits. A vote was expected as early as Wednesday.
"There's a high degree of urgency" for federal action if GM is going to stave off a financial crisis, Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and chief executive, said Sunday in a joint appearance with United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger on WDIV-TV in Detroit.
"It's really time to move on this," Wagoner said.
In her statement Monday, Perino said, "The auto industry is an important part of our manufacturing base, and we want the industry to succeed and compete in the global economy." But she also said that media reports have erroneously depicted the administration as taking too harsh a stand on financial relief.
Her statement Monday seemed aimed more at elaborating on the administration's position than revising or tweaking it.
"We believe this assistance should come from the program created by Congress that was specifically designed to assist the automakers — from the $25 billion Department of Energy loan program," Perino said.
She said the $700 billion rescue program "was never intended by Congress to assist automakers or other sectors of the economy. It was solely intended to deal with what is an ongoing credit crisis in our financial sector."
President-elect Barack Obama said he believes aid for the auto industry is needed but that it should be provided as part of a long-term plan — not simply as a blank check.
"For the auto industry to completely collapse would be a disaster in this kind of environment," Obama said in a "60 Minutes" interview aired Sunday night on CBS. "So my hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labor, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan — what does a sustainable U.S. auto industry look like?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has embraced an auto bailout, though she hasn't set a price tag. But passage is less certain in the Senate, where majority Democrats will need at least a dozen GOP votes to prevent opponents from blocking their measure.
On Sunday top Republican senators said using any of the Wall Street bailout money to help carmakers would be a mistake. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama called the U.S. auto industry a "dinosaur" whose demise would simply be stalled by a bailout.
"I don't believe the $25 billion they're talking about will make them survive," said Shelby, the senior Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. "It's just postponing the inevitable."
Shelby spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Congressional Democrats have some internal power struggles to settle this week.
The House's longest-serving member, 82-year-old John Dingell of Michigan, is fighting to keep the chairmanship of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. And in the Senate, Democrats will have their own showdown Tuesday when they decide whether to strip independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
As lawmakers were returning to a lame duck session to focus on the troubled industry, President Bush's chief spokeswoman issued a statement saying the administration "does not want U.S. automakers to fail." Press secretary Dana Perino complained that reporting on the White House's statements on this issue has involved "attempts to shorthand the administration's position."
Perino's early morning statement also made clear, however, that the administration steadfastly opposes drawing funds from the bailout plan to help Detroit. She said the $25 billion that Democrats favor taking from the rescue plan should come, instead, from a Department of Energy program previously approved to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
Democrats want to use part of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout for emergency loans to help prop up the Big Three carmakers. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC are seeking an infusion of $25 billion, a figure that several Senate Democrats embraced Sunday.
Senate Democrats plan to introduce legislation Monday attaching an auto bailout to a House-passed bill extending unemployment benefits. A vote was expected as early as Wednesday.
"There's a high degree of urgency" for federal action if GM is going to stave off a financial crisis, Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and chief executive, said Sunday in a joint appearance with United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger on WDIV-TV in Detroit.
"It's really time to move on this," Wagoner said.
In her statement Monday, Perino said, "The auto industry is an important part of our manufacturing base, and we want the industry to succeed and compete in the global economy." But she also said that media reports have erroneously depicted the administration as taking too harsh a stand on financial relief.
Her statement Monday seemed aimed more at elaborating on the administration's position than revising or tweaking it.
"We believe this assistance should come from the program created by Congress that was specifically designed to assist the automakers — from the $25 billion Department of Energy loan program," Perino said.
She said the $700 billion rescue program "was never intended by Congress to assist automakers or other sectors of the economy. It was solely intended to deal with what is an ongoing credit crisis in our financial sector."
President-elect Barack Obama said he believes aid for the auto industry is needed but that it should be provided as part of a long-term plan — not simply as a blank check.
"For the auto industry to completely collapse would be a disaster in this kind of environment," Obama said in a "60 Minutes" interview aired Sunday night on CBS. "So my hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labor, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan — what does a sustainable U.S. auto industry look like?"
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has embraced an auto bailout, though she hasn't set a price tag. But passage is less certain in the Senate, where majority Democrats will need at least a dozen GOP votes to prevent opponents from blocking their measure.
On Sunday top Republican senators said using any of the Wall Street bailout money to help carmakers would be a mistake. Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama called the U.S. auto industry a "dinosaur" whose demise would simply be stalled by a bailout.
"I don't believe the $25 billion they're talking about will make them survive," said Shelby, the senior Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. "It's just postponing the inevitable."
Shelby spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Congressional Democrats have some internal power struggles to settle this week.
The House's longest-serving member, 82-year-old John Dingell of Michigan, is fighting to keep the chairmanship of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee. And in the Senate, Democrats will have their own showdown Tuesday when they decide whether to strip independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut of his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Stocks open lower on more economic woes
NEW YORK – The selling on Wall Street continued Monday as investors digested more signs of economic weakness, including a huge round of layoffs in the financial sector.
After a turbulent week that sent the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 340 points, investors found little solace in the latest news.
In a sign that banks are still struggling in the wake of massive losses tied to bad mortgage debt, Citigroup Inc. is cutting another 53,000 jobs in the coming quarters. The company said that in addition to job cuts, it plans to lower expenses by about 20 percent, and that is has reduced its assets by more than 20 percent since the first quarter of the year.
Investors were also nervously waiting to see whether the nation's troubled automakers would get a bailout. Senate Democrats, who plan to introduce legislation Monday, want to use part of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout to help prop up Detroit's Big Three carmakers: General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. A vote was expected as early as Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a better-than-expected reading on industrial production did little to boost investor sentiment. The Federal Reserve said Monday that industrial output rose 1.3 percent last month. Economists, on average, had expected an increase of 0.2 percent, according to a survey by Thomson/IFR.
In the meantime, the market — concerned that the economy's downturn might last several quarters — was assessing more bleak corporate earnings reports. Retailer Lowe's Cos. said its third-quarter profit fell 24 percent, better than expected, but it predicted a fourth-quarter profit for 8 cents to 16 cents per share — below the average analyst forecast. Target Corp. also posted a 24 percent profit decline, citing lower sales at established stores.
Last week, the Dow finished down 5 percent; the S&P 500 index sank 6.2 percent; and the Nasdaq plunged 7.9 percent.
In the first half-hour of trading, the Dow fell 108.16, or 1.27 percent, to 8,389.15. Standard & Poor's 500 index stumbled 9.74, or 1.12 percent, to 863.55, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 12.49, or 0.82 percent, to 1,504.36.
A Key to Sharp Old Minds Found
A handful of people seem to reach very old ages with their brains remaining super-sharp. Scientists call their brains "super aged."
But what makes them special?
In a new study, researchers examined the brains of five dead people who were considered super aged because after age 80 they had performed higher on memory tests than others their age. The scientists compared these brains to those of "normal" dead people - elderly, non-demented individuals.
The super aged brains had far fewer fiber-like tangles than the brains of people who had aged normally.
The tangles consist of a protein called tau that accumulates inside brain cells and is thought to eventually kill the cells, the researchers explained in what they're calling a preliminary finding. Tangles are found in at least moderate numbers in the brains of all elderly people, but they are much more prevalent in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.
"It was always assumed that the accumulation of these tangles is a progressive phenomenon through the aging process. But we are seeing that some individuals are immune to tangle formation and that the presence of these tangles seems to influence cognitive performance," said said Changiz Geula, principal investigator of the study and a research professor of neurology at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern's Feinberg School.
The findings were presented yesterday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Geula said the lower number of tangles in the super aged appears to be the critical difference in maintaining memory skills.
Some of the super aged in the study performed memory tasks at the level of people who were about 50 years old. For example, after being told a story, they were able to remember it immediately after and still accurately recall its details 30 minutes later. They also remembered a list of 15 words and recalled these words equally well when tested after 30 minutes.
Geula said new research will focus on what makes cells in super aged brains more resistant to tangle formation.
"We want to see what protects the brains of these individuals against the ravages that cause memory loss," he said. "Understanding the specific genetic and molecular characteristics of the brains that makes them resistant, someday may lead to the ability to protect average brains from memory loss. "
But what makes them special?
In a new study, researchers examined the brains of five dead people who were considered super aged because after age 80 they had performed higher on memory tests than others their age. The scientists compared these brains to those of "normal" dead people - elderly, non-demented individuals.
The super aged brains had far fewer fiber-like tangles than the brains of people who had aged normally.
The tangles consist of a protein called tau that accumulates inside brain cells and is thought to eventually kill the cells, the researchers explained in what they're calling a preliminary finding. Tangles are found in at least moderate numbers in the brains of all elderly people, but they are much more prevalent in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.
"It was always assumed that the accumulation of these tangles is a progressive phenomenon through the aging process. But we are seeing that some individuals are immune to tangle formation and that the presence of these tangles seems to influence cognitive performance," said said Changiz Geula, principal investigator of the study and a research professor of neurology at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center at Northwestern's Feinberg School.
The findings were presented yesterday at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Geula said the lower number of tangles in the super aged appears to be the critical difference in maintaining memory skills.
Some of the super aged in the study performed memory tasks at the level of people who were about 50 years old. For example, after being told a story, they were able to remember it immediately after and still accurately recall its details 30 minutes later. They also remembered a list of 15 words and recalled these words equally well when tested after 30 minutes.
Geula said new research will focus on what makes cells in super aged brains more resistant to tangle formation.
"We want to see what protects the brains of these individuals against the ravages that cause memory loss," he said. "Understanding the specific genetic and molecular characteristics of the brains that makes them resistant, someday may lead to the ability to protect average brains from memory loss. "
Citigroup to cut another 53,000 jobs
NEW YORK – Citigroup Inc. is cutting approximately 53,000 more jobs in the coming quarters as the banking giant struggles to steady itself after suffering massive losses from deteriorating debt.
The plans, posted on the company's Web site, are being discussed by CEO Vikram Pandit at the company's town hall meeting in New York Monday with employees.
The company said total headcount is being reduced by 20 percent from its peak of 375,000 at the end of 2007; the company had already announced in October that it was eliminating about 22,000 jobs from those levels. The total workforce reductions include thousands of jobs that will be lost when Citigroup completes the sale of Citi Global Services and its German retail banking business.
The New York-based bank has posted four straight quarterly losses, including a loss of $2.8 billion during the third quarter. The company said that in addition to job cuts, it plans to lower expenses by about 20 percent, and that is has reduced its assets by more than 20 percent since the first quarter of the year.
Citi shares fell 42 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $9.10 in morning trading. The company's shares have been trading at 13-year lows.
Shortly before the town hall meeting in New York, Citigroup Chairman Win Bischoff said at a business forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that it would be irresponsible for Citi and other companies not to look at staffing in the event of a prolonged economic downturn.
"What all of us have done — and perhaps injudiciously — we've added a lot of people over ... this very benign period," Bischoff said.
"If there is a reversion to the mean ... those job losses will obviously fall particularly heavily on the financial sector," he added. "Certainly they will fall particularly heavily on London and New York."
A Citigroup spokesman said that while certain regions and businesses might have higher concentrations of job cuts, they would generally be across the entire company and around the world.
In his comments to the Associated Press, Bischoff did not rule out the likelihood that Citi's leaders would go without bonuses this year — a move that would effectively amount to a substantial pay cut for the company's executives.
"Watch this space," he said when asked about lost bonuses.
On Sunday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said seven top executives, including Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein, opted out of receiving cash or stock bonuses for 2008 amid the ongoing credit crisis.
Space shuttle Endeavour launched from Florida
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from its seaside launch pad in Florida on Friday for a 15-day mission to renovate the International Space Station.
Endeavour, carrying a crew of seven, lit up the night sky as it roared away from the Kennedy Space Center. It settled safely into Earth's orbit about 8 1/2 minutes after launch.
Railroad attacked for ordering children off trains
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany's national railway company has come under fire from passenger groups after inspectors ordered children off trains because they did not have the right tickets.Deutsche Bahn has apologized for the embarrassing incidents that made headlines across the country.
In the fourth such expulsion in three weeks, a 12-year-old schoolgirl was made to leave a train an hour's ride from home because she could not pay a 40 euro ($50) fine.
"It is purely foolish to react in such a way," said Karl-Peter Naumann, director of the passenger organization Pro Bahn. "Banishing them from the train is inhumane and causes unnecessary problems."
German newspapers had already condemned Deutsche Bahn on Tuesday after a 14-year-old was told to leave a train because her ticket was only valid later in the day.
Earlier, a 13-year-old and a 12-year-old were also forced to leave trains. One child had to carry her cello 5 km (3 miles) home in the dark while the other was left on a platform with no money or mobile phone.
Wednesday, Deutsche Bahn said all ticket inspectors would have to sign an agreement promising not to banish children from trains if traveling alone.
"Everybody should know that it is unacceptable to throw children off the train," a spokesman told the TAZ daily.
AP US supply line threatened by Pakistan truck halt
PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Pakistan temporarily barred oil tankers and container trucks from a key passageway to Afghanistan, threatening a critical supply route for U.S. and NATO troops on Sunday and raising more fears about security in the militant-plagued border region.The suspension came as U.S.-led coalition troops reported killing 30 insurgents in fighting in southern Afghanistan and detaining two militant leaders — both in provinces near Pakistan's lawless border.
Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are behind much of the escalating violence along the lengthy, porous Afghan-Pakistan border, and both nations have traded accusations that the other was not doing enough to keep militants out from its side.
The tensions come as violence in Afghanistan has reached its highest level since the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime in 2001, and as a surge in U.S. missile strikes on the Pakistani side of the border has prompted protests from Pakistan government leaders.
Last Monday, a band of militants hijacked around a dozen trucks whose load included Humvees headed to the foreign forces in Afghanistan. Renewed security concerns prompted officials to impose the temporary ban on tankers and trucks carrying sealed containers late Saturday, government official Bakhtiar Khan said. He said it could be lifted as early as Monday.
Lt. Cmdr. Walter Matthews, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, acknowledged only that "the appropriate authorities are coordinating security procedures."
"The convoys will continue flowing. We will not discuss when, or where, or what," he said.
Denied entry to the route, dozens of the trucks and oil tankers were parked along a main road near Peshawar, the regional capital.
Asked about security fears, Rehmatullah, a driver who gave only one name and said his truck was carrying a military vehicle of some sort, said, "This is our job, and we have to do it, but yes, we have a security risk every time we pass through the route."
Many of the supplies headed to foreign troops arrive in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi in unmarked, sealed shipping containers and are loaded onto trucks for the journey either to the border town of Chaman or the primary route, through the famed Khyber Pass.
Last week's ambush took place at the entrance to the pass. Police said around 60 masked militants forced the convoy to stop, briefly trading fire with nearby security officers. U.S. officials say the attackers seized two Humvees and a water truck. Several trucks carrying wheat for the World Food Program were also hijacked.
While critical of U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan's northwest tribal regions, both Pakistan's prime minister and president denied any plans to subvert the supply line as a pressure tactic in recent interviews with The Associated Press.
In Afghanistan, meanwhile, 30 insurgents were killed during a clash with U.S.-led coalition troops in Helmand province, a statement from the U.S. military said. There were no coalition or Afghan casualties, it said.
Also Saturday, in eastern Paktia province's Zurmat district the coalition troops killed five al-Qaida-associated insurgents and nabbed eight, including a militant leader accused of helping the Taliban move and train Arab and other foreign fighters into Afghanistan, the statement said. The militant was not identified.
Also Saturday in eastern Khost province, coalition and Afghan troops detained a militant leader of the network led by the Afghan insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani.
The United States once supported Jalaluddin Haqqani as a "freedom fighter" when he fought against the former Soviet Union's 1980s occupation of Afghanistan. He and his son Sirajuddin are now considered a main threat against U.S. forces and their allies in eastern Afghanistan.
On Sunday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered to provide security for the Taliban's reclusive leader, Mullah Omar, if he agrees to enter peace talks, and suggested that if the U.S. and other Western nations disagreed they could leave the country or oust him.
"If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international community has two choices, remove me or leave if they disagree," Karzai said.
Omar is a leader of the Afghan Taliban and headed the government toppled by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Since then, he has been in hiding but is believed to be running the insurgency.
Karzai has long supported drawing the Islamist militia into the political mainstream on the condition that they accept the country's constitution.
In September, Taliban members met with Afghan and Pakistani officials, but there were no concrete results.
Omar has not directly responded to these calls, but spokesmen associated with the Taliban have previously said U.S. and other foreign troops must withdraw before any talks.
Karzai dismissed that, saying foreign troops are necessary for Afghanistan's security.
On Sunday, suicide car bombers struck a NATO convoy in the northern Baghlan province and a U.S. convoy in western Herat province, officials said. One civilian was killed in the northern attack.
The British military said one of its soldiers was killed when his vehicle was hit by an explosion in the southern Helmand Province on Saturday. NATO reported one of its soldiers was killed in a roadside bombing, but it was unclear if the two attacks were related.
Attacks in Afghanistan are up 30 percent from 2007, military officials say. More than 5,400 people — most of them militants — have died in insurgency-related violence this year, according to a tally of official figures provided to the AP.
Iraqi Cabinet approves security pact with US
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year, the government said.The decision followed months of difficult negotiations and, pending parliamentary approval, will remove a major point of contention between the two allies.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said all but one of the 28 Cabinet ministers present in Sunday's meeting, in addition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, voted in favor of the pact by a show of hands.
The Cabinet has 37 members and it was not immediately clear why some ministers stayed away. Several of them were believed to be traveling abroad.
"This is an important and positive step," U.S. Embassy spokesman Adam Ereli said.
Al-Dabbagh said the agreement will be submitted to parliament later Sunday, but did not say when the 275-member legislature will vote on the document.
Parliament is scheduled to go into recess at the end of the month or in early December because of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, when scores of lawmakers travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage.
"I'm optimistic that this agreement will be passed through the Council of Representatives (parliament)," al-Dabbagh told Associated Press Television News. But he added: "You cannot guarantee 100 percent approval of anything."
The Cabinet vote was certain to anger neighboring Iran, which is bitterly opposed to the pact on grounds that it enshrines the U.S. military presence in Iraq, and threatens its security and regional influence.
Shiite Iran maintains close relations with many of Iraq's Shiite parties, whose ministers voted in favor of the pact Sunday in what may be a signal that they are willing to balance their ties with the Americans and their longtime supporters in Tehran.
The Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni parties making up al-Maliki's government dominate parliament, and their lawmakers are expected to follow the example of their ministers.
Followers of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr protested Sunday's vote.
"This agreement hands Iraq over (to the United States) on a golden platter and for an indefinite period," said Ahmed al-Massoudi, spokesman for the 30-seat Sadrist bloc in parliament.
Al-Sadr, whose militiamen fought U.S. forces in three uprisings since 2003, has threatened to resume attacks on U.S. forces if they don't immediately begin to withdraw from Iraq.
The Cabinet vote came a day after the country's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, indicated that he would not object to the pact if it is passed by a comfortable majority in parliament. That cleared a major hurdle to the agreement.
The final draft of the agreement, reached after months of negotiations, is designed to meet Iraqi concerns over its sovereignty and its security needs as it continues to grapple with a diminished but persistent insurgency.
It provides for the departure of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and gives Iraq the right to try U.S. soldiers and defense contractors in the case of serious crimes committed off-duty and off-base. It also prohibits the U.S. from using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors, like Syria and Iran.
"The government wanted to make sure that the draft of the agreement safeguards the interests of Iraq and its people, with clear and complete timetables," al-Dabbagh said after the Cabinet's session. "It is not the ideal solution for the Iraqi side or the American side, but conditions on the ground dictated it."
Proponents of the security pact with the Americans, including al-Maliki's interior and defense ministers, say a continued U.S. military presence is needed until Iraq's nascent security forces are capable of taking charge of security in the war-devastated nation.
Sunday's Cabinet session began shortly after a roadside bomb killed three people and wounded seven in a northern Baghdad district, the latest evidence that violence continues to plague Iraq despite the dramatic improvement in security over the past year.
The roadside bomb hit a checkpoint belonging to U.S.-backed fighters in the Sunni enclave of Basatin in the predominantly Shiite Shaab district, according to police and hospital officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
Two of the those killed were members of the local Awakening Council, or Sahwa, one of several names used to refer to the Sunni insurgents and tribesmen who have revolted against al-Qaida in Iraq, joining the U.S. military in the fight against the terror group.
Five of the injured were also Sahwa members.
Sahwa fighters have been frequently targeted by al-Qaida militants since they changed sides in late 2006, with scores of their leaders assassinated and their checkpoints and headquarters bombed.
Unhappy People Watch Lots More TV
Unhappy people glue themselves to the television 30 percent more than happy people.
The finding, announced on Thursday, comes from a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted between 1975 and 2006 as part of the General Social Survey.
While happy people reported watching an average of 19 hours of television per week, unhappy people reported 25 hours a week. The results held even after taking into account education, income, age and marital status.
In addition, happy individuals were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read a newspaper more often than their less-chipper counterparts.
The researchers are not sure, though, whether unhappiness leads to more television-watching or more viewing leads to unhappiness.
In fact, people say they like watching television: Past research has shown that when people watch television they enjoy it. In these studies, participants reported that on a scale from 0 (dislike) to 10 (greatly enjoy), TV-watching was nearly an 8.
But perhaps the high from watching television doesn't last.
"These conflicting data suggest that TV may provide viewers with short-run pleasure, but at the expense of long-term malaise," said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In this scenario, even the happiest campers could turn into Debbie-downers if they continue to stare at the boob-tube. The researchers suggest that over time, television-viewing could push out other activities that do have more lasting benefits. Exercise and sex come to mind, as do parties and other forms of socialization known to have psychological benefits.
Or, maybe television is simply a refuge for people who are already unhappy.
"TV is not judgmental nor difficult, so people with few social skills or resources for other activities can engage in it," Robinson and UM colleague Steven Martin write in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.
They add, "Furthermore, chronic unhappiness can be socially and personally debilitating and can interfere with work and most social and personal activities, but even the unhappiest people can click a remote and be passively entertained by a TV."
The researchers say follow-up studies are needed to tease out the relationship between television and happiness.
The finding, announced on Thursday, comes from a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted between 1975 and 2006 as part of the General Social Survey.
While happy people reported watching an average of 19 hours of television per week, unhappy people reported 25 hours a week. The results held even after taking into account education, income, age and marital status.
In addition, happy individuals were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read a newspaper more often than their less-chipper counterparts.
The researchers are not sure, though, whether unhappiness leads to more television-watching or more viewing leads to unhappiness.
In fact, people say they like watching television: Past research has shown that when people watch television they enjoy it. In these studies, participants reported that on a scale from 0 (dislike) to 10 (greatly enjoy), TV-watching was nearly an 8.
But perhaps the high from watching television doesn't last.
"These conflicting data suggest that TV may provide viewers with short-run pleasure, but at the expense of long-term malaise," said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In this scenario, even the happiest campers could turn into Debbie-downers if they continue to stare at the boob-tube. The researchers suggest that over time, television-viewing could push out other activities that do have more lasting benefits. Exercise and sex come to mind, as do parties and other forms of socialization known to have psychological benefits.
Or, maybe television is simply a refuge for people who are already unhappy.
"TV is not judgmental nor difficult, so people with few social skills or resources for other activities can engage in it," Robinson and UM colleague Steven Martin write in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.
They add, "Furthermore, chronic unhappiness can be socially and personally debilitating and can interfere with work and most social and personal activities, but even the unhappiest people can click a remote and be passively entertained by a TV."
The researchers say follow-up studies are needed to tease out the relationship between television and happiness.
World leaders at economic summit vow to cooperate
WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush underscored how dire the economic crisis has become when he told world leaders that he had agreed to a $700 billion rescue plan for financial institutions only after he'd learned the U.S. was at risk of sinking into a "depression greater than the Great Depression."
Leaders from 21 nations and four international organizations gathered in Washington for an emergency summit aimed at combating an economic meltdown that started in U.S. credit markets and rapidly spread around the globe.
Summit participants vowed Saturday to cooperate more closely, keep a sharper eye out for red-flag problems and give bigger roles to fast-rising nations. But they avoided many of the hardest details, leaving them to be worked out before their next summit, after Bush is gone and President-elect Barack Obama is in the White House.
At the conclusion of talks that took place over two days, they released a joint communique that was modest in scope but high in hopes.
Perhaps as important as the modest concrete steps they took, the leaders of the planet's richest nations — and some of the fastest-developing — made clear their recognition of the world's increasingly interconnected financial architecture and the responsibilities that go along with it.
"There shall be no blind spots," German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared. "There is here a great common will to ensure that such a crisis is not repeated."
Covering eight pages and 47 action items, the document's overarching focus is to establish a series of new safeguards for the fragile and opaque global financial system. Nearly all the efforts are aimed in some way at better flagging risky investment patterns and regulatory weak spots before they bring down companies and then ripple through entire economies, as has happened in recent months.
The leaders also discussed the shorter-term problem of how to bring their nations' economies back from the brink. Some had pushed ahead of time for a pledge of coordinated new government stimulus spending by each nation.
But with Bush cool to such action in the U.S., the communique only endorsed taking such action "as appropriate."
The talks were remarkable for drawing together a vast number and array of nations and bringing them to agreement on a set of actions, however limited, in less than a month's time. Leaders from major powers including Britain, Germany, France and Japan were there, alongside rulers from developing countries such as China, India, Brazil and South Korea as well as from the oil-rich Gulf state of Saudi Arabia. The summit was announced on Oct. 22, and the urgency of the downward-spiraling global economic situation led to much faster action than is typical.
A handful of the hundreds of protesters that flocked to the U.S. capital city succinctly summed up skepticism about their benefit to the families around the world who are increasingly worried about mortgages, retirement savings and jobs. "Money for people's needs, not bankers' greed," said their bright yellow signs.
Ancient Celtic coin cache found in Netherlands
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – A hobbyist with a metal detector struck both gold and silver when he uncovered an important cache of ancient Celtic coins in a cornfield in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht."It's exciting, like a little boy's dream," Paul Curfs, 47, said Thursday after the spectacular find was made public.
Archaeologists say the trove of 39 gold and 70 silver coins was minted in the middle of the first century B.C. as the future Roman ruler Julius Caesar led a campaign against Celtic tribes in the area.
Curfs said he was walking with his detector this spring and was about to go home when he suddenly got a strong signal on his earphones and uncovered the first coin.
"It was golden and had a little horse on it — I had no idea what I had found," he said.
After posting a photo of the coin on a Web forum, he was told it was a rare find. The following day he went back and found another coin.
"It looked totally different — silver, and saucer-shaped," he said. Curfs notified the city of his find, and he and several other hobbyists helped in locating the rest of the coins, in cooperation with archaeologists.
Nico Roymans, the archaeologist who led the academic investigation of the find, believes the gold coins in the cache were minted by a tribe called the Eburones that Caesar claimed to have wiped out in 53 B.C. after they conspired with other groups in an attack that killed 6,000 Roman soldiers.
The Eburones "put up strong resistance to Caesar's journeys of conquest," Roymans said.
The silver coins were made by tribes further to the north — possible evidence of cooperation against Caesar, he said.
Both coin types have triple spirals on the front, a common Celtic symbol.
The two other known caches of Eburones coins have been found in neighboring Belgium and Germany.
Maastricht city spokeswoman Carla Wetzels said the value of the coins is not known — their worth is primarily historical. The Belgian cache of similar size was estimated at around 175,000 euros ($220,000).
The farmer who owned the land agreed to sell his interest to the city for an undisclosed sum.
Curfs, a teacher at a nearby junior college, continues to own the 11 coins he found, but has lent them to the City of Maastricht on a long-term basis. The coins will go on display at the Centre Ceramique museum in Maastricht this weekend.
Curfs said he considers his metal detector habit a meditative hobby and not an obsession.
"I have advice for anybody hoping to get rich like this," Curfs said. "Forget it."
easyJet founder hikes stake in airline, seeks maiden dividend
LONDON (AFP) – Stelios Haji-Ioannou has significantly raised his stake in easyJet, the low-cost British airline he founded 13 years ago, to pressure the board into paying a maiden dividend despite an economic slowdown, a statement said Friday.Stelios has hiked his stake to 27 percent from 16 percent after purchasing shares owned by his sister. The increase was seen as an attempt by Stelios to push through a fundamental change in the way the company operates, putting him at odds with the board.
The easyJet founder wants the company to start paying dividends to shareholders for the first time in its history as the airline scales back growth plans as Britain heads for recession.
The stake increase meanwhile permits Stelios and easyGroup, the parent company of easyJet, to appoint two nominees to be non-executive directors on the company's board.
In the event the directors are not appointed, Stelios reserves the right to appoint himself as chairman.
EasyJet added in its statement: "There has been an ongoing discussion at the board over the strategic direction of the company in relation, amongst other things, to the future expansion of the company's fleet against the backdrop of the current macro-economic climate.
"The board has sought to adopt a cautious approach to fleet growth given the direction of economic indicators in its core market and has taken steps to conserve cash, reduce growth plans and dispose of surplus aircraft.
"Despite the board's already cautious approach, Sir Stelios has indicated that he wishes the company further to restrict future aircraft orders, to make future dividend payments in conjunction with a cessation or slowing of growth," the statement added.
Current easyJet chairman Colin Chandler said he expected a "continuing dialogue" with Stelios to resolve the "strategic debate" over the company.
Earlier on Friday, Virgin Atlantic, the British airline owned by tycoon Richard Branson, said it was in talks with easyJet about forming a consortium that would bid for London's second biggest airport, Gatwick.
The Times newspaper had reported on Friday that the pair were in talks with financial backers about forming a bidding team.
Analysts have estimated that the sale of Gatwick could fetch up to three billion pounds (3.48 billion euros, 4.42 billion dollars).
Britain's Spanish-owned airport operator BAA announced in September plans to sell London's Gatwick hub after regulators called for the offloading of two of its airports on competition grounds.
Dexia posts 1.54 billion euro loss
PARIS (AFP) – Bailed out Franco-Belgian bank Dexia said on Friday it suffered a third-quarter loss of 1.54 billion euros (1.96 billion dollars) owing to the financial crisis.But it warned of a coming charge of about 1.5 billion euros from the sale of its FSA credit insurance unit, while noting with relief that the divestment had removed gross risk exposure totalling 500 billion dollars.
Dexia said losses directly linked to the crisis totalled 2.19 billion euros while revenue in the three months to September came to only 315 million euros.
It blamed some 482 million euros of losses on the collapse of US investment banking giant Lehman Brothers in September and said it aimed to reduce costs by 15 percent over the next three years in a restructuring programme.
But chief executive Pierre Mariani told a press conference that the sale of the bank's bond insurance subsidiary FSA to US credit insurer Assured Guaranty, concluded on Friday, would show a capital loss of about 1.5 billion euros.
This would feature in the results for the fourth quarter.
"We have just removed a big shadow over the bank," he said. "Now we have got away from American risks in what I consider to be satisfactory conditions."
He said that FSA had represented "more than 500 billion dollars of (risk) exposure," before the sale.
The bank specified that the sale of FSA did not involve financial product activities covering all of its most risky financial instruments, now covered by French and Belgian state guarantees which extended to a portfolio of risks totalling 16.5 billion dollars.
Before the sale of FSA, the French state had extended guarantees of 55 billion euros and Belgium of about 90 billion euros.
Dexia is selling FSA for 722 million dollars, of which 361 million dollars is in cash and the rest in shares in Assured Guaranty.
Dexia will end up owning 24.7 percent of Assured Guaranty which is one of the credit risk insurers which has weathered the crisis in this sector relatively well.
Dexia, without specifying if there would be job losses, said it had already identified cost savings of 300 million euros and saw significantly more in 2009.
For the fourth quarter, Dexia warned that its results would suffer again but insisted that its capital base was solid.
Dexia has struggled badly in the financial crisis, especially since the Lehman Brothers' collapse, and had to be bailed out by the French, Belgian and Luxembourg governments to the tune of 6.4 billion euros.
Dunwoody becomes first female four-star general
WASHINGTON – The career of Ann E. Dunwoody ascended Friday from humble beginnings 33 years ago at Fort Sill, Okla., to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody added a fourth star and, looking back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army that she was given a chance to rise through the ranks in a male-dominated military.
"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family."
"It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'
"There is no one more surprised than I — except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"
Later, at Fort Belvoir, Va. — her birthplace — Dunwoody was being sworn in as commander of the Army Materiel Command, responsible for equipping, outfitting and arming all soldiers. Just five months ago, she became the first female deputy commander there.
Dunwoody, 55, has made it clear that she feels no need for special acclaim for her historic achievement.
"The recognition makes her a little bit uncomfortable from the standpoint of the gender aspect — that we're making a big deal (that) she is the first female general officer," Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday in announcing that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would attend her promotion ceremony.
When she was nominated by President George W. Bush in June for promotion to four-star rank, Dunwoody issued a statement saying she was humbled.
"I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were," she said. "This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career — that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform."
She also told an internal Army publication, "While I may be the first, I know I won't be the last."
Her nomination was confirmed by the Senate in July.
There are 21 female general officers in the Army — all but four at the one-star rank of brigadier. It was not until 1970 that the Army had its first one-star: Anna Mae Hays, chief of the Army Nurse Corps.
Women now make up about 14 percent of the active-duty Army and are allowed to serve in a wide variety of assignments. They are still excluded from units designed primarily to engage in direct combat, such as infantry and tank units, but their opportunities have expanded over the past two decades.
Dunwoody received her Army commission after graduating from the State University of New York in 1975.
Her first assignment was to Fort Sill, as supply platoon leader in June 1976, and she remained at Sill in various positions until she was sent to quartermaster officer school at Fort Lee, Va., in July 1980.
She later served in Germany and Saudi Arabia.
After graduating from the Command and General Staff College in 1987, she was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., where she became the 82nd Airborne Division's first female battalion commander.
She has numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal and Defense Superior Service Medal.
Consumers cut back sharply on spending
WASHINGTON – Consumers, taking a beating from the worst financial crisis in seven decades, cut back sharply on their spending in October, pushing retail sales down by a record amount.As President George W. Bush and other world leaders gathered for a weekend summit to search for ways out of the mess, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday pledged to cooperate with other central banks to deal with financial markets he said remain under "severe strain."
"The continuing volatility of markets and recent indicators of economic performance confirm that challenges remain," Bernanke said in remarks to a central banking conference in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Commerce Department reported Friday that retail sales fell by 2.8 percent last month, the biggest drop on record, surpassing the old mark of a 2.65 percent plunge in November 2001 that occurred after the terrorist attacks.
The October sales decline was led by a huge fall in auto purchases, but sales of all types of products suffered as consumers, worried about their jobs and the market turbulence, cut back sharply on spending.
The dismal report on retail sales was worse than the 2 percent decline that analysts expected. It marked the fourth straight decrease, the longest stretch of weakness on record.
Retailers are braced for what could be the worst holiday shopping season in decades with economists forecasting a recession that could turn out to be the steepest since the 1981-82 downturn.
A survey of the nation's big chain retail stores found that retailers suffered through the weakest October in at least 39 years even though they tried to gin up more sales by a frenzied round of price cutting.
Elsewhere Friday, three mayors pressed the federal government to use a portion of the $700 billion financial bailout plan to help large U.S. cities with pension costs, infrastructure investment and cash-flow problems stemming from the global financial crisis.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter traveled to Washington to deliver a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The letter is signed by Nutter, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. A day earlier, the nation's governors promoted a federal spending plan that could total $126 billion in added dollars for Medicaid, highway construction and job training.
Amid the dismal economic news, Bush is hosting a leaders' summit of the Group of 20, which includes not only the world's wealthiest nations but also major developing countries such as Russia, China, Brazil and India. The G-20 leaders are meeting in Washington for two days of talks that will wrap up Saturday.
Bush on Thursday defended his administration's response to the financial crisis, which has included massive amounts of government assistance to banks and outright government takeovers of the country's biggest mortgage finance companies.
"I'm a market-oriented guy, but not when I'm faced with the prospect of a global meltdown," Bush said in a speech in New York.
He put forward a list of modest reform proposals including making accounting rules more transparent but stopped well short of the global market regulator being sought by some European nations.
Paulson said he expected the meeting would address some important issues raised by the crisis, such as how credit-rating agencies failed to properly assess risks and how to develop better ways to monitor complex financial instruments known as derivatives, including credit default swaps.
Paulson said it would be wrong if other nations engage in a finger-pointing game that would lay blame for the current troubles on lax regulation in the United States. He said there were problems in a number of countries not just the United States.
Paulson on Wednesday announced that the administration was abandoning what had once been the centerpiece of the $700 billion rescue program — the purchase of troubled assets held by banks. Instead, the program will focus $250 billion in purchase of bank stock, with Paulson arguing that this was a quicker way to get money into the banking system to encourage banks to resume more normal lending.
Paulson said the administration was examining new uses of the bailout money that would try to relieve pressures that have developed in the financial market that supports consumer loans such as credit card debt, auto loans and student loans. These loans are packaged together as securities and sold to investors, but after the huge losses for mortgage-backed securities, investors have grown leery of buying other types of consumer debt.
In a series of interviews on Thursday, Paulson provided new details of how the new program might work. He said that Treasury was exploring a joint program with the Federal Reserve that would seek to make financing of these types of loans more available. The new lending facility might buy securities backed by credit cards, auto loans or student loans in an effort to get this market back to more normal operations.
Paulson said that while the $700 billion rescue program is continuing to undergo modifications, it is proving to be a successful at its overall objective of stabilizing the financial system.
"I believe the banking system has been stabilized," he said in an interview on National Public Radio. "No one is asking themselves anymore is there some institution that might fail and that we would not be able to do anything about it."
In addition to news that jobless claims jumped sharply last week, the Treasury Department reported that the budget deficit for October soared to a record $237.2 billion, putting it on track to reach the once-unfathomable sum of $1 trillion for the year.
The flood of red ink was blamed on the initial costs of the bailout effort which spent $115 billion buying stock in the country's largest banks.
"And as bad as these numbers are, they may look good a year from now because things are going to get much worse," said Sung Won Sohn, an economist at the Smith School of Business at California State University, Channel Islands.
He predicted that the recession would drive unemployment higher, cutting into government tax revenue, and boosting payments for such programs as unemployment benefits and food stamps.
Big Three carmakers line up for another bailout
WASHINGTON – All aboard, there may be another bailout train leaving the station on Capitol Hill. Talk of a $25 billion emergency loan package for the Big Three carmakers that could see a vote in a postelection session of Congress next week has a wave of business lobbyists clamoring for action — and a slice of the pie.They're dusting off their call lists and preparing for a furious round of vote-hunting that comes little more than a month after lawmakers approved the $700 billion bailout designed for banks and other financial firms.
Now with the three major U.S. car companies warning they could face a collapse before year's end without new government help, Democratic congressional leaders are pushing to carve out a portion of the financial rescue money for them.
It's far from certain the package will become law — or even see a vote. Republicans and President George W. Bush are reluctant to send new money to the carmakers, saying they should instead speed distribution of a $25 billion loan package Congress approved in September to help automakers develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., plans a vote next week on the package, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a leading proponent of additional action to help the Detroit auto companies, has yet to schedule one, as leaders continue to hunt for the support to pass it.
Senate Republicans hold the key. Supporters of the auto industry bailout are hopeful they can snag 12 to 15 of them to join with Democrats in pushing through the carmaker bailout. They're targeting lawmakers who represent states with auto plants and auto suppliers.
That's where the business groups come in.
General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler LLC, along with the United Auto Workers union, have clamored for the aid for weeks.
But strategists in both parties say it's pressure from the thousands of dealerships across the country — in every state and congressional district — that is most likely to sway lawmakers in both parties. Auto dealers have hefty political clout that could bring crucial support for the package.
They'd like just a little something in return.
The National Automobile Dealers Association is urging that their sector get a slice of any additional help for car manufacturers.
"That legislation needs to operate to ensure the presence and the viability of the dealer network. The two go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other," said Andy Koblenz, an association executive.
The group also wants Congress to approve new tax breaks for buying cars and trucks. Once the final auto bailout bill emerges, the group is ready to unleash a barrage of anxious car dealers to pressure lawmakers to back it.
"We've put them on a high state of readiness," Koblenz said. "We're expecting to activate that network within the next few days."
Such requests will turn up the heat on Republicans and Democrats alike. Many lawmakers who initially opposed the $700 billion financial industry rescue package last month reversed course and backed it after hearing from local businesses in their area, particularly the car dealers.
Bruce Josten, top lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the group is using its considerable muscle to round up support for automaker aid.
"They're in a tailspin — it is like the perfect storm," Josten said of the auto firms. Dealers' involvement in the lobbying effort can bring "a lot of heat" on lawmakers, he added. And because the Big Three are the largest purchasers of domestic steel, aluminum, glass and computer chips, among other things, their woes will likely be felt by all 535 members of Congress.
"It's a very long tail," Josten said.
The companies that supply the materials that go into cars, which employ about 800,000 workers in the United States, say they should get a piece of any new emergency loan package from the government.
The auto supply industry has a large manufacturing presence in states such as Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.
"We are all connected by some very thin threads and if any piece of the chain from the manufacturers to the small suppliers fails, the whole thing could fail," said Ann Wilson of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association.
Their argument already seems to be working.
Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who co-chairs the Senate Auto Caucus, said through a spokesman Thursday that he would support using bailout money to assist the companies because "helping the automakers remain viable is truly putting Main Street over Wall Street."
And Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., also says he's open to the idea.
"While I have real concerns with another taxpayer-funded bailout, there are also thousands of workers in Missouri whose jobs are on the line so the devil will be in the details," Bond said in a statement
Russian Orthodox church stolen, brick by brick
MOSCOW: Wanted, One missing Russian church. Last seen in July. Reward for its return.
Orthodox officials in a central Russian region say an abandoned church building that was to be put back into use has been stolen by local villagers.
Orthodox priest Vitaly of the Ivanovo-Voskresenskaya diocese says officials last saw the two-story Church of Resurrection intact in late July. Sometime in early October, however, people from the nearby village of Komarovo, northeast of Moscow, dismantled the building, he said.
Villagers apparently sold it to a local businessman, one ruble (about 4 cents) per brick, Vitaly said. Orthodox priests use only one name.
"Of course, this is blasphemy," he told.
"These people have to realise they committed a grave sin." Vitaly said police were investigating the theft. The 200-year-old building, which no longer had its icons and other religious valuables, was a school for disabled children during the Soviet era before it was closed down in 1998 and turned over to the church.
Vitaly said the diocese was thinking of reopening it for services.
The Orthodox church has experienced a major resurgence in Russia and has restored or built thousands of churches.
In poorer, rural regions, vandals or petty thieves regularly steal gilded icons or donations from churches and sell them for alcohol or drugs.
Orthodox officials in a central Russian region say an abandoned church building that was to be put back into use has been stolen by local villagers.
Orthodox priest Vitaly of the Ivanovo-Voskresenskaya diocese says officials last saw the two-story Church of Resurrection intact in late July. Sometime in early October, however, people from the nearby village of Komarovo, northeast of Moscow, dismantled the building, he said.
Villagers apparently sold it to a local businessman, one ruble (about 4 cents) per brick, Vitaly said. Orthodox priests use only one name.
"Of course, this is blasphemy," he told.
"These people have to realise they committed a grave sin." Vitaly said police were investigating the theft. The 200-year-old building, which no longer had its icons and other religious valuables, was a school for disabled children during the Soviet era before it was closed down in 1998 and turned over to the church.
Vitaly said the diocese was thinking of reopening it for services.
The Orthodox church has experienced a major resurgence in Russia and has restored or built thousands of churches.
In poorer, rural regions, vandals or petty thieves regularly steal gilded icons or donations from churches and sell them for alcohol or drugs.
Tricolour has a date with moon tonight
MUMBAI: If things go as planned, the Indian tricolour will mark its presence on the moon tonight (around 8.30pm IST) after having flown 3,86,000km
from the earth. The timing of this proud moment has been specially designed to coincide with Children's Day.
The United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency comprising 17 countries already have their flags on the moon.
The Indian tricolour is painted on all sides of the 29-kg Moon Impact Probe which is attached to the main orbiting spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, which was launched on October 22.
The inclusion of the MIP as part of the Chandrayaan mission came at the suggestion of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, a former rocket scientist, during the International Lunar Exploration Working Group conference held at Udaipur in November 2004.
The Indian tricolour has been hoisted on Mount Everest and Antarctica. And now it will be on the moon though it will not be hoisted.
The flight of the MIP on Friday is expected to be a forerunner to the second Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, which will carry a Russian rover and alander slated for lift-off between 2010 and 2012. The crash landing of MIP will help in assessing future soft-landing technologies.
Chandrayaan project director Mylaswamy Annadurai explained to TOI on Friday that at about 8 pm on Friday, a command will be flashed to the MIP from Isro's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) at Bangalore for it to detach from the orbiter. "The MIP will separate and with its three instruments, zoom towards the lunar south pole at a velocity of 1.5km per second," he said.
"At Istrac's mission control room, we will immediately come to know that the MIP has separated from the orbiter. The MIP's flight path will first take it over the Malapert crater for about nine seconds and then crashland near the Shackleton Crater about 25 minutes after its detachment from the orbiter. Malapert Crater is not far from the Shackleton crater," he added.
Annadurai said that after this, the orbiter will fly in the opposite side and thus data will not be immediately available. "The downloading of data from the MIP to the orbiting Chandrayaan and then to the ground station will start once the spacecraft comes over the north pole of the moon. It will take a couple of hours for the data from the MIP to be downloaded and processed," Annadurai said.
He said that once the MIP crashlands on the moon, its own survivability and that of the three instruments will be in question. The probe uses solid propellants. "India's physical presence on the moon with the tricolour will be assured," he said.
from the earth. The timing of this proud moment has been specially designed to coincide with Children's Day.
The United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency comprising 17 countries already have their flags on the moon.
The Indian tricolour is painted on all sides of the 29-kg Moon Impact Probe which is attached to the main orbiting spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, which was launched on October 22.
The inclusion of the MIP as part of the Chandrayaan mission came at the suggestion of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, a former rocket scientist, during the International Lunar Exploration Working Group conference held at Udaipur in November 2004.
The Indian tricolour has been hoisted on Mount Everest and Antarctica. And now it will be on the moon though it will not be hoisted.
The flight of the MIP on Friday is expected to be a forerunner to the second Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, which will carry a Russian rover and alander slated for lift-off between 2010 and 2012. The crash landing of MIP will help in assessing future soft-landing technologies.
Chandrayaan project director Mylaswamy Annadurai explained to TOI on Friday that at about 8 pm on Friday, a command will be flashed to the MIP from Isro's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) at Bangalore for it to detach from the orbiter. "The MIP will separate and with its three instruments, zoom towards the lunar south pole at a velocity of 1.5km per second," he said.
"At Istrac's mission control room, we will immediately come to know that the MIP has separated from the orbiter. The MIP's flight path will first take it over the Malapert crater for about nine seconds and then crashland near the Shackleton Crater about 25 minutes after its detachment from the orbiter. Malapert Crater is not far from the Shackleton crater," he added.
Annadurai said that after this, the orbiter will fly in the opposite side and thus data will not be immediately available. "The downloading of data from the MIP to the orbiting Chandrayaan and then to the ground station will start once the spacecraft comes over the north pole of the moon. It will take a couple of hours for the data from the MIP to be downloaded and processed," Annadurai said.
He said that once the MIP crashlands on the moon, its own survivability and that of the three instruments will be in question. The probe uses solid propellants. "India's physical presence on the moon with the tricolour will be assured," he said.
China plans second moon probe
BEIJING: China on Wednesday claimed to have published the "most detailed" image of the moon's surface as it announced plans to launch a second lunar
probe as well as a moon landing and rover mission by 2012.
The high definition pictures covered the complete range of areas on the moon surface, officials from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said.
Scientists created the map with the image data captured by the satellite-borne camera on the Chang'e-1, China's first lunar probe, administration vice director Sun Laiyan said.
"It is the most complete image of the moon surface, and also the richest in detail, among similar pictures published so far," experts with the country's moon probe programme said.
The lunar probe was originally designed to cover the moon surface within 70 degrees south and north latitudes. However, the camera was in a good condition to get high-definition image data of the south and north poles of the moon as well.
"Chang'e-1 has completed its one-year operation and scientific exploration, and this marked the successful completion of the country's first-phase moon mission," Xinhua news agency quoted administration director Chen Qiufa as saying.
Chen also said China planned to launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, before the end of 2011.
The launch of Chang'e-1 in October last year was the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, and a moon landing and the launch of a moon rover at around 2012 was planned for the second stage.
In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.
"Chang'e" is named after a Chinese moon goddess.
probe as well as a moon landing and rover mission by 2012.
The high definition pictures covered the complete range of areas on the moon surface, officials from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said.
Scientists created the map with the image data captured by the satellite-borne camera on the Chang'e-1, China's first lunar probe, administration vice director Sun Laiyan said.
"It is the most complete image of the moon surface, and also the richest in detail, among similar pictures published so far," experts with the country's moon probe programme said.
The lunar probe was originally designed to cover the moon surface within 70 degrees south and north latitudes. However, the camera was in a good condition to get high-definition image data of the south and north poles of the moon as well.
"Chang'e-1 has completed its one-year operation and scientific exploration, and this marked the successful completion of the country's first-phase moon mission," Xinhua news agency quoted administration director Chen Qiufa as saying.
Chen also said China planned to launch its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, before the end of 2011.
The launch of Chang'e-1 in October last year was the first step of China's three-stage moon mission, and a moon landing and the launch of a moon rover at around 2012 was planned for the second stage.
In the third phase, another rover will land on the moon and return to earth with lunar soil and stone samples for scientific research at around 2017.
"Chang'e" is named after a Chinese moon goddess.
China wants India to block Dalai Lama's Dharamshala meet
BEIJING: China on Thursday made a direct request to India for blocking the proposed six-day meeting organised by the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala from
November 17 to discuss the future of Tibet.
"The Indian government has made solemn commitment about not allowing any anti-China activities on its soil. We hope that the commitment will be implemented," Qin Gang, the foreign ministry spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday.
Anyone who participates in the meeting being organised by the Dalai Lama will not be liked by the Chinese people, he said. The Chinese government is against anyone trying to split the nation or raise such an issue in the international arena, he said.
The statement is aimed to put pressure on the Indian government, which may find it difficult to block the meeting in view of the vast support enjoyed by the Dalai Lama the world over.
India had earlier accepted China's request to check pro-Tibet protestors demonstrating against the Olympic Games torch relay and trying to march to Tibet from Dharamshala in July and August. Chinese leaders had eagerly praised India's efforts in this direction. They want New Delhi to act directly against the Dalai Lama this time, which is obviously going to put New Delhi in a spot.
Diplomats on the two sides are engaged in tough negotiations that may involve a trade-off if New Delhi agreed to take measures to stop the Dalai Lama from holding the meeting. But any sort of agreement has been made difficult because of the Arunachal Pradesh issue.
The Chinese foreign ministry recently challenged external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee's claim that Arunachal is an integral part of India. Qin said on Tuesday that Mukherjee's statement was contrary to historical facts as China does not accept the MacMohan Line and the border between the two nations has not yet been demarcated.
The Dalai Lama invoked article 59 of the Tibetan Charter that empowers him to call a 'Special Meeting' to discuss the future course of action as his envoys returned empty handed after secret meetings with Chinese government representatives. The past few weeks has seen the Tibetan leader complaining that he had "given up" on China and that his "faith in the Chinese government is thinning."
The "special meeting" to be held in Dharamshala will be attended by past and present members of the cabinet in his government-in-exile, past and present members of the Tibetan parliament in exile, representatives of non-government organisations and intellectuals interested in the Tibetan issue.
November 17 to discuss the future of Tibet.
"The Indian government has made solemn commitment about not allowing any anti-China activities on its soil. We hope that the commitment will be implemented," Qin Gang, the foreign ministry spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday.
Anyone who participates in the meeting being organised by the Dalai Lama will not be liked by the Chinese people, he said. The Chinese government is against anyone trying to split the nation or raise such an issue in the international arena, he said.
The statement is aimed to put pressure on the Indian government, which may find it difficult to block the meeting in view of the vast support enjoyed by the Dalai Lama the world over.
India had earlier accepted China's request to check pro-Tibet protestors demonstrating against the Olympic Games torch relay and trying to march to Tibet from Dharamshala in July and August. Chinese leaders had eagerly praised India's efforts in this direction. They want New Delhi to act directly against the Dalai Lama this time, which is obviously going to put New Delhi in a spot.
Diplomats on the two sides are engaged in tough negotiations that may involve a trade-off if New Delhi agreed to take measures to stop the Dalai Lama from holding the meeting. But any sort of agreement has been made difficult because of the Arunachal Pradesh issue.
The Chinese foreign ministry recently challenged external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee's claim that Arunachal is an integral part of India. Qin said on Tuesday that Mukherjee's statement was contrary to historical facts as China does not accept the MacMohan Line and the border between the two nations has not yet been demarcated.
The Dalai Lama invoked article 59 of the Tibetan Charter that empowers him to call a 'Special Meeting' to discuss the future course of action as his envoys returned empty handed after secret meetings with Chinese government representatives. The past few weeks has seen the Tibetan leader complaining that he had "given up" on China and that his "faith in the Chinese government is thinning."
The "special meeting" to be held in Dharamshala will be attended by past and present members of the cabinet in his government-in-exile, past and present members of the Tibetan parliament in exile, representatives of non-government organisations and intellectuals interested in the Tibetan issue.
Designer Anand Jon convicted of sexual assault in US
LOS ANGELES: An up-and-coming Indian-born fashion designer who has worked with A-list celebrities was convicted on Thursday of sexually assaulting Defendant fashion designer Anand Jon at his trial in Los Angeles. Jon was convicted on Thursday of sexual assault. (AP Photo)
seven girls and women, some of them aspiring models lured to Los Angeles with promises of jobs and stays at luxury hotels.
After nearly two weeks of deliberation, a jury found Anand Jon Alexander, once featured on "America's Next Top Model," guilty of 14 felonies, including forcible rape, and two misdemeanours. Authorities said his victims ranged in age from 14 to 21.
The 34-year-old designer faces a mandatory life sentence because the jury found he had committed multiple forceful acts against multiple victims. He must serve 67 years before he is eligible for parole, meaning he will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.
Several people in the courtroom gasped as the verdicts were read, but Alexander showed no emotion. The 34-year-old designer wore a light gray suit and yellow tie, his black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He nodded grimly toward supporters before he was led away by sheriff's deputies.
He is under indictment in New York on similar charges involving nine women and is under investigation by authorities in Texas and Massachusetts.
"The ones that we know of are probably the tip of the iceberg of what truly exists," prosecutor Frances Young said outside court after the verdicts were read.
Alexander's attorneys maintained he was innocent, saying that there was a lack of physical evidence and that the women lied in court and sought revenge. Defense attorney Larry Levine said he would appeal.
"This case is not over by a long shot," Levine told reporters outside court. "For now, we are disappointed."
Levine said several victims were not credible because they remained in contact with Alexander after the alleged assaults, calling him on many occasions on his cell phone. Prosecutors said it was Alexander who kept in contact with the victims.
He was convicted of forcible rape, multiple counts of committing a lewd act on a child, attempted forcible oral copulation, and attempted sexual assault.
He was found not guilty of four felonies, including sexual penetration by a foreign object, oral copulation of a person under 18, and unlawful sexual intercourse. Jurors could not reach a verdict on three counts, and Superior Court judge David Wesley declared a mistrial on those charges.
Outside the courtroom, several of Alexander's friends and relatives huddled together, some weeping openly. They declined to be interviewed.
Defence attorney Anthony Brooklier said jurors were swayed by the sheer number of charges and didn't judge each allegation on its merits.
"They were a bunch of weak cases. ... The cumulative effect was probably very prejudicial," Brooklier said.
The prosecutor, smiling broadly, said she was relieved by the verdicts and credited the victims with having the courage to come forward and testify.
"Mr. Alexander is a 34-year-old man who masquerades as a fashion designer," Young said. "Similar to the way paedophiles surround themselves with children, he chose a career where be could be surrounded by young, very naive, very impressionable girls ... and victimized them."
Sentencing is set for January. Before his arrest last year, Alexander was featured on "Top Model" and touted by Newsweek as a person to watch. His Web site lists dozens of celebrity A-listers as clients, including Paris Hilton, described as a fan of Alexander's hand-printed jeans, which sell for more than $700. He has also worked with singer Mary J Blige.
Beverly Hills police began investigating Alexander in March 2007 when a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted in his apartment.
Alexander graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York and launched a fashion line in 1999.
Blueprints for Auschwitz camp found in Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) – The original construction plans believed used for a major expansion of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz in 1941 have been found in a Berlin flat, Germany's Bild newspaper reported on Saturday.
The daily printed three architect's drawings on yellowing paper from the batch of 28 pages of blueprints it obtained. One has an 11.66 meter by 11.20 meter room marked "Gaskammer" (gas chamber) that was part of a "delousing facility."
No one from the federal government's archives was immediately available for comment on the authenticity or importance of the documents.
The plans, published ahead of the 70th anniversary of the "Kristallnacht" or the Nazi pogrom that was a harbinger of the Holocaust, also include a crematorium and a "L. Keller" -- an abbreviation for "Leichenkeller" or corpse cellar.
A drawing of the building for Auschwitz's main gate was also found in the documents that Bild said were believed to have been discovered when a Berlin flat was cleaned out.
The mass-circulation newspaper quoted Hans-Dieter Kreikamp, head of the federal archives office in Berlin, as saying the blueprints offered "authentic evidence of the systematically planned genocide of European Jews."
There were mass killings of about one million Jews before the Nazi's "Final Solution" was formulated in late 1941. The decision to kill Europe's 11 million Jews was made at the Wannsee Conference in January 1942.
A copy of the minutes, known as the "Wannsee Protocol," is one of the most important documents from the war.
The newly found Auschwitz blueprints are dated October 23 1941 and could offer historians earlier evidence of Nazi plans to kill Jews on a mass scale, Bild said.
"These documents reveal that everyone who had even anything remotely to do with the planning and construction of the concentration camp must have know that people were to be gassed to death in assembly-line fashion," Bild wrote.
"The documents refute once and for all claims by those who deny the Holocaust even took place," it added.
The concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland was the largest -- at least 1.1 million Jews were killed there.
Auschwitz I was set up in May 1940 in an old Polish army barracks. The first victims were gassed in September 1941. Auschwitz II, or Birkenau, opened in October 1941. Four large gas chambers were added to the camp in January 1942.
Pictured: The robot legs that will help people take the weight off their feet
People with tired and aching legs can look forward to a new robotic device that takes the weight off their knees.Honda has unveiled its latest wearable assisted walking gadget - which looks like a bicycle seat connected by mechanical frames to a pair of shoes.
The robotics giant envisions factory workers and the elderly will use the device, which is designed to support bodyweight, reduce stress on the knees and help people get up steps and stay in crouching positions.
The new design follows the presentation of the HAL - or 'hybrid assistive limb' - a battery-controlled, belted suit that helps people walk around.
Honda showed a video of its employees wearing the device as they bent to peer underneath vehicles on an assembly line.
Engineer Jun Ashihara said the machine is also useful for people flagging in long queues and running around to make deliveries.
'This should be as easy to use as a bicycle,' Ashihara said at Honda's Tokyo headquarters. 'It reduces stress, and you should feel less tired.'
To wear it, you put the seat between your legs, put on the shoes and push the on button, then just start walking around.
In a test-run for media, a reporter found it took some getting used to, but said it did support his moves.
It pushed up on his bottom when he squatted and pushed at his soles to help lift his legs when he walked.
The system has a computer, motor, gears, battery and sensors embedded in it so it responds to a person's movements, according to Honda Motor Co.
The pricing and launch date are still undecided.
Japan's No. 2 automaker will begin testing a prototype with its assembly line workers later this month for feedback.
The need for such mechanical help is expected to grow in Japan, which has one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world.
Other companies are also eyeing the potentially lucrative market of helping the weak and old get around.
Japan is among the world's leading nations in robotics technology, not only for industrial use but also for entertainment and companionship.
Earlier this year, Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. displayed a Segway-like ride it said was meant for old people.
Japanese robot company Cyberdyne has begun renting out in Japan the HAL - a belted device with mechanical leg braces that strap to the legs that reads brain signals to help people move about.
Honda has shown a similar but simpler belted device. It has motors on the left and right, which hook up to frames that strap at the thighs, helping the walker maintain a proper stride.
That device, being tested at one Japanese facility, helps rehabilitation programs for the disabled, encouraging them to take steps, said spokesperson Kiyoshi Aikawa.
Honda has been carrying out research into mobility for more than a decade, introducing the Asimo humanoid in 2000.
Accident on Russian submarine meant for India kills 20
India's already-delayed project to lease a nuclear-powered submarine for a 10-year period from Russia, under a secret deal signed in Russian nuclear submarineA grab from a Russian channel shows the nuclear submarine on which 20 people were killed in an accident. (AFP)
January 2004 for an initial $650 million, seems to have taken a further hit.
The new Russian Akula-II class attack submarine called ‘K-152 Nerpa', which met with an accident during sea trials in the Sea of Japan off Vladivostok on Saturday, killing at least 20 people and injuring another 21, is apparently the same vessel which was to be transferred to India in July-August 2009, sources said.
"But no official confirmation from Russia has reached here till now. Yes, Indian sailors have been training in Russia, in batches, for nuclear submarine operations but none of them were on board this one," said a source.
While reports held that Nerpa's nuclear reactor was not damaged and there was no radiation leakage during the accident, which occurred due to "unsanctioned activation" of fire-fighting systems, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
The Russian sailors and workers from Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard who died were apparently in the sections near the submarine's bow, where the fire-extinguishing systems malfunctioned, and were suffocated by fumes from Freon and other coolants.
The injured, with different degrees of poisoning, were evacuated to Russian Pacific Fleet hospital at Vladivostok for treatment, even as the 8,140-tonne Nerpa with 165 other personnel later limped its way back to its operating base in the Primorye region.
This is the worst submarine accident in Russia since the Kursk disaster of August 2000. All 118 sailors on board nuclear submarine Kursk had died a slow death after being stuck in the vessel, crippled after a torpedo exploded, at the bottom of the Barents Sea.
The sea trials of Nerpa, christened INS Chakra by India, had been launched only last month. Though its construction at Amur Shipyard had begun way back in 1991, it was halted midway after Russia was hit by a financial crisis.
It was only after India pumped in money that Nerpa's construction had resumed, with the understanding that India would get the submarine on a 10-year lease. Interestingly, in January 2004, India had also signed the $1.5billion package deal with Russia for refit of decommissioned aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and 16 MiG-29K fighters.
But with the package deal now being renegotiated, India might well have to pay another $2billion to get Gorshkov by 2012, with some indications that a part of huge cost escalation could be linked to Russia demanding more for Nerpa over the initial $650million.
The delivery schedule of the nuclear-powered submarine from Russia has already been revised a couple of times due to technical hitches. Now, after the accident, it looks that even the commissioning date set for August 15 next year might not be possible.
The acquisition of nuclear submarines is crucial for India to fulfill its long-standing quest to have a viable nuclear weapon triad -- the Russian nuclear submarine A grab from a Russian channel shows the nuclear submarine on which 20 people were killed in an accident.
capability to fire nukes from the air, land and sea.
Nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are, after all, considered the most lethal, survivable and effective platform for launching nuclear strikes, especially for a country like India which has a "no first-use" doctrine.
Incidentally, India had leased a `Charlie-I' class Russian nuclear submarine from 1988 to 1991 to give its Navy first-hand experience in nuclear submarine operations, deployment and maintenance.
That submarine, too, had been rechristened INS Chakra. The US then had strongly opposed any lease extension, and the expertise gained was steadily lost since India did not operate any other nuclear submarine thereafter.
The Navy will primarily use Nerpa, which will not come equipped with long-range strategic missiles due to international treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime, to train its personnel to handle the indigenous ATVs (advanced technology vessels).
The first of the three indigenous nuclear submarines being constructed under the hush-hush ATV programme at Visakhapatnam is also slated to begin sea-trials by early-2009.
Though India only has 16 conventional diesel-electric submarines at present, with six Scorpenes to be delivered between 2012 and 2017, the objective is to operate at least three SSBNs (nuclear submarines armed with long-range strategic missiles) by 2015.
They will constitute a crucial component of the "minimum credible deterrent" against China, which has 57 attack submarines, including a dozen of them nuclear ones, with new Shang-class (Type-093) nuclear-powered attack submarines on the way.
China, of course, is also developing the new submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missile JL-2, with a range of 8,000-km, to arm its Jin-class submarines, which even has the US worried.
Ousted Nepal king makes silver screen debut
While media reports depict Nepal’s deposed king Gyanendra as poised to release his own autobiography soon, on Sunday, the 61-year-old made his debut on the silver screen, courtesy Nepali filmmaker K P Pathak.
"Maina", Pathak’s poignant film based on a true story from the violent 10-year-old People’s War that saw over 14,000 people die by the hands of the security forces and the Maoist guerrillas, also casts the deposed monarch dextrously.
The eponymous film is about a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who was tortured to death in 2004 by the then Royal Nepalese Army headed by King Gyanendra because her mother had witnessed the rape and execution of two other young women.
Though the army denied having any hand in Maina’s disappearance, her mother Devi Sunuwar, aided by Nepal’s human rights organisations, began a gritty campaign for justice that moved the Supreme Court into ordering an investigation and then, asking police to arrest the four army personnel who were identified as responsible for her murder.
While most of the characters are played by theatre actors, Gyanendra plays himself as Pathak craftily weaves in two scenes taped from actual appearances by the former king.
In February 2005, a year after Maina’s disappearance, King Gyanendra gave a televised address to the nation to declare that he was taking over the government and imposing a state of emergency. As soon as the address ended, the army, who backed the coup, disconnected the entire telephone service in the kingdom and shut down Nepal’s only airport.
In the film, the human rights activist who plays a key role in tracking down Maina’s killers in the army, is shown as struck by the announcement made by the king as she watches TV in her office, fearing that the battle for justice would now become even more difficult with a dictatorial government giving greater powers to the army.
The royal announcement is rejected by the political parties and soon, there are protests nationwide that eventually force the royal regime to disband itself. Fourteen months after the royal coup, Indira, the activist in the film, once again switches on her television set to see the king announcing he is stepping down from power.
As "Maina" premiered Sunday, there was no immediate reaction from the former royals on the interpolation. But the army, once loyal only to the royal family, is bound to feel immediate pinpricks. The film mercilessly rakes up the brutal rape and murder of Maina’s cousin, 17-year-old Rina Rasaili, as well as the schoolgirl’s torture inside the barracks, burying the body and offering to pay money to her family to hush up the incident.
Pathak says he had several disquieting moments while making the film. "My entire family and all my friends were against the idea," he says. "Then I began receiving anonymous calls from ‘wellwishers’ who advised me not to pick a fight with the army. But I have no fight with the army, it’s only against a dictatorial state and a dictatorial security force."
"Maina", Pathak’s poignant film based on a true story from the violent 10-year-old People’s War that saw over 14,000 people die by the hands of the security forces and the Maoist guerrillas, also casts the deposed monarch dextrously.
The eponymous film is about a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who was tortured to death in 2004 by the then Royal Nepalese Army headed by King Gyanendra because her mother had witnessed the rape and execution of two other young women.
Though the army denied having any hand in Maina’s disappearance, her mother Devi Sunuwar, aided by Nepal’s human rights organisations, began a gritty campaign for justice that moved the Supreme Court into ordering an investigation and then, asking police to arrest the four army personnel who were identified as responsible for her murder.
While most of the characters are played by theatre actors, Gyanendra plays himself as Pathak craftily weaves in two scenes taped from actual appearances by the former king.
In February 2005, a year after Maina’s disappearance, King Gyanendra gave a televised address to the nation to declare that he was taking over the government and imposing a state of emergency. As soon as the address ended, the army, who backed the coup, disconnected the entire telephone service in the kingdom and shut down Nepal’s only airport.
In the film, the human rights activist who plays a key role in tracking down Maina’s killers in the army, is shown as struck by the announcement made by the king as she watches TV in her office, fearing that the battle for justice would now become even more difficult with a dictatorial government giving greater powers to the army.
The royal announcement is rejected by the political parties and soon, there are protests nationwide that eventually force the royal regime to disband itself. Fourteen months after the royal coup, Indira, the activist in the film, once again switches on her television set to see the king announcing he is stepping down from power.
As "Maina" premiered Sunday, there was no immediate reaction from the former royals on the interpolation. But the army, once loyal only to the royal family, is bound to feel immediate pinpricks. The film mercilessly rakes up the brutal rape and murder of Maina’s cousin, 17-year-old Rina Rasaili, as well as the schoolgirl’s torture inside the barracks, burying the body and offering to pay money to her family to hush up the incident.
Pathak says he had several disquieting moments while making the film. "My entire family and all my friends were against the idea," he says. "Then I began receiving anonymous calls from ‘wellwishers’ who advised me not to pick a fight with the army. But I have no fight with the army, it’s only against a dictatorial state and a dictatorial security force."
Real or not, Iranian missile fire must stop: US
The United States Thursday cast doubt on the strength of Iran's claims to have test-fired a whole barrage of missiles over two days, and urged Tehran to cease immediately all provocative acts.
Iran appeared to have fired only a single missile on Thursday, not a second round of missiles as Iranian media reported, and seven on Wednesday not nine as claimed, a senior defense official told AFP.
The United States had detected the launch of seven missiles on Wednesday, including a Shahab-3 missile said to be capable of striking Israel, the official said, asking to remain anonymous.
"There appears to have been one missile fired today, but that may well have been one that failed the day before, and they finally got operational and launched today," the official said.
Amid heightened tensions, the administration of President George W. Bush again renewed its commitment to resolving the standoff with Iran over its contested nuclear program peacefully.
But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Washington was ready to defend Israel and all its allies in the region and that it was stepping up deployments in the Gulf.
"We will defend American interests and the interests of our allies," Rice said, answering a question on an Iranian threat to "set fire" to Israel.
"We take very strongly our obligation to defend our allies and we intend to do that," she said at a news conference in Tbilisi.
The United States has been leading a push to impose a third round of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to end its uranium enrichment.
But White House spokesman Tony Fratto said: "What our goal is is to use diplomacy as best as possible to bring Iran to the table in a way that we can resolve this peacefully.
The missile "tests are in violation of, or the expansive use of ballistic missiles are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," he added.
"We want to see them stop enriching uranium and we'd like to see them stop these provocative tests that only further isolate the Iranian people," Fratto added.
The Shahab-3 is advertised as having a 2,000 kilometer range (1,250 miles), which would put Israel, Saudi Arabia, and US military installations throughout the Middle East within striking distance.
But there were mounting doubts Thursday about the veracity of the Iranian claims of how many missiles it had launched.
One defense analyst in London told AFP that Iran had apparently doctored photographs of the missile test-firings and exaggerated the capabilities of the weapons.
Photographs published on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards website showed four missiles taking off from a desert launchpad.
But one of the missiles had apparently been added to the photograph using elements from the smoke trail and dust clouds from two of the other missiles.
Mark Fitzpatrick of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said: "It very much does appear that Iran doctored the photo to cover up what apparently was a misfiring of one of the missiles.
"The whole purpose of this testing was to send a signal so Iran both exaggerated the capabilities of the missile in their prose and apparently doctored the photos as well."
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell also agreed that the Iranian missile shots were intended as "a show of force to intimidate their neighbors" rather than a test of new capabilities.
"This operation seems much less about testing than trying to flex their muscles in public," he said.
"All these capabilities had been tested before. This appears to be much more for impact on the public than it was an attempt to test these capabilities," he said.
The Iranian tests have raised new fears that the Islamic republic has diverted what it says is a peaceful nuclear program towards enriching uranium with the view of making a nuclear bomb.
But despite the mounting rhetoric, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he did not feel the two countries were close to open conflict.
His words were echoed Thursday by Fratto, who said: "We hope that there's sufficient communication from everyone involved and that they're seeing these things in a clear-headed way and thinking in a clear-headed way also."
Iran appeared to have fired only a single missile on Thursday, not a second round of missiles as Iranian media reported, and seven on Wednesday not nine as claimed, a senior defense official told AFP.
The United States had detected the launch of seven missiles on Wednesday, including a Shahab-3 missile said to be capable of striking Israel, the official said, asking to remain anonymous.
"There appears to have been one missile fired today, but that may well have been one that failed the day before, and they finally got operational and launched today," the official said.
Amid heightened tensions, the administration of President George W. Bush again renewed its commitment to resolving the standoff with Iran over its contested nuclear program peacefully.
But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Washington was ready to defend Israel and all its allies in the region and that it was stepping up deployments in the Gulf.
"We will defend American interests and the interests of our allies," Rice said, answering a question on an Iranian threat to "set fire" to Israel.
"We take very strongly our obligation to defend our allies and we intend to do that," she said at a news conference in Tbilisi.
The United States has been leading a push to impose a third round of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to end its uranium enrichment.
But White House spokesman Tony Fratto said: "What our goal is is to use diplomacy as best as possible to bring Iran to the table in a way that we can resolve this peacefully.
The missile "tests are in violation of, or the expansive use of ballistic missiles are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions," he added.
"We want to see them stop enriching uranium and we'd like to see them stop these provocative tests that only further isolate the Iranian people," Fratto added.
The Shahab-3 is advertised as having a 2,000 kilometer range (1,250 miles), which would put Israel, Saudi Arabia, and US military installations throughout the Middle East within striking distance.
But there were mounting doubts Thursday about the veracity of the Iranian claims of how many missiles it had launched.
One defense analyst in London told AFP that Iran had apparently doctored photographs of the missile test-firings and exaggerated the capabilities of the weapons.
Photographs published on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards website showed four missiles taking off from a desert launchpad.
But one of the missiles had apparently been added to the photograph using elements from the smoke trail and dust clouds from two of the other missiles.
Mark Fitzpatrick of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said: "It very much does appear that Iran doctored the photo to cover up what apparently was a misfiring of one of the missiles.
"The whole purpose of this testing was to send a signal so Iran both exaggerated the capabilities of the missile in their prose and apparently doctored the photos as well."
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell also agreed that the Iranian missile shots were intended as "a show of force to intimidate their neighbors" rather than a test of new capabilities.
"This operation seems much less about testing than trying to flex their muscles in public," he said.
"All these capabilities had been tested before. This appears to be much more for impact on the public than it was an attempt to test these capabilities," he said.
The Iranian tests have raised new fears that the Islamic republic has diverted what it says is a peaceful nuclear program towards enriching uranium with the view of making a nuclear bomb.
But despite the mounting rhetoric, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he did not feel the two countries were close to open conflict.
His words were echoed Thursday by Fratto, who said: "We hope that there's sufficient communication from everyone involved and that they're seeing these things in a clear-headed way and thinking in a clear-headed way also."
Change lifestyle: China to rich nations
BEIJING: Chinese premier Wen Jiabao said rich nations must abandon their "unsustainable lifestyle" to fight climate change and expand help to
poor nations bearing the brunt of worsening droughts and rising sea levels.
Wen told the opening of a conference on Friday the financial crisis was no reason for rich nations to delay fighting global warming.
"As the global financial crisis spreads and worsens, and the world economy slows down apparently, the international community must not waver in its determination to tackle climate change," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
The two-day meeting is to push China's call for rich nations to fund a huge infusion of greenhouse
gas-cutting technology for the developing countries.
But foreign officials at the meeting raised doubts about Beijing's proposal, which could stoke contention over who pays and how much.
China is widely believed to be the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from industry, power plants and vehicles lifting global temperatures.
But Wen threw the onus back on rich nations, with their much higher emissions per person and long history of polluting the air.
"Developed countries shoulder the duty and responsibility to tackle climate change and should alter their unsustainable lifestyle," he said.
poor nations bearing the brunt of worsening droughts and rising sea levels.
Wen told the opening of a conference on Friday the financial crisis was no reason for rich nations to delay fighting global warming.
"As the global financial crisis spreads and worsens, and the world economy slows down apparently, the international community must not waver in its determination to tackle climate change," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
The two-day meeting is to push China's call for rich nations to fund a huge infusion of greenhouse
gas-cutting technology for the developing countries.
But foreign officials at the meeting raised doubts about Beijing's proposal, which could stoke contention over who pays and how much.
China is widely believed to be the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from industry, power plants and vehicles lifting global temperatures.
But Wen threw the onus back on rich nations, with their much higher emissions per person and long history of polluting the air.
"Developed countries shoulder the duty and responsibility to tackle climate change and should alter their unsustainable lifestyle," he said.
British queen loses £25m in credit crisis
LONDON: The global financial turmoil has hit Britain’s queen Elizabeth II, with the royal losing an estimated £25 million of her personal
fortunes in the credit crunch.
According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, the queen, who paid a visit to the London School of Economics last week, had a briefing from professors on the economic meltdown.
Her question on the large hole in the international economic system had the pleasing incisiveness of an astute child’s: “Why did nobody notice it?”
The queen, whose personal fortune is estimated to have fallen by £25 million in the credit crunch, described the turbulence on the markets as “awful”.
“The queen asked me, ‘If these things were so large, how come everyone missed them,’” Professor Luis Garicano, director of research at the London School of Economics’ management department, was quoted as saying by the British media.
Explaining the origins and effects of the credit crisis, Garicano told the queen: “At every stage, someone was relying on somebody else and everyone thought they were doing the right thing.”
Like homeowners across Britain, the queen has faced escalating prices for fuel, food and home repairs which have seen the costs of carrying out her duties double.
In April, the queen’s private wealth was estimated to be £320 million by Forbes magazine, which included a personal investment portfolio valued at £100 million.
fortunes in the credit crunch.
According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, the queen, who paid a visit to the London School of Economics last week, had a briefing from professors on the economic meltdown.
Her question on the large hole in the international economic system had the pleasing incisiveness of an astute child’s: “Why did nobody notice it?”
The queen, whose personal fortune is estimated to have fallen by £25 million in the credit crunch, described the turbulence on the markets as “awful”.
“The queen asked me, ‘If these things were so large, how come everyone missed them,’” Professor Luis Garicano, director of research at the London School of Economics’ management department, was quoted as saying by the British media.
Explaining the origins and effects of the credit crisis, Garicano told the queen: “At every stage, someone was relying on somebody else and everyone thought they were doing the right thing.”
Like homeowners across Britain, the queen has faced escalating prices for fuel, food and home repairs which have seen the costs of carrying out her duties double.
In April, the queen’s private wealth was estimated to be £320 million by Forbes magazine, which included a personal investment portfolio valued at £100 million.
2,000-year-old gold earring found in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old gold earring beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's old city, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.
The discovery dates to the time of Christ, during the Roman period, said Doron Ben-Ami, director of excavation at the site. The piece was found in a Byzantine structure built several centuries after the jeweled earring was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.
The find is luxurious: A large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.
"It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem," Ben-Ami said. "Such a precious item, it couldn't be one of just ordinary people."
In a statement released Monday, the authority said the piece of jewelry was "astonishingly well-preserved." Finds from the Roman period are rare in Jerusalem, Ben-Ami said, because the city was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.
Shimon Gibson, an American archaeologist who was not involved in the dig, said the find was truly amazing, less because of its Roman origins than for its precious nature.
"Jewelry is hardly preserved in archaeological context in Jerusalem," he said, because precious metals were often sold or melted down during the many historic takeovers of the city.
"It adds to the visual history of Jerusalem," Gibson added, saying it brings attention to the life of women in antiquity.
Though Gibson dates the piece slightly later than the antiquities authority, to sometime between the second and fourth centuries A.D., he said its quality and beauty were impressive.
Ben-Ami added that he expects more small, luxury items to turn up in future excavations.
Earrings similar to this one have been found at archaeological sites throughout Europe, Ben-Ami said, where the Roman Empire also flourished. The authority said the earring appeared to be crafted using a technique similar to that depicted in portraits from Roman-era Egypt.
Feng Shui for love!
Going through a rough patch in your marriage? Is passionate love-making a thing of the past? Are arguments and bickering ruining the romance?
Feng Shui fior love (Getty Images)
Losing interest in your partner? In short, is marriage is no longer blissful?
If your answer is a 'yes' for even two of the above mentioned questions, your relationship definitely needs help! The Chinese art of Feng Shui can be a practical solution to bring back the much needed zing, fizz and passion to your love life.
But, what is Feng Shui and how different is it from Vaastu Shastra? Answers, expert Bhavesh Patni of the Ganesha Speaks team, "Feng Shui provides remedial measures by rectifying the flow of air and water in an already constructed home with an aim to improve the presence of chi (positive energy). Vaastu Shastra, on the other hand, provides solutions by making physical changes at the construction level in your home."
G. Kennedy of Astroyogi team considers Feng Shui as a star-pacifier which tones down the ill-effects of stars and planets in our life, "We make people understand that no one can change their destiny. If a relationship is bound to come to an end, it will. However, Feng Shui can lessen the impact of the planetary movements, which usually create circumstances of arguments, fights and divorce. Though it does not cure your karmic problems completely, it can definitely lessen them by promoting communication, love and passion between the partners and rooting out any negative energy from your house."
Feng Shui expert Ritu Kapoor elucidates the significance of positive energy in making or marring your relationship, "A positively charged Feng Shui bedroom bears a perfect balance of yin (female energy), yang (male energy), natural elements and colours ensuring a cordial flow of sensual energies between both partners."
A cordial relationship between partners includes a lot more than just compatibility. Stressful lifestyles, lack of proper sleep, sexual incompetence and fertility issues also sometimes take a marriage to a dead end.
It's then that Feng Shui comes with its corrective measures, chi boosting techniques and products to strengthen the love-energies in your home...and it may be as simple as moving your sofa or changing the colour of your walls!
Circuit City files for bankruptcy protection
NEW YORK – Circuit City Stores Inc., the nation's second-biggest electronics retailer, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday but plans to stay open for business as the busy holiday shopping season approaches.It filed under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, which will allow it to hold off creditors and continue operations while it develops a reorganization plan.
The Richmond, Va.-based company has been struggling as nervous consumers spend less and credit has become tighter, and the retail industry overall is facing what's expected to be the weakest holiday season in decades.
Circuit City also said it would cut 700 more jobs, after announcing a week ago that it would close 20 percent of its stores and lay off thousands of workers.
"This isn't a surprise," JPMorgan analyst Christopher Horvers said, adding that the reorganization could help the company get out of leases for certain bad store locations.
Circuit City, which has had only one profitable quarter in the past year, has faced significant declines in traffic and heightened competition from rival Best Buy Co. and others. It said it decided to file for bankruptcy protection because it was facing pressure from vendors who threatened to withhold products during the holiday season.
"At the end of the day I think it's really about an inventory position," Horvers said. "If they can get inventory into the stores, I can think they'll remain competitive."
He added, "I think it's encouraging that they were able to secure financing." Circuit City said it had lined up $1.1 billion in loans to provide working capital while it is in bankruptcy protection. That replaces a $1.3 billion asset-backed loan it had been using.
The company said in its filing that it had $3.4 billion in assets and $2.32 billion in liabilities, as of Aug. 31.
Circuit City Stores Inc. announced a week ago it planned to close 155 of its more than 700 U.S. stores by Dec. 31. The stores are spread throughout 28 states, including multiple locations in areas like Phoenix and Atlanta. It is laying off about 17 percent of its domestic work force, which could affect up to 7,300 people.
The company also said last week that it will further cut back on new store openings and planned to work with landlords to renegotiate leases, lower rent or terminate agreements while it dealt with tightening credit from its vendors.
Circuit City posted a wider second-quarter loss in September with a 13 percent decline in sales at stores open at least a year. The company has been under new leadership since late September when Chief Executive Philip J. Schoonover agreed to step down. He was replaced by James A. Marcum, who is now vice chairman and acting president and chief executive.
Shares in Circuit City have traded under $1 for more than a month and the company received a warning about that last month from the New York Stock Exchange that.
A New Deal For China?
China announced a huge economic stimulus package on Sunday, pledging to spend some 4 trillion renminbi - or around $586 billion - on a wide range of moves designed to boost an economy starting to feel the effects of the world financial crisis. The move was widely welcomed by economists and investors. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange's main index gained 3.5% on the following day, while the Shanghai Composite Index soared 7.7%.
But while the short-term boost the plan would give to China was the center of attention in Asia on Monday, some analysts said the move marks a significant turning point in the development of China's economy that will be felt for years to come. "I think in a decade, we'll be looking back at this moment and saying, 'This was it. This was when things really changed and China's economy transitioned from externally, export-oriented to an internal focus,'" says Ben Simpfendorfer, China economist with the Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong. He Liping, a professor of economics at Peking University, agreed: "I personally see this crisis as an opportunity to reduce our dependence on export and adopt a healthier path."
Xinhua, China's official news agency, reported that the package's spending over the next two years would be aimed at ten major areas, including "low-income housing, rural infrastructure, water, electricity, transportation, the environment, technological innovation and rebuilding from several disasters, most notably the May 12 earthquake." While the details of exactly when and where the money will be spent were not revealed, Sunday's announcement did make clear that the government not only aimed to boost its own spending on infrastructure and projects, but also sought to get notoriously savings-obsessed Chinese consumers - who boast the highest household savings rate in the world - to do more spending of their own. The package proposes to do this by, among other things, cutting taxes and abolishing existing limits on commercial banks' credit lending. The plan also advances the government's oft-stated desire to improve living conditions in the countryside, where residents earn about a third of what urbanites pull in - a situation Beijing rightly considers a threat to the country's social stability.
Taken together with the recent expansion of social welfare and amendments to the rural land law that will enable peasants to effectively lease out the right to use their land, the changes amount to a "New Deal with Chinese characteristics," J.P. Morgan economist Jing Ulrich wrote in a recent report. They also represent a political triumph for President Hu Jintao and his Premier, Wen Jiabao. The two men have been stressing the importance of measures aimed at relieving poverty in the countryside since coming to office in 2003. Until now, their efforts to enact concrete measures to back those promises have often been frustrated by opponents within the Communist Party who believe the government should continue to make the encouragement of booming economic growth its number one priority.
Despite the stock market's euphoric reaction and the positive reviews by analysts, economists warned that the effects of the measures would take time to work through the system, with the largest impact probably not likely to be felt until 2010. "I think that we'll see a couple of weak quarters in 2009," Simpendorfer says. He says that while the size of the package was welcome, "it's the speed of its implementation that is really important...My concern is that the contraction in demand will take place before the fiscal policies have time to take effect." To an economy heavily dependent on exports, that period between stimulus and response could have significant implications. With up to 2.5 million migrant workers in the Pearl River Delta forecast to lose their jobs in the coming months as the worldwide economic crunch deepens and many already flooding back home to their villages, some political analysts have expressed concern that social unrest in the rural areas could worsen.
Another worry that goes hand in hand with stimulus packages like these is the possibility that they could stoke inflation. For the moment, though, Beijing can breathe easy on that issue. After wrestling to control rising inflation over the past 18 months, the government reported recently that China's producer price index "declined sharply to 6.6% year-on-year in October, from 9.1% in September," Ulrich of J.P. Morgan wrote in her report. She noted that the consumer price index, which will be released this week, will also moderate further from last month's level of 4.6%, which was the fifth successive monthly decline.
Russia: 20 suffocate in nuclear sub accident
MOSCOW – A new Russian submarine's fire safety system malfunctioned as the nuclear-powered vessel took a test run in the Sea of Japan, suffocating 20 people and sending 21 others to the hospital, officials said Sunday.It was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk, in the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard.
The victims suffocated Saturday after the submarine's fire-extinguishing system accidentally turned on and released Freon gas, said Sergei Markin, an official with Russia's top investigative agency. He said forensic tests found Freon in the victims' lungs.
The submarine itself was not damaged and traveled back to its base on Russia's Pacific coast under its own power Sunday, Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said.
The nuclear reactor that powers the sub was operating normally and radiation levels in the sub were also normal, Dygalo said. He said the accident affected two sections of the submarine closest to the bow.
Seventeen civilians and three seamen died in the accident and 21 others were hospitalized after being evacuated to a destroyer that brought them to shore, Markin said in a statement, revising earlier casualty figures.
Lev Fyodorov, a top Russian chemical expert, said Freon pushed oxygen out, causing those inside to die of suffocation. He also said the scarce official information was making it difficult to understand exactly what happened on the submarine.
It wasn't immediately clear why personnel affected failed to activate the individual breathing kits they were supposed to have, he said.
Markin's agency has launched a probe into the accident, which he said will focus on what activated the firefighting system and possible violations of operating rules.
The submarine returned to Bolshoi Kamen, a military shipyard and a navy base near Vladivostok. Russian television stations broadcast the footage of the submarine sailing toward the harbor.
Dygalo said the submarine had 208 people aboard, including 81 servicemen, and was to be commissioned by the navy later this year.
Russian news agencies quoted officials at the Amur Shipbuilding Factory as saying the submarine was built there and is called the Nerpa.
Construction of the Nerpa, an Akula II class attack submarine, started in 1991 but was suspended for years because of a shortage of funding, they said. Testing on the submarine began last month and it submerged for the first time last week.
First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Kolmakov and navy chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky were heading for the Pacific Coast in the wake of the accident, Dygalo said.
Saturday's accident came as the Kremlin is seeking to restore Russia's naval reach, part of a drive to show off the nuclear-armed country's clout amid strained ties with the West. A naval squadron is heading to Venezuela for joint exercises this month in a show of force near U.S. waters.
Despite a major boost in military spending during Vladimir Putin's eight years as president, Russia's military is still hampered by decrepit infrastructure, aging weapons and problems with corruption and incompetence.
The Kremlin said President Dmitry Medvedev was told about the accident immediately and ordered a thorough investigation.
Putin, now prime minister, was criticized for his slow response to the Kursk disaster.
In 2003, 11 people also died when a Russian submarine that was being taken out of service sank in the Barents Sea.
Cash found in Ohio house's walls becomes nightmare
CLEVELAND – A contractor who found $182,000 in Depression-era currency hidden in a bathroom wall has ended up with only a few thousand dollars, but he feels some vindication.
The windfall discovery amounted to little more than grief for contractor Bob Kitts, who couldn't agree on how to split the money with homeowner Amanda Reece.
It didn't help Reece much, either. She testified in a deposition that she was considering bankruptcy and that a bank recently foreclosed on one of her properties.
And 21 descendants of Patrick Dunne — the wealthy businessman who stashed the money that was minted in a time of bank collapses and joblessness — will each get a mere fraction of the find.
"If these two individuals had sat down and resolved their disputes and divided the money, the heirs would have had no knowledge of it," said attorney Gid Marcinkevicius, who represents the Dunne estate. "Because they were not able to sit down and divide it in a rational way, they both lost."
Kitts was tearing the bathroom walls out of an 83-year-old home near Lake Erie in 2006 when he discovered two green metal lockboxes suspended inside a wall below the medicine chest, hanging from a wire. Inside were white envelopes with the return address for "P. Dunne News Agency."
"I ripped the corner off of one," Kitts said during a deposition in a lawsuit filed by Dunne's estate. "I saw a 50 and got a little dizzy."
He called Reece, a former high school classmate who had hired him for a remodeling project.
They counted the cash and posed for photographs, both grinning like lottery jackpot winners.
But how to share? She offered 10 percent. He wanted 40 percent. From there things went sour.
A month after The Plain Dealer reported on the case in December 2007, Dunne's estate got involved, suing for the right to the money.
By then there was little left to claim.
Reece testified in a deposition that she spent about $14,000 on a trip to Hawaii and had sold some of the rare late 1920s bills. She said about $60,000 was stolen from a shoe box in her closet but testified that she never reported the theft to police.
Kitts said Reece accused him of stealing the money and began leaving him threatening phone messages. Marcinkevicius doesn't believe the money was stolen but said he couldn't prove otherwise.
Reece's phone number has been disconnected, and her attorney Robert Lazzaro did not return a call seeking comment. There were no court records showing that Reece had filed for bankruptcy.
Kitts said he lost a lot of business because media reports on the case portrayed him as greedy, but he feels vindicated by the court's decision to give him a share.
"I was not the bad guy that everybody made me out to be," Kitts said. "I didn't do anything wrong."
He's often asked why he didn't keep his mouth shut and pocket the money. He says he wasn't raised that way.
"It was a neat experience, something that won't happen again," Kitts said. "In that regard, it was pretty fascinating; seeing that amount of money in front of you was breathtaking. In that regard, I don't regret it.
"The threats and all — that's the part that makes you wish it never happened."
Heavy fighting as Lanka troops near rebel capital
Pro-LTTE party protests military operation
Afp, Pti, Colombo
An armoured tank belonging to the Sri Lankan Army drives towards a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the war-hit northern town of Madhu yesterday. The Ave Maria church in Madhu is synonymous among Christians who account for seven percent of Sri Lanka's 19 million population, for its alleged miraculous healing powers. Sri Lanka's military captured the church area in April after fierce battles with Tamil Tiger rebels. Photo: AFP
Intense battles gripped Sri Lanka's northern Wanni region as government forces stepped up pressure on the Tamil rebel political capital, the defence ministry said yesterday.
Scores of rebels were killed and many more wounded in Thursday's fighting west of Mankulam, a key town on the road to the rebel political headquarters at Kilinochchi, further north, the ministry said in a statement.
It did not give military casualties, but said the bodies of seven members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were captured by security forces following Thursday's battles.
Government forces have been fighting for months to take Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres (just over 200 miles) north of the capital Colombo. Heavy monsoon rains and intense rebel resistance had slowed the military onslaught.
President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also the defence minister, asked the Tigers on Thursday to lay down arms and surrender.
"My earnest plea to the terrorist is to lay-down arms and join the democratic process, even at this late stage," the president said while unveiling a war-budget in parliament.
"If not, they would be militarily defeated. We have come to a stage in which we believe that we should and we can eradicate terrorism," he said.
Tens of thousands of people have died on both sides since 1972, when the LTTE launched its campaign to carve out an independent state in the Sinhalese-majority island of 20 million people.
Meanwhile, a pro-LTTE political party in Sri Lanka has protested the ongoing military operations in the north, even as the government hiked defence spending to a record USD 1.6 billion to fund the campaign against the Tigers.
The pro-Tiger Tamil National Alliance (TNA) stayed away from the budget presentation as a mark of protest against the military campaign in the north, as President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned the LTTE to surrender or face defeat.
The TNA, which staged a walk out, has 22 representatives in the 225 member Sri Lankan Parliament.
Besides announcing plans to raise defence spending by seven per cent to a record figure of USD 1.6 billion in 2009, Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the finance minister, also proposed to spend Rs 3000 million (Sri Lankan rupees) to rehabilitate LTTE members joining the democratic stream.
He also announced a one per cent tax on most goods and services to "rebuild communities and infrastructure facilities affected by terrorism," while downgrading the economic growth of the country reeling under a double-digit inflation.
"My earnest plea to the rebels is to give up arms and join the democratic process, even at this late stage. If not, they will be militarily defeated," said Rajapaksa, who also spoke in Tamil on two occasions, amidst applause.
The hike in defence budget accompanies an estimated budget deficit of over USD 3 billion or 6.5 per cent of the GDP.
37 civilians killed in US airstrike
Confirms Afghan probe
Afp, Kandahar
An Afghan investigation has found that 37 civilians were killed in US airstrikes that hit a wedding party, along with 26 Taliban, the Kandahar provincial government said yesterday.
President Hamid Karzai had said "around 40" civilians were killed in the strike in the province's Shah Wali Kot district on Monday that followed an ambush on international soldiers.
The Kandahar government sent a team of officials and police to Wacha Bakhta village to investigate the incident, the latest in a series that have caused friction between Kabul and its international allies.
"Our investigations show that 37 civilians and 26 Taliban were killed in the airstrike and another 31 civilians and seven militants were wounded," the government said in a statement.
It was not clear how many were women and children, it said.
The militants had left 15 bodies at the scene and took the remainder and the wounded with them, the statement said.
The troops had been on patrol around the village, which is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Kandahar, when they came under attack by militants, the investigation found, confirming a statement by the US military.
The forces responded with ground and air fire which also hit a wedding party, it said.
The US force in Afghanistan said earlier this week it could not confirm civilian casualties but was investigating.
Villagers said a wedding lunch had just ended and the bride was preparing to say farewell to her family when the fighting started, lasting for several hours until midnight.
The government has given 2,000 dollars to families for each person killed and 160 dollars for those wounded, the statement said.
Karzai also spoke by telephone Friday to the bereaved families and extended his condolences, his office said separately.
Afp, Kandahar
An Afghan investigation has found that 37 civilians were killed in US airstrikes that hit a wedding party, along with 26 Taliban, the Kandahar provincial government said yesterday.
President Hamid Karzai had said "around 40" civilians were killed in the strike in the province's Shah Wali Kot district on Monday that followed an ambush on international soldiers.
The Kandahar government sent a team of officials and police to Wacha Bakhta village to investigate the incident, the latest in a series that have caused friction between Kabul and its international allies.
"Our investigations show that 37 civilians and 26 Taliban were killed in the airstrike and another 31 civilians and seven militants were wounded," the government said in a statement.
It was not clear how many were women and children, it said.
The militants had left 15 bodies at the scene and took the remainder and the wounded with them, the statement said.
The troops had been on patrol around the village, which is about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Kandahar, when they came under attack by militants, the investigation found, confirming a statement by the US military.
The forces responded with ground and air fire which also hit a wedding party, it said.
The US force in Afghanistan said earlier this week it could not confirm civilian casualties but was investigating.
Villagers said a wedding lunch had just ended and the bride was preparing to say farewell to her family when the fighting started, lasting for several hours until midnight.
The government has given 2,000 dollars to families for each person killed and 160 dollars for those wounded, the statement said.
Karzai also spoke by telephone Friday to the bereaved families and extended his condolences, his office said separately.
US jobless rate at 14-year high, 240,000 jobs cut
WASHINGTON: The US unemployment rate bolted to a 14-year high of 6.5 percent in October as another 240,000 jobs were cut, stark proof the economy is
almost certainly in a recession.
The new snapshot, released on Friday by the Labor Department, showed the crucial jobs market deteriorating at an alarmingly rapid pace.
The jobless rate zoomed to 6.5 percent in October from 6.1 percent in September, matching the rate in March 1994.
Unemployment has now surpassed the high seen after the last recession in 2001. The jobless rate peaked at 6.3 percent in June 2003.
October's decline marked the 10th straight month of payroll reductions, and government revisions showed that job losses in August and September turned out to be much deeper.
Employers cut 127,000 positions in August, compared with 73,000 previously reported. A whopping 284,000 jobs were axed in September, compared with the 159,000 jobs first reported.
So far this year, a staggering 1.2 million jobs have disappeared. Over half of the decrease occurred in the past three months alone.
About 10.1 million people were unemployed in October, an increase of 2.8 million over the past year. A year ago, the unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent.
The employment market is much weaker than economists expected. They were forecasting the unemployment rate to climb to 6.3 percent in October and for payrolls to fall by around 200,000.
Job losses were widespread, reflecting the mounting carnage from a trio of crises- housing, credit and financial.
Factories cut 90,000 jobs, the most since July 2003. Construction companies got rid of 49,000 jobs with heavy losses in home building. Retailers cut payrolls by 38,000. Professional and business services reduced employment by 45,000. Financial activities cut 24,000 jobs, with heavy losses in mortgage banking and at securities firms. Leisure and hospitality axed 16,000 positions.
All those losses more than swamped some gains elsewhere, including in the government, as well as in education and health care.
Racing to assemble his new Democratic Cabinet, US president-elect Barack Obama will huddle with economic advisers later on Friday. His team has been in close contact with the Bush administration to pave the way for a smooth hand-off of power.
All the economy's woes _ a housing collapse, mounting foreclosures, hard-to-get credit and financial market upheaval _ will confront Obama when he assumes office early next year. And, the employment situation is likely to get worse.
Many expect the jobless rate to climb to 8 percent, possibly higher, next year. In the 1980-1982 recession, the unemployment rate rose as high as 10.8 percent before inching down.
To provide fresh relief, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats, in a lame-duck session later this month, are pushing to enact another round of economic stimulus of around $100 billion.
Average hourly earnings rose to $18.21 in October, a 0.2 percent increase from the previous month, according to the Labor Department report. Over the past year, wages have grown 3.5 percent, but paychecks aren't stretching that far because high food, energy and other prices has propelled overall inflation at a faster pace.
To prevent the country from sinking into a deep and painful recession, the Federal Reserve last week ratcheted down interest rates to 1 percent and left the door open to further reductions.
The economy has lost its footing in just a few months. It contracted at a 0.3 percent pace in the July-September quarter, signaling the onset of a likely recession. It was the worst showing since 2001 recession, and reflected a massive pullback by consumers.
As US consumers watch jobs disappear, they'll probably retrench even further, spelling more trouble for the sinking economy.
That's why analysts predict the economy is still shrinking in the current October-December quarter and will contract further in the first quarter of next year. All that more than fulfills a classic definition of a recession: two straight quarters of contracting economic activity.
almost certainly in a recession.
The new snapshot, released on Friday by the Labor Department, showed the crucial jobs market deteriorating at an alarmingly rapid pace.
The jobless rate zoomed to 6.5 percent in October from 6.1 percent in September, matching the rate in March 1994.
Unemployment has now surpassed the high seen after the last recession in 2001. The jobless rate peaked at 6.3 percent in June 2003.
October's decline marked the 10th straight month of payroll reductions, and government revisions showed that job losses in August and September turned out to be much deeper.
Employers cut 127,000 positions in August, compared with 73,000 previously reported. A whopping 284,000 jobs were axed in September, compared with the 159,000 jobs first reported.
So far this year, a staggering 1.2 million jobs have disappeared. Over half of the decrease occurred in the past three months alone.
About 10.1 million people were unemployed in October, an increase of 2.8 million over the past year. A year ago, the unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent.
The employment market is much weaker than economists expected. They were forecasting the unemployment rate to climb to 6.3 percent in October and for payrolls to fall by around 200,000.
Job losses were widespread, reflecting the mounting carnage from a trio of crises- housing, credit and financial.
Factories cut 90,000 jobs, the most since July 2003. Construction companies got rid of 49,000 jobs with heavy losses in home building. Retailers cut payrolls by 38,000. Professional and business services reduced employment by 45,000. Financial activities cut 24,000 jobs, with heavy losses in mortgage banking and at securities firms. Leisure and hospitality axed 16,000 positions.
All those losses more than swamped some gains elsewhere, including in the government, as well as in education and health care.
Racing to assemble his new Democratic Cabinet, US president-elect Barack Obama will huddle with economic advisers later on Friday. His team has been in close contact with the Bush administration to pave the way for a smooth hand-off of power.
All the economy's woes _ a housing collapse, mounting foreclosures, hard-to-get credit and financial market upheaval _ will confront Obama when he assumes office early next year. And, the employment situation is likely to get worse.
Many expect the jobless rate to climb to 8 percent, possibly higher, next year. In the 1980-1982 recession, the unemployment rate rose as high as 10.8 percent before inching down.
To provide fresh relief, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats, in a lame-duck session later this month, are pushing to enact another round of economic stimulus of around $100 billion.
Average hourly earnings rose to $18.21 in October, a 0.2 percent increase from the previous month, according to the Labor Department report. Over the past year, wages have grown 3.5 percent, but paychecks aren't stretching that far because high food, energy and other prices has propelled overall inflation at a faster pace.
To prevent the country from sinking into a deep and painful recession, the Federal Reserve last week ratcheted down interest rates to 1 percent and left the door open to further reductions.
The economy has lost its footing in just a few months. It contracted at a 0.3 percent pace in the July-September quarter, signaling the onset of a likely recession. It was the worst showing since 2001 recession, and reflected a massive pullback by consumers.
As US consumers watch jobs disappear, they'll probably retrench even further, spelling more trouble for the sinking economy.
That's why analysts predict the economy is still shrinking in the current October-December quarter and will contract further in the first quarter of next year. All that more than fulfills a classic definition of a recession: two straight quarters of contracting economic activity.
Sensex turns choppy on mixed global cues
MUMBAI: Market turned choppy after a weak start as it faced resistance at higher level. Mixed global markets also kept equities under check.
“Market is likely to exhibit weak trends on the back of strong intra-day volatile moves. The meltdown in US markets as fears of a prolonged recession sent investors running for the exits and mixed Asian indices in morning trades are likely to put pressure on the domestic indices. On the upside, the Nifty could test around the 2950 level and may witness support around the 2850 level. The Sensex has a likely support at 9600 and may test higher levels of 9850,” said Sharekhan report.
At 10:20am, Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex was at 9,706.67, down 27.55 points or 0.28%. The index touched a high of 9,850.39 and a low of 9,631.59 in early trade.
National Stock Exchange’s Nifty was at 2902.30, up 0.33% or 9.65 points. The index touched a high of 2941.55 and a low of 2860.10 in trade so far.
“Extreme caution is warranted at higher levels as volumes declined sharply on a negative market breadth. We would like to re-iterate, indices are likely to test levels of 2800 before making any fresh move in short term. For Intraday, levels of 3,000 will act as a strong hurdle while support exists far lower around levels of 2,800,” said Reliance Money note.
Selling was also seen in midcap stocks. BSE Midcap Index was down 1.05% and BSE Smallcap Index slipped 0.41%.
ITC (2.25%), NTPC (2.22%), Grasim Industries (1.66%), Bharti Airtel (1.63%) and Reliance Communications (1.48%) were the major Sensex gainers.
Mahindra & Mahindra (-6.72%), ICICI Bank (-4.92%), Tata Motors (-4.12%), Maruti Suzuki (-4.08%) and Tata Steel (-3.36%)
Market breadth was negative on the BSE with 981 declines and 598 advances.
Asian markets bounced back from lower levels and had turned positive despite of weak close in the US markets. The Nikkei was 1.65% down, Hang Seng was 1.35% up and Kospi moved 2.66% higher
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 443.48 points, or 4.85%, to 8,695.79, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 47.89 points, or 5.03%, to 904.88 and the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 72.94 points, or 4.34%, to 1,608.70.
“Market is likely to exhibit weak trends on the back of strong intra-day volatile moves. The meltdown in US markets as fears of a prolonged recession sent investors running for the exits and mixed Asian indices in morning trades are likely to put pressure on the domestic indices. On the upside, the Nifty could test around the 2950 level and may witness support around the 2850 level. The Sensex has a likely support at 9600 and may test higher levels of 9850,” said Sharekhan report.
At 10:20am, Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex was at 9,706.67, down 27.55 points or 0.28%. The index touched a high of 9,850.39 and a low of 9,631.59 in early trade.
National Stock Exchange’s Nifty was at 2902.30, up 0.33% or 9.65 points. The index touched a high of 2941.55 and a low of 2860.10 in trade so far.
“Extreme caution is warranted at higher levels as volumes declined sharply on a negative market breadth. We would like to re-iterate, indices are likely to test levels of 2800 before making any fresh move in short term. For Intraday, levels of 3,000 will act as a strong hurdle while support exists far lower around levels of 2,800,” said Reliance Money note.
Selling was also seen in midcap stocks. BSE Midcap Index was down 1.05% and BSE Smallcap Index slipped 0.41%.
ITC (2.25%), NTPC (2.22%), Grasim Industries (1.66%), Bharti Airtel (1.63%) and Reliance Communications (1.48%) were the major Sensex gainers.
Mahindra & Mahindra (-6.72%), ICICI Bank (-4.92%), Tata Motors (-4.12%), Maruti Suzuki (-4.08%) and Tata Steel (-3.36%)
Market breadth was negative on the BSE with 981 declines and 598 advances.
Asian markets bounced back from lower levels and had turned positive despite of weak close in the US markets. The Nikkei was 1.65% down, Hang Seng was 1.35% up and Kospi moved 2.66% higher
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 443.48 points, or 4.85%, to 8,695.79, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 47.89 points, or 5.03%, to 904.88 and the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 72.94 points, or 4.34%, to 1,608.70.
Tata-owned Corus to axe 400 jobs
LONDON: Corus, owned by the Tata Steel Group, has announced plans to cut 400 jobs at its distribution arm, saying it had been operating in a
"volatile and fluctuating" market.
The proposed job losses will be spread across Britain, including 100 in the West Midlands, nearly 100 in North Wales, 50 in South Wales and 50 in Leeds, the steel giant said on Thursday.
"The impact and continuation of the global economic downturn is having a major effect on steel customers in the automotive, construction and plant and machinery markets. Since September, the business has seen a significant decline in demand," the company said.
"As a result, Corus Distribution has introduced a series of actions to reduce expenditure on transport, consumables, energy and other discretionary spending. However, these actions alone will not be sufficient to offset the decline in the market."
"Corus Distribution is committed to ensuring it will do everything possible to assist those people leaving the business, and will be putting in place a range of support services designed to help them through this difficult time," it added.
Corus Distribution employs 2,400 workers at 36 sites in Britain and Ireland.
Roy Rickhuss of the steelworkers' union community said: "We welcomed the original Corus approach to the current downturn - to avoid knee-jerk reactions and not just cut jobs - so we are disappointed this has not been followed in Corus Distribution.
"Support will be available from community's education and training arm, Communitas, to help redundant workers retrain and find new employment."
"volatile and fluctuating" market.
The proposed job losses will be spread across Britain, including 100 in the West Midlands, nearly 100 in North Wales, 50 in South Wales and 50 in Leeds, the steel giant said on Thursday.
"The impact and continuation of the global economic downturn is having a major effect on steel customers in the automotive, construction and plant and machinery markets. Since September, the business has seen a significant decline in demand," the company said.
"As a result, Corus Distribution has introduced a series of actions to reduce expenditure on transport, consumables, energy and other discretionary spending. However, these actions alone will not be sufficient to offset the decline in the market."
"Corus Distribution is committed to ensuring it will do everything possible to assist those people leaving the business, and will be putting in place a range of support services designed to help them through this difficult time," it added.
Corus Distribution employs 2,400 workers at 36 sites in Britain and Ireland.
Roy Rickhuss of the steelworkers' union community said: "We welcomed the original Corus approach to the current downturn - to avoid knee-jerk reactions and not just cut jobs - so we are disappointed this has not been followed in Corus Distribution.
"Support will be available from community's education and training arm, Communitas, to help redundant workers retrain and find new employment."
For Obama, a towering to-do list for economy
Few US presidents have entered office with an economy in such turmoil as president-elect Obama.
But even before Obama is sworn in, Democrats are likely to push his agenda with urgency, because the economy otherwise could worsen quickly, complicating the task ahead. Below are some crucial issues that economists say will test the new administration, and how it might address them.
Economic stimulus: The US Congress could act on it this month, but only if Obama signals that he favours a pre-inauguration special session. Legislators would more than likely adopt relatively inexpensive measures, rather than pass a large outlay. Obama may ask Congress for more economic lift.
Mortgages : Obama will have to move quickly to forestall a new wave of foreclosures. Some in Congress favour direct mortgage relief, but others worry that it will be too expensive. Obama might seek to change personal bankruptcy laws to help people retain their homes. The shift, proponents say, would help millions and ease the broader housing crisis. But many companies and Wall Street investors may suffer.
Federal regulation: Barack Obama has said one major priority would be to consolidate the financial regulatory system. He promised to streamline agencies and has pledged to impose stronger liquidity, capital and disclosure requirements on financial institutions. He promised to raise penalties for market manipulation and predatory lending.
Auto industry: GM, Ford and Chrysler are rapidly running out of cash in the worst sales market for new vehicles in 15 years. They are expected to announce billions of dollars more in Q3 losses, and the threat of bankruptcy will grow. Obama has promised to meet soon with their CEOs for an additional $25 billion for the fuel-efficient vehicle programme.
Health care: Few healthcare analysts expect Obama to overhaul the industry soon, because of the more pressing needs of a faltering economy. But the newly empowered Democrats may abandon some healthcare positions of by the Bush administration. Congress may address the increasing cost of medical care.
Technology: Obama has endorsed the industrys call to raise the number of H-1B visas. But getting Congress to agree may be a challenge, given the recession and perception that foreigners are taking American jobs. The tech industry also wants more people to have high-speed internet access and hopes Obama will stand behind his stated support of net neutrality, which is a government requirement that telecom companies provide internet content providers equal access to delivery lines.
Energy: A shift is expected in the nation’s energy policies, with emphasis on conservation and renewable power.
Trade: The recession and a likely spike in unemployment will lead to pressure from unions and Congressional Democrats for a tougher line on trade.
But even before Obama is sworn in, Democrats are likely to push his agenda with urgency, because the economy otherwise could worsen quickly, complicating the task ahead. Below are some crucial issues that economists say will test the new administration, and how it might address them.
Economic stimulus: The US Congress could act on it this month, but only if Obama signals that he favours a pre-inauguration special session. Legislators would more than likely adopt relatively inexpensive measures, rather than pass a large outlay. Obama may ask Congress for more economic lift.
Mortgages : Obama will have to move quickly to forestall a new wave of foreclosures. Some in Congress favour direct mortgage relief, but others worry that it will be too expensive. Obama might seek to change personal bankruptcy laws to help people retain their homes. The shift, proponents say, would help millions and ease the broader housing crisis. But many companies and Wall Street investors may suffer.
Federal regulation: Barack Obama has said one major priority would be to consolidate the financial regulatory system. He promised to streamline agencies and has pledged to impose stronger liquidity, capital and disclosure requirements on financial institutions. He promised to raise penalties for market manipulation and predatory lending.
Auto industry: GM, Ford and Chrysler are rapidly running out of cash in the worst sales market for new vehicles in 15 years. They are expected to announce billions of dollars more in Q3 losses, and the threat of bankruptcy will grow. Obama has promised to meet soon with their CEOs for an additional $25 billion for the fuel-efficient vehicle programme.
Health care: Few healthcare analysts expect Obama to overhaul the industry soon, because of the more pressing needs of a faltering economy. But the newly empowered Democrats may abandon some healthcare positions of by the Bush administration. Congress may address the increasing cost of medical care.
Technology: Obama has endorsed the industrys call to raise the number of H-1B visas. But getting Congress to agree may be a challenge, given the recession and perception that foreigners are taking American jobs. The tech industry also wants more people to have high-speed internet access and hopes Obama will stand behind his stated support of net neutrality, which is a government requirement that telecom companies provide internet content providers equal access to delivery lines.
Energy: A shift is expected in the nation’s energy policies, with emphasis on conservation and renewable power.
Trade: The recession and a likely spike in unemployment will lead to pressure from unions and Congressional Democrats for a tougher line on trade.
Improved working culture seen key to deepening trade ties
More IT (information technology) usage and an improved working culture would create openings for improving Bangladesh's bilateral and multilateral trade relations, a seminar in Dhaka was told yesterday.
“Most of the local business houses are still not much familiar with using IT, which often deprives those of getting better opportunities from abroad,” Nurul Kabir, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Spinnovation, a Microsoft certified partner in Bangladesh, told the seminar.
The seminar 'Bangladesh: Opportunities and Shortcomings' was organised by the Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the sideline of the German Trade Show in the capital. The Spinnovation chief also suggested reducing labour unrest and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to encourage more foreign investment in the country.
Kabir said all the business houses in the country should develop web pages of their own, where information about the manufactured products, description, quality and contact details would be available.
He also stressed expanding e-business and developing necessary infrastructure for the development of buying and selling processes through internet and mobile phone.
In his keynote paper, GKM Towfique Hasan, secretary general of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said the textile and apparel industry is facing some difficulties that might slow the growth of the sector.
“If the basic requirements, such as power supply, sound law and order situation and transportation system, could be managed properly, the growth of the local textile and apparel industry will accelerate,” he said.
He said the quality and the cost of production of the local textile and apparel products are better than other countries like China and India.
He also said the government needs to take necessary steps to ensure a business-friendly political situation, which will encourage more countries to invest here.
Irmgard Hettich Sherchan, executive director of the German-Bangla chamber, was also present at the seminar.
“Most of the local business houses are still not much familiar with using IT, which often deprives those of getting better opportunities from abroad,” Nurul Kabir, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Spinnovation, a Microsoft certified partner in Bangladesh, told the seminar.
The seminar 'Bangladesh: Opportunities and Shortcomings' was organised by the Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the sideline of the German Trade Show in the capital. The Spinnovation chief also suggested reducing labour unrest and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to encourage more foreign investment in the country.
Kabir said all the business houses in the country should develop web pages of their own, where information about the manufactured products, description, quality and contact details would be available.
He also stressed expanding e-business and developing necessary infrastructure for the development of buying and selling processes through internet and mobile phone.
In his keynote paper, GKM Towfique Hasan, secretary general of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), said the textile and apparel industry is facing some difficulties that might slow the growth of the sector.
“If the basic requirements, such as power supply, sound law and order situation and transportation system, could be managed properly, the growth of the local textile and apparel industry will accelerate,” he said.
He said the quality and the cost of production of the local textile and apparel products are better than other countries like China and India.
He also said the government needs to take necessary steps to ensure a business-friendly political situation, which will encourage more countries to invest here.
Irmgard Hettich Sherchan, executive director of the German-Bangla chamber, was also present at the seminar.
India now top import source for Bangladesh
India has regained the top position in terms of Bangladesh's importing source by beating China, Bangladesh Bank statistics revealed.
A surge in rice import last fiscal has pushed India up as Bangladesh's main import source in a span of two years.
The central bank data says the country has imported Tk 1,719.04 crore worth of more goods from India than China in the immediate past fiscal year to June 2008.
China was the number one country for Bangladesh's imports in fiscal 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Bangladesh's total import showed a 26 percent rise and reached over Tk 147,000 crore or $21.63 billion last fiscal year, which was Tk 118,489 crore ($17.16 billion) in fiscal 2006-07 and Tk 99,130 crore ($14.76 billion) in fiscal 2005-06.
Imports from India stood at Tk 23,213.86 crore in fiscal 2007-08, which was Tk 21,494.82 crore from China. Imports from India and China were Tk 15,373.20 crore and Tk 17,523.20 crore respectively in fiscal 2006-07.
The country's other three major import partners were Kuwait (Tk 12,162 crore), Singapore (Tk 9,153 crore) and Japan (Tk 5,710 crore) last fiscal year.
Bangladesh's rice import bill from India soared to $874 million in fiscal 2007-08, up from only $180 million in fiscal 2006-07 and $117 million in 2005-06.
“Majority of the rice import was from India,” a senior BB official said.
BNP out to buy time out of polls schedule
Struggles to find right candidates as party badly hurt by reforms, anti-graft drive
The BNP has asked for fresh election schedule to buy time in their desperate search for electable candidates, not for the concern over EC's announcing the poll fixture hurriedly, party insiders confided.
The party has witnessed an extraordinary reversal of fortunes since late October, 2006 and its organisational structure nearly collapsed in anti-corruption drive, conviction orders against influential leaders and party reform issue.
A day before it quit power, thirteen MPs of the eighth parliament joined the Liberal Democratic Party, 24 have so far been convicted in the current anti-corruption drive, disqualifying them to run for parliament; and 22 are still under trial.
Some incurred the wrath of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia supporters after billing themselves as reformists. They are still loyal to expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who spearheaded the failed reforms programme.
The BNP hit the rock bottom after the declaration of the emergency rules. Many party leaders were either arrested or went into hiding in the corruption-busting drive. The tussle between the reformists and the old guard has also damaged top-down party cohesion.
Party leaders said they hoped that the writ petition against delimitation of parliamentary constituencies will give them some wiggle room by delaying announcement of schedule for the general election.
To their utter dismay, the High Court turned down the petition on November 2. The Election Commission announced the schedule within hours.
The BNP-led four-party alliance is now demanding a string of demands, including complete lifting of the emergency rules and fresh election schedule.
"The election schedule was announced hastily, which is not conducive to a fair election," BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain told reporters after a Wednesday meeting which inked in the demands.
A former lawmaker of the party however told The Daily Star that they need more time to "prepare for the polls including finding out suitable candidates as about 23/24 former ministers and lawmakers have already been convicted in cases filed under the emergency power rules."
Lifting the emergency before the last date for nomination submission will give the convicted leaders the chance to contest the polls.
Party leaders said Khaleda herself is trying to strike a bargain with the government to earn the release of her party leaders who are behind bars on corruption charges.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman met the BNP chief at her cantonment residence Tuesday midnight. It was the second exclusive meeting between the two. However neither the adviser nor the BNP would say what they discussed.
Sources said the government gave Khaleda a list of accused BNP leaders, asking her not to give them party tickets.
The BNP chief however is trying to convince the government to release some of the arrested leaders including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu and Wadud Bhuiyan, so that they get the chance to participate in the elections, party insiders said.
Convicted former ministers and lawmakers: M Morshed Khan, barrister Aminul Haque, Amanullah Aman, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Naser Rahman, Mir Nasir, Nazmul Huda, Harris Chowdhury, Ali Asgar Lobi, Mirza Abbas, Lutfuzzaman Babar, Shahjahan Siraj, Ziaul Haque Zia, Hafiz Ibrahim, Taimur Alam Khandaker, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Salahuddin Ahmed, Wadud Bhuiyan, Shahreen Islam Tuhin, Shahjahan Omar, Nurul Islam Moni and Helal Uddin Talukder Lalu.
Those under trial: Saifur Rahman, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Salauddin Ahmed, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, MAH Selim, Fazlur Rahman Patal, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Mohammad Giasuddin, Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Tariqul Islam, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Harunur Rashid, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Kazi Salimul Haque, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Mizanur Rahman Minu are under trial.
Many of them are in jail.
BNP leaders who left the party are former standing committee member Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, Jahanara Begum, Alamgir Kabir, Moni Swapan Dewan, Anwarul Kabir Talukder, former Speaker Sheikh Razzak Ali, Redwan Ahmed, Ziaur Rahman Khan, Syed Manjur Hossain, Ali Qadar, Kabir Hossain, Abu Hena and MA Jinnah.
The BNP has asked for fresh election schedule to buy time in their desperate search for electable candidates, not for the concern over EC's announcing the poll fixture hurriedly, party insiders confided.
The party has witnessed an extraordinary reversal of fortunes since late October, 2006 and its organisational structure nearly collapsed in anti-corruption drive, conviction orders against influential leaders and party reform issue.
A day before it quit power, thirteen MPs of the eighth parliament joined the Liberal Democratic Party, 24 have so far been convicted in the current anti-corruption drive, disqualifying them to run for parliament; and 22 are still under trial.
Some incurred the wrath of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia supporters after billing themselves as reformists. They are still loyal to expelled secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who spearheaded the failed reforms programme.
The BNP hit the rock bottom after the declaration of the emergency rules. Many party leaders were either arrested or went into hiding in the corruption-busting drive. The tussle between the reformists and the old guard has also damaged top-down party cohesion.
Party leaders said they hoped that the writ petition against delimitation of parliamentary constituencies will give them some wiggle room by delaying announcement of schedule for the general election.
To their utter dismay, the High Court turned down the petition on November 2. The Election Commission announced the schedule within hours.
The BNP-led four-party alliance is now demanding a string of demands, including complete lifting of the emergency rules and fresh election schedule.
"The election schedule was announced hastily, which is not conducive to a fair election," BNP Secretary General Khandoker Delwar Hossain told reporters after a Wednesday meeting which inked in the demands.
A former lawmaker of the party however told The Daily Star that they need more time to "prepare for the polls including finding out suitable candidates as about 23/24 former ministers and lawmakers have already been convicted in cases filed under the emergency power rules."
Lifting the emergency before the last date for nomination submission will give the convicted leaders the chance to contest the polls.
Party leaders said Khaleda herself is trying to strike a bargain with the government to earn the release of her party leaders who are behind bars on corruption charges.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman met the BNP chief at her cantonment residence Tuesday midnight. It was the second exclusive meeting between the two. However neither the adviser nor the BNP would say what they discussed.
Sources said the government gave Khaleda a list of accused BNP leaders, asking her not to give them party tickets.
The BNP chief however is trying to convince the government to release some of the arrested leaders including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu and Wadud Bhuiyan, so that they get the chance to participate in the elections, party insiders said.
Convicted former ministers and lawmakers: M Morshed Khan, barrister Aminul Haque, Amanullah Aman, Mosaddek Ali Falu, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Naser Rahman, Mir Nasir, Nazmul Huda, Harris Chowdhury, Ali Asgar Lobi, Mirza Abbas, Lutfuzzaman Babar, Shahjahan Siraj, Ziaul Haque Zia, Hafiz Ibrahim, Taimur Alam Khandaker, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Salahuddin Ahmed, Wadud Bhuiyan, Shahreen Islam Tuhin, Shahjahan Omar, Nurul Islam Moni and Helal Uddin Talukder Lalu.
Those under trial: Saifur Rahman, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Salauddin Ahmed, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, MAH Selim, Fazlur Rahman Patal, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, Mohammad Giasuddin, Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Tariqul Islam, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Barkat Ullah Bulu, Harunur Rashid, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Kazi Salimul Haque, AKM Mosharraf Hossain and Mizanur Rahman Minu are under trial.
Many of them are in jail.
BNP leaders who left the party are former standing committee member Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, Jahanara Begum, Alamgir Kabir, Moni Swapan Dewan, Anwarul Kabir Talukder, former Speaker Sheikh Razzak Ali, Redwan Ahmed, Ziaur Rahman Khan, Syed Manjur Hossain, Ali Qadar, Kabir Hossain, Abu Hena and MA Jinnah.
Polls on Dec 18 at any cost
Hasina reacts sharply to demand for fresh election schedule; huge reception on return from abroad
Supporters overwhelm the vehicle carrying Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Mirpur Road at Kalabagan yesterday grinding the motorcade to a halt. Photo:
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the ninth parliamentary elections must be held on the announced date at any cost no matter whether any certain party takes part in it or not.
"Under no pretext, the election should be delayed or no conspiracy would be allowed to foil it," Hasina told a crowded press briefing at the VIP lounge of Zia International Airport (ZIA) after arriving there from the US at 9:00am.
"There are many political parties in Bangladesh. It cannot happen that the election is not being held considering who is participating in it or not," she said. Hinting at the BNP, which has demanded fresh polls schedule, she said, "My question is: Why won't they take part in the election?"
Hasina, who went to the US for treatment a day after being freed on parole on June 11, returned to the country yesterday amidst a rapturous reception accorded by thousands of party workers. She had been detained for nearly 11 months since July 16 last year.
Most part of the road from ZIA to Hasina's Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi seemingly turned into a human sea as tens of thousands of party men gathered on both sides of the road to welcome their party chief.
At the briefing Hasina emphatically said she is ready to do anything necessary for the welfare of the country, its politics and the people. She said the people have long been waiting to exercise their democratic and constitutional right to voting on December 18 and establish an elected government.
The country is passing through crises and the people are spending hard days without food and jobs, she said, adding that the people have to be saved and it is proven true that such crises cannot be solved without an elected government.
"Unity, cooperation and conciliation are a must to save the nation from crises and bad time and for this all will have to forget personal interests and get united to find out solutions to the crises," Hasina said.
About her counsel barrister Rafique-ul Huq's proposed dialogue between her and Khaleda, Hasina said she would do all possible things for the welfare of the country and its people.
Asked if the AL has any plan to bring qualitative changes in the country's politics, the former premier said her party had already placed 31-point reforms proposal for bringing such changes.
About formation of the electoral grand alliance and its principles and goal, the AL chief said, "The grand alliance will be formed on the basis of principles of establishing people's constitutional rights, strengthening the country's democracy and economic base and freeing Bangladesh from poverty."
Asked about her earlier statement that they would ratify all activities of the caretaker government, she said, "Government activities is a continuous process. The issue will be settled in parliament as ordinances have to be transformed into laws. Parliament members and the standing committee will decide on that."
Hasina said, "I think it would be a big challenge for any elected government to control and reduce the prices of essentials including rice, pulses, salt and oil and bring the prices within people's reach.
"If voted to power, insha Allah we will be able to do that and save the people," she said.
Hasina said people have been passing days in fear for the last seven years--five years of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government and two years of the caretaker government.
"We do not want apprehension, fear, crises and sufferings to prevail anymore," she said, adding that the AL does not believe in the politics of confrontation, violence and clash.
Terming poverty the main enemy of the people of Bangladesh, Hasina said people would have to be saved from poverty through united struggle.
After landing at the ZIA by an Emirates flight, Hasina first exchanged greetings with the members of the party's Central Working Committee. She reached Sudha Sadan at about 12:15pm and talked to some senior party leaders there.
In the afternoon, Hasina went to Dhanmondi road-32 to pay tributes to her father and family members who were killed on August 15, 1975 in a military coup. She placed floral wreaths at the portrait of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and offered prayer before heading to Sudha Sadan.
Acting Jatiya Party Chairman barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and presidium member Ziauddin Bablu and Hasina's special aide Abdus Sobhan Golap accompanied her from London to Dhaka.
HASINA'S RECEPTION
Tens of thousands of workers of the AL and its associate organisations stood at different points on both sides of the road from the airport to Sudha Sadan to welcome Hasina. People also gathered at points including the airport roundabout, Khilkhet, Banani, Kakoli, Mohakhali and Bijoy Sarani and between Manik Miah Avenue and Dhanmondi road-32.
They were holding colourful banners, festoons and posters welcoming Hasina's return. Bands were seen at places beating drums.
The enthusiasm of AL workers turned the gatherings into the electoral campaign of the party as they chanted slogans for the AL electoral symbol boat and seeking votes.
Several hundred party men on motorbikes and other vehicles escorted Hasina from the airport to her Dhanmondi residence in a bulletproof jeep with windows closed for security reasons.
Earlier, after her arrival at the airport, members of the Special Security Force took charge of her security. A large number of Rapid Action Battalion and police personnel were also deployed to maintain law and order.
Hasina's special personal aide Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters yesterday that the AL Central Working Committee meets today at 4:00pm at Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi with her in the chair. Before that US Ambassador James F Moriarty will meet the AL chief at Sudha Sadan at 3:30pm.
Lesbians in Bollywood - As Prop 8 Hits Hollywood, Priyanka Embraces Gay Roles
While California is fuming mad about Prop 8 going through, on the other side of the world, in a place gay culture has traditionally not been accepted, Bollywood is embracing same-sex relationships.
Priyanka Chopra, the gorgeous filmstar of Fashion, is set not only to star in a film with Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham, who will play ‘gay avatars,’ but Priyanka is ready to star as a lesbian herself.
“Why not? I would toy with the idea of playing a lesbian character if the role was well written and the script was rock solid. I’m all for equality and gay rights anyway,” Priyanka said.
It was a huge surprise that Prop 8 went through in California, a state known for its highly tolerant acceptance culture, and a much sought after destination for gays.
An even bigger surprise is the emergence of gay Bollywood, an interesting shift to take note of.
Michael Crichton Passed Away
Jurassic Park and ER creator Michael Crichton passed away after fighting a very private war against cancer.
His family told ET, "While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us -- and entertained us all while doing so -- his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes. He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."
Mr. Crichton's death came unexpectedly to us and his family. We send our heartfelt condolences to the family. It's always hard to lose someone, unexpected or not.
Bangladesh may be benefited for OBAMA'c wins
Fallout from the ongoing financial turmoil on the world's economy may ease soon, as this issue will be the main agenda for newly elected US President Barack Obama, said economist Zaid Bakht yesterday.
"The Democrats manage the economy better than the Republicans. I think the world's economy will stabilise soon. When the global economy gets stable, the whole world, especially the LDCs such as Bangladesh, will benefit from it," said Bakht, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Quoting some policies announced during the election campaign for Obama, Bakht said Bangladesh would rather get special treatment in exports of garment items to the US market thanks to the new government.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), echoed Bakht.
Chowdhury said Bangladesh would benefit from the policies of the new US government.
"The Democrats manage the economy better than the Republicans. I think the world's economy will stabilise soon. When the global economy gets stable, the whole world, especially the LDCs such as Bangladesh, will benefit from it," said Bakht, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Quoting some policies announced during the election campaign for Obama, Bakht said Bangladesh would rather get special treatment in exports of garment items to the US market thanks to the new government.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), echoed Bakht.
Chowdhury said Bangladesh would benefit from the policies of the new US government.
Hasina returns amid cheering crowd
Amid a rapturous welcome from thousands of party activists, supporters and leaders, Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina retuned home this morning after receiving treatment abroad.
On her arrival at the Zia International Airport, AL senior leaders including Zillur Rahman, Amir Hossain Amu, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofael Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Jalil and Syed Ashraful Islam received Hasina.
She landed at the airport in an Emirates Airlines flight at 8:59am, 44 minutes late from her scheduled time due to flight delay.
Thousands of party leaders and workers gathered around the airport entrance and her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi to accord her a grand reception. The party members also gathered at different points along the route from the ZIA to her home to welcome Hasina.
Thousands of party colleagues and supporters escorted her motorcade driving all the way from the airport to her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi.
As the AL chief's motorcade started journey from the airport, cheerful supporters began chanting slogans including one that translates, 'Victory of Sheikh Hasina, victory of Bangabandhu'.
The crowd through the route from airport to her residence was so thick that Hasina's motorcade had to move slowly.
At the main entrance to her residence, Hasina remained stuck for several minutes as security personnel struggled to manage the crowd.
All through her way from the airport to her Sudha Sadan residence, she waved to the crowd on the street who were jamming the streets as far as eyes could see, repeatedly in cheering mood.
In response, the crowd waved back chanting slogans. A large number of party leaders and workers entered Sudha Sadan to have a glimpse of their party chief.
Hundreds of party activists began thronging Sudha Sadan and the airport entrance from early morning.
Traffic movement on the airport road has come to a total halt due to the crowd. The other roads adjacent the route from the airport to Sudha Sadan also is facing huge traffic congestion as the AL men gather all along the route.
The leaders and workers from across the country also joint the crowded reception to welcome the party leader.
Immediately after arriving at the airport, Hasina held a brief meeting with the party central working committee members at the VIP lounge. Later, she talked to the media over different issued including December 18 elections.
From the airport, she made her first stop at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, where she placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation.
She offered a special prayer there for salvation of the departed souls of her father, mother, brother, and other family members and relatives who had been brutally killed in that house in an army led coup on August 15, 1975.
Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, then started towards Sudha Sadan. Several thousand of her party leaders, workers and supporters queued up, many holding bouquets, on both sides of the roads stretching from road no 5 in Dhanmondi to Sudha Sadan.
Although the former premier has five cases pending against her in courts, she has obtained bail in all the cases.
The AL president was granted parole on June 11 after about 11 months in detention in a special jail in parliament building complex. She left Bangladesh for USA for treatment a day after her release.
On her arrival at the Zia International Airport, AL senior leaders including Zillur Rahman, Amir Hossain Amu, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofael Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Jalil and Syed Ashraful Islam received Hasina.
She landed at the airport in an Emirates Airlines flight at 8:59am, 44 minutes late from her scheduled time due to flight delay.
Thousands of party leaders and workers gathered around the airport entrance and her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi to accord her a grand reception. The party members also gathered at different points along the route from the ZIA to her home to welcome Hasina.
Thousands of party colleagues and supporters escorted her motorcade driving all the way from the airport to her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi.
As the AL chief's motorcade started journey from the airport, cheerful supporters began chanting slogans including one that translates, 'Victory of Sheikh Hasina, victory of Bangabandhu'.
The crowd through the route from airport to her residence was so thick that Hasina's motorcade had to move slowly.
At the main entrance to her residence, Hasina remained stuck for several minutes as security personnel struggled to manage the crowd.
All through her way from the airport to her Sudha Sadan residence, she waved to the crowd on the street who were jamming the streets as far as eyes could see, repeatedly in cheering mood.
In response, the crowd waved back chanting slogans. A large number of party leaders and workers entered Sudha Sadan to have a glimpse of their party chief.
Hundreds of party activists began thronging Sudha Sadan and the airport entrance from early morning.
Traffic movement on the airport road has come to a total halt due to the crowd. The other roads adjacent the route from the airport to Sudha Sadan also is facing huge traffic congestion as the AL men gather all along the route.
The leaders and workers from across the country also joint the crowded reception to welcome the party leader.
Immediately after arriving at the airport, Hasina held a brief meeting with the party central working committee members at the VIP lounge. Later, she talked to the media over different issued including December 18 elections.
From the airport, she made her first stop at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, where she placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation.
She offered a special prayer there for salvation of the departed souls of her father, mother, brother, and other family members and relatives who had been brutally killed in that house in an army led coup on August 15, 1975.
Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, then started towards Sudha Sadan. Several thousand of her party leaders, workers and supporters queued up, many holding bouquets, on both sides of the roads stretching from road no 5 in Dhanmondi to Sudha Sadan.
Although the former premier has five cases pending against her in courts, she has obtained bail in all the cases.
The AL president was granted parole on June 11 after about 11 months in detention in a special jail in parliament building complex. She left Bangladesh for USA for treatment a day after her release.
Pakistan hopes for Saudi aid amid financial crisis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is turning to Saudi Arabia for financial aid to ease an economic crisis that already has forced the militancy-wracked South
Asian nation to start talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrives Tuesday in the oil-rich Arab nation to request a deferral on oil payments and other possible support, the Foreign Ministry said. Another potential topic: Negotiating with the Taliban.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan needs billions in outside assistance to avoid defaulting on its international loans. The impoverished nation of 170 million people is hampered by high inflation, chronic power outages and a sinking currency, as well as a violent Islamist insurgency, all of which threaten to undermine the fledgling pro-US government.
Analysts said Zardari's visit could yield some temporary relief, but that he was unlikely to return with a package that would render moot politically unpopular IMF aid.
An IMF assistance package would likely come with painful requirements to cut government spending that could affect programs for the poor, making it a tough choice for the politicians.
Economist Muzammil Aslam predicted Zardari would ask for $3bn in deferred oil payments from the Saudis, but warned that Pakistan should prepare for IMF assistance.
"If you miss the IMF now, you will need it again some months later, and that time you will have to accept more tough conditions," he said.
Pakistan hopes that its front-line role in the war on terrorism will nudge its allies to prevent its economic downfall.
But Saudi Arabia, the US and other nations may condition any aid they give on Pakistan submitting to an IMF package, which would come with strict spending rules, said Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, a top economist.
Pakistan Finance Ministry chief Shaukat Tareen has said that if he does not get indications of a forthcoming bailout from allies by Nov. 10 "there is no other option but to go to the IMF."
One outlet Tareen and others have turned to is a new group of countries called "Friends of Pakistan," among them the US and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan hopes the group and the World Bank will provide about $5bn to help it avoid the IMF.
But in a recent visit to Pakistan, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the group's "goal was not to throw money on the table," indicating unconditional or even direct financial aid was unlikely.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Zardari's visit to Saudi Arabia would also look at "efforts to counter the menace of terrorism and extremism," an indication that discussions about possibly negotiating with the Taliban may also be on Zardari's agenda.
At a recent meeting, top Afghan and Pakistani officials decided to reach out to the militants whose insurgency has bedeviled their countries. The Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan said the two sides recently had contacts in Saudi Arabia.
Top US military officials have indicated support for negotiation efforts with moderate elements of the Taliban.
Asian nation to start talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrives Tuesday in the oil-rich Arab nation to request a deferral on oil payments and other possible support, the Foreign Ministry said. Another potential topic: Negotiating with the Taliban.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan needs billions in outside assistance to avoid defaulting on its international loans. The impoverished nation of 170 million people is hampered by high inflation, chronic power outages and a sinking currency, as well as a violent Islamist insurgency, all of which threaten to undermine the fledgling pro-US government.
Analysts said Zardari's visit could yield some temporary relief, but that he was unlikely to return with a package that would render moot politically unpopular IMF aid.
An IMF assistance package would likely come with painful requirements to cut government spending that could affect programs for the poor, making it a tough choice for the politicians.
Economist Muzammil Aslam predicted Zardari would ask for $3bn in deferred oil payments from the Saudis, but warned that Pakistan should prepare for IMF assistance.
"If you miss the IMF now, you will need it again some months later, and that time you will have to accept more tough conditions," he said.
Pakistan hopes that its front-line role in the war on terrorism will nudge its allies to prevent its economic downfall.
But Saudi Arabia, the US and other nations may condition any aid they give on Pakistan submitting to an IMF package, which would come with strict spending rules, said Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, a top economist.
Pakistan Finance Ministry chief Shaukat Tareen has said that if he does not get indications of a forthcoming bailout from allies by Nov. 10 "there is no other option but to go to the IMF."
One outlet Tareen and others have turned to is a new group of countries called "Friends of Pakistan," among them the US and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan hopes the group and the World Bank will provide about $5bn to help it avoid the IMF.
But in a recent visit to Pakistan, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said the group's "goal was not to throw money on the table," indicating unconditional or even direct financial aid was unlikely.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Zardari's visit to Saudi Arabia would also look at "efforts to counter the menace of terrorism and extremism," an indication that discussions about possibly negotiating with the Taliban may also be on Zardari's agenda.
At a recent meeting, top Afghan and Pakistani officials decided to reach out to the militants whose insurgency has bedeviled their countries. The Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan said the two sides recently had contacts in Saudi Arabia.
Top US military officials have indicated support for negotiation efforts with moderate elements of the Taliban.
Stop cross-border missile strikes: Pak tells US
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has told the US that cross-border missile strikes in its tribal areas were "unacceptable and must be stopped immediately," lest
they generate anti-America sentiments.
The issue of missile strikes by US drones from Afghanistan which have strained ties between the two countries was taken up by Pakistan's political and military leadership with visiting Gen David H Petraeus, the top US army commander overseeing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Petraeus arrived in Pakistan on Sunday as part of his first international visit after being appointed head of the US Central Command. He is accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher.
During a meeting with the US officials, President Asif Ali Zardari said the missile strikes in the country's tribal belt were "unacceptable and must be stopped immediately", TV channels reported.
A similar stand was adopted by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He told Petraeus and Boucher during a meeting at the army's General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that the missile strikes are counter-productive for the war on terror.
US officials also met Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who asked the US to respect Pakistan's "sovereignty and territorial integrity because the frequent drone attacks could generate anti-America sentiments as well as create outrage and uproar among the people", said a statement from the defence ministry.
they generate anti-America sentiments.
The issue of missile strikes by US drones from Afghanistan which have strained ties between the two countries was taken up by Pakistan's political and military leadership with visiting Gen David H Petraeus, the top US army commander overseeing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Petraeus arrived in Pakistan on Sunday as part of his first international visit after being appointed head of the US Central Command. He is accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher.
During a meeting with the US officials, President Asif Ali Zardari said the missile strikes in the country's tribal belt were "unacceptable and must be stopped immediately", TV channels reported.
A similar stand was adopted by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He told Petraeus and Boucher during a meeting at the army's General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that the missile strikes are counter-productive for the war on terror.
US officials also met Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who asked the US to respect Pakistan's "sovereignty and territorial integrity because the frequent drone attacks could generate anti-America sentiments as well as create outrage and uproar among the people", said a statement from the defence ministry.
Oxford to axe Christmas, celebrate Winter Light Festival
LONDON: In a controversial decision, Council leaders in Oxford have decided to replace the word 'Christmas' with 'Winter Light Festival' from this
year's celebrations to make the series of events more "inclusive".
The idea came from the 'Oxford Inspires', a cultural development agency for Oxfordshire, which was set up to promote culture in the area.
But the decision to axe the word has been criticised by religious leaders and locals describing it as "ludicrous".
"This is the one occasion which everyone looks forward to in the year. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas. I'm angry and very, very disappointed. Christmas is special and we shouldn't ignore it," 'The Observer' quoted Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, as saying.
"Christian people should be offended and 99 per cent of people will be against this. Christmas is part of being British."
Rabbi Eli Bracknell, who teaches at the Jewish Educational Centre, said "It's important to maintain a traditional British Christmas. Anything that waters down traditional culture and Christianity in the UK is not positive for the British identity."
However, Tei Williams, a press officer for the charity, Oxford Inspires, maintained "In Oxfordshire we have Winter Light which is a whole festival spanning two months. Within that will be Christmas carol services."
Deputy leader of the Council Ed Turner said: "There's going to be a Christmas tree, and even if the lights are called something else to me they will be Christmas lights."
year's celebrations to make the series of events more "inclusive".
The idea came from the 'Oxford Inspires', a cultural development agency for Oxfordshire, which was set up to promote culture in the area.
But the decision to axe the word has been criticised by religious leaders and locals describing it as "ludicrous".
"This is the one occasion which everyone looks forward to in the year. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas. I'm angry and very, very disappointed. Christmas is special and we shouldn't ignore it," 'The Observer' quoted Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, as saying.
"Christian people should be offended and 99 per cent of people will be against this. Christmas is part of being British."
Rabbi Eli Bracknell, who teaches at the Jewish Educational Centre, said "It's important to maintain a traditional British Christmas. Anything that waters down traditional culture and Christianity in the UK is not positive for the British identity."
However, Tei Williams, a press officer for the charity, Oxford Inspires, maintained "In Oxfordshire we have Winter Light which is a whole festival spanning two months. Within that will be Christmas carol services."
Deputy leader of the Council Ed Turner said: "There's going to be a Christmas tree, and even if the lights are called something else to me they will be Christmas lights."
Britain hails its new superstar in Lewis Hamilton
LONDON: Britain hailed a new hero on Monday after Lewis Hamilton was crowned the youngest world champion in the history of Formula One and became
the first Briton to take the title for 12 years.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country would be "thrilled" at the achievements of the 23-year-old, while newspapers praised his progress from a council estate to one of Britain's sporting greats.
"Lewis Hamilton is a true superstar on the world stage. We're proud he's ours," The Sun said.
The heart-stopping Brazilian Grand Prix where Hamilton's boyhood dreams came true Sunday, racing into fifth place on the final lap to clinch the title by one point from Felipe Massa, was hailed as a one of the most exciting ever.
"Putting the nation through the emotional wringer in a manner that seems to be peculiarly British... the young man from Stevenage joins the ranks of true British sporting greats," the Daily Telegraph said.
"It was as good a bit of drama as sport can provide -- and to be frank, Hamilton's result owed a lot to luck," said the Times.
"But it was the culmination of two years of brilliant driving in Formula One, and a short lifetime utterly dedicated to the task he completed yesterday."
The final moments at the Interlagos circuit offered "one of the most exciting finales to a race the sport has ever witnessed," the Daily Mail said.
Damon Hill, who was the last Briton to take the title, in 1996, told Sky News that Hamilton's achievement was "momentous," adding: "He's been through an incredibly tough test and he's come out shining and at the top of the world."
The Sun, Britain's biggest selling newspaper, noted the difficulties the mixed-race Hamilton had faced to win the title, not least racial abuse, and said he was a "once-in-a-generation phenomenon."
Brown, on a visit to the Gulf region, said: "I think the whole country is thrilled by his exceptional talent. I think the whole of Britain are proud of the inspirational Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team."
David Cameron, the leader of the main opposition Conservatives, also heaped praise on Hamilton, saying: "He is now officially a British sporting legend and a role model for what you can achieve if you follow your dream."
Several newspapers speculated on the riches that are likely to follow Hamilton's crowning as F1 champion, with the Financial Times noting that his personality, background, talent and youth made him a "marketing dream."
the first Briton to take the title for 12 years.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country would be "thrilled" at the achievements of the 23-year-old, while newspapers praised his progress from a council estate to one of Britain's sporting greats.
"Lewis Hamilton is a true superstar on the world stage. We're proud he's ours," The Sun said.
The heart-stopping Brazilian Grand Prix where Hamilton's boyhood dreams came true Sunday, racing into fifth place on the final lap to clinch the title by one point from Felipe Massa, was hailed as a one of the most exciting ever.
"Putting the nation through the emotional wringer in a manner that seems to be peculiarly British... the young man from Stevenage joins the ranks of true British sporting greats," the Daily Telegraph said.
"It was as good a bit of drama as sport can provide -- and to be frank, Hamilton's result owed a lot to luck," said the Times.
"But it was the culmination of two years of brilliant driving in Formula One, and a short lifetime utterly dedicated to the task he completed yesterday."
The final moments at the Interlagos circuit offered "one of the most exciting finales to a race the sport has ever witnessed," the Daily Mail said.
Damon Hill, who was the last Briton to take the title, in 1996, told Sky News that Hamilton's achievement was "momentous," adding: "He's been through an incredibly tough test and he's come out shining and at the top of the world."
The Sun, Britain's biggest selling newspaper, noted the difficulties the mixed-race Hamilton had faced to win the title, not least racial abuse, and said he was a "once-in-a-generation phenomenon."
Brown, on a visit to the Gulf region, said: "I think the whole country is thrilled by his exceptional talent. I think the whole of Britain are proud of the inspirational Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team."
David Cameron, the leader of the main opposition Conservatives, also heaped praise on Hamilton, saying: "He is now officially a British sporting legend and a role model for what you can achieve if you follow your dream."
Several newspapers speculated on the riches that are likely to follow Hamilton's crowning as F1 champion, with the Financial Times noting that his personality, background, talent and youth made him a "marketing dream."
Two runners die after finishing NYC marathon
NEW YORK: Two runners died after completing the New York City Marathon, one shortly after crossing the finish line and the other several hours
later.
Carlos Jose Gomes, a 58-year-old Brazilian, had just completed the race on Sunday when he complained about feeling ill, police said.
He was taken by ambulance to a Manhattan hospital, where he died. The cause was a heart attack, the medical examiner's office said on Monday. The identity and cause of death of the other runner were not disclosed.
At least two other competitors became ill during the run and had to be hospitalised. More than 38,000 runners took part.
"There's nothing harder for us than when one of our participants doesn't make it home at the end of the day," said Mary Wittenberg, president of New York Road Runners, the race organizer. "We express our deepest condolences to the athletes' families."
The previous fatality at the race was in 1994, she said.
later.
Carlos Jose Gomes, a 58-year-old Brazilian, had just completed the race on Sunday when he complained about feeling ill, police said.
He was taken by ambulance to a Manhattan hospital, where he died. The cause was a heart attack, the medical examiner's office said on Monday. The identity and cause of death of the other runner were not disclosed.
At least two other competitors became ill during the run and had to be hospitalised. More than 38,000 runners took part.
"There's nothing harder for us than when one of our participants doesn't make it home at the end of the day," said Mary Wittenberg, president of New York Road Runners, the race organizer. "We express our deepest condolences to the athletes' families."
The previous fatality at the race was in 1994, she said.
Sarah Palin cleared in power abuse probe
WASHINGTON: A state personnel board said on Monday that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin did not abuse her office as governor of
Alaska in the "Troopergate" case, rejecting the findings of an earlier probe by the state legislature.
"There is no probable cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act by making the decision to dismiss Department of Public Safety Commissioner (Walt) Monegan and offering him instead the position of Director of the Alaska Beverage Control Board," the board said in its report.
Earlier, the legislature found Palin had violated ethics rules when she dismissed Monegan in July, allegedly because he refused to fire a state trooper, her former brother-in-law.
Palin requested the second investigation be conducted by the state personnel board after alleging the legislative probe was politically motivated.
Alaska in the "Troopergate" case, rejecting the findings of an earlier probe by the state legislature.
"There is no probable cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act by making the decision to dismiss Department of Public Safety Commissioner (Walt) Monegan and offering him instead the position of Director of the Alaska Beverage Control Board," the board said in its report.
Earlier, the legislature found Palin had violated ethics rules when she dismissed Monegan in July, allegedly because he refused to fire a state trooper, her former brother-in-law.
Palin requested the second investigation be conducted by the state personnel board after alleging the legislative probe was politically motivated.
Gunmen kill Mexican police chief in border city
MEXICO CITY: Gunmen killed a state police chief in the Mexican border city of Nogales, and the bodies of six men were found in a vegetable warehouse
in Tijuana, officials reported on Monday.
Sonora police director Juan Manuel Pavon Felix was riddled with bullets as he entered a hotel Sunday night with his bodyguard and other officers, according to a statement from the state investigative police office.
The statement said Pavon had just finished directing police operations in the city. It did not give further details, and a spokesman at the investigative police office Monday said he did not have more information.
Scores of soldiers and police officers have been killed in escalating drug violence across Mexico.
On Monday, police in the border city of Tijuana reported finding six bullet-ridden bodies in a vegetable warehouse there.
A state prosecutors' statement said the bodies were piled up in one part of the warehouse and that over 100 shell casings from assault rifles were found at the scene.
The bodies of three other men were found in a sport utility vehicle on a Tijuana street on Sunday. All had apparently been shot to death.
in Tijuana, officials reported on Monday.
Sonora police director Juan Manuel Pavon Felix was riddled with bullets as he entered a hotel Sunday night with his bodyguard and other officers, according to a statement from the state investigative police office.
The statement said Pavon had just finished directing police operations in the city. It did not give further details, and a spokesman at the investigative police office Monday said he did not have more information.
Scores of soldiers and police officers have been killed in escalating drug violence across Mexico.
On Monday, police in the border city of Tijuana reported finding six bullet-ridden bodies in a vegetable warehouse there.
A state prosecutors' statement said the bodies were piled up in one part of the warehouse and that over 100 shell casings from assault rifles were found at the scene.
The bodies of three other men were found in a sport utility vehicle on a Tijuana street on Sunday. All had apparently been shot to death.
US auto sales hit 25-yr low, Europe outlook bleak
DETROIT: US auto sales plunged 32% in October to lows unseen in a quarter-century, led by a 45% drop at General Motors Corp in a sales collapse that
hit every major automaker and offered little sign that the industry has hit bottom in its largest market.
Hurt by tighter terms on auto financing by skittish banks and finance companies and the worsening economy, US auto sales fell to their weakest month since February 1983, sales data released on Monday showed.
The decline in US October sales represented the first results since word emerged last month of merger talks between GM and Chrysler LLC and seemed certain to strengthen calls for a new government aid package for the embattled US industry.
Auto sales for four European countries reporting on Monday showed the spreading effect of the slowdown. Sales fell 40% in Spain and 19% in Italy. The United States, the world's largest vehicle market, remains at the industry's vortex. October represented the weakest month for US auto sales on a per-capita basis since the end of World War Two, GM said.
Sales for Toyota Motor Co dropped 23%, and Honda Motor Co fell 25%, though a weaker yen helped the companies' shares gain in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Ford Motor Co sales slid 30%, Nissan Motor Co tumbled 33% and Chrysler LLC fell 35%. "The financial crisis has generated an abrupt constraint on economic activity," said Ford economist Emily Kolinski Morris.
Ford said it could reduce production of passenger cars and crossover vehicles in the coming weeks by cutting overtime and suspending work at some of its plants.
Industry-wide US sales of cars and light trucks dropped to 838,156 in October after falling below the 1 million threshold in September for the first time in 15 years.
It marked the twelfth consecutive monthly sales decline. In the annualized terms tracked by analysts, the auto industry recorded a US sales rate of just under 10.6 million vehicles a year in October, down from over 16 million in the same month last year, Autodata Corp said.
MORE DISCOUNTS
That raised the stakes for an immediate and more aggressive round of discounting in November and December as automakers prepared to clear remaining 2008 model vehicles in exchange for cut-rate financing and other incentives. GM said it would roll out a "Red Tag" sale with lower vehicle prices and cash-back offers starting on Tuesday.
Toyota, which has overtaken GM as the global auto sales leader, extended a zero-percent financing offer it had launched in October and backed by a high-profile ad campaign aimed at capitalizing on the relative strength of its financing arm.
Nissan launched its own zero-percent offer for November and December, saying the financing deal would help its own results move higher from October levels.
Jesse Toprak, an analyst with Edmunds.com, said the US market could steady over the remainder of 2008 but said it would take until 2010 for a real recovery. "A lot of consumers are now waiting for the dust to settle and instead of making big ticket item purchases like a car, they are waiting for more certainty in the marketplace and some signs of hope for a recovery," he said.
Toyota shares rose 4.8% to 3,910 yen on Tuesday and Honda shares gained 3.3% to 2,480 yen. Nissan tumbled 7.3% to 457 yen, hurt by a profit warning on Friday.
A LOST SALE FOR EVERY PURSE AND PURPOSE
The US sales decline hit everything from budget-minded brands to the most expensive luxury nameplates. Sales at mass market Hyundai Motor Co fell 31% while its affiliate Kia fell 39%.
At the high end, sales for Porsche halved, while Lamborghini and Bentley posted declines of over 60%. Citing an "unprecedented credit crunch," GM's North American sales chief Mark LaNeve said cutbacks on leasing and consumer financing at GM's affiliated financing company GMAC were responsible for about half of GM's monthly sales drop.
"It was like someone turned off the lights in the month of October," LaNeve said. GM had sought some $10 billion in government aid to support the merger, a request the US Treasury Department rebuffed last week.
That put the focus on whatever support the industry can win from the incoming White House after Tuesday's presidential vote, people familiar with the talks have said.
A trade group representing US auto parts suppliers on Monday urged the Bush administration to create a new loan guarantee program for the industry, adding to the chorus of industry backers calling for urgent government aid. Chrysler sales chief Jim Press said he expected that it could take another year and a half before automakers started to see substantial sales gains, but held out hope that October would represent the low-point of the downturn.
"At some point you have to sort of hit the bottom of the bathtub and in October we may have got there," he said. "We now think the future won't be any worse, and it may be better." Sales were expected to fall by at least 10% in Germany, Europe's largest economy, when official figures are released. Sales in Canada bucked the downtrend, edging up by 1.5% to 122,711 vehicles, boosted by price reductions.
hit every major automaker and offered little sign that the industry has hit bottom in its largest market.
Hurt by tighter terms on auto financing by skittish banks and finance companies and the worsening economy, US auto sales fell to their weakest month since February 1983, sales data released on Monday showed.
The decline in US October sales represented the first results since word emerged last month of merger talks between GM and Chrysler LLC and seemed certain to strengthen calls for a new government aid package for the embattled US industry.
Auto sales for four European countries reporting on Monday showed the spreading effect of the slowdown. Sales fell 40% in Spain and 19% in Italy. The United States, the world's largest vehicle market, remains at the industry's vortex. October represented the weakest month for US auto sales on a per-capita basis since the end of World War Two, GM said.
Sales for Toyota Motor Co dropped 23%, and Honda Motor Co fell 25%, though a weaker yen helped the companies' shares gain in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Ford Motor Co sales slid 30%, Nissan Motor Co tumbled 33% and Chrysler LLC fell 35%. "The financial crisis has generated an abrupt constraint on economic activity," said Ford economist Emily Kolinski Morris.
Ford said it could reduce production of passenger cars and crossover vehicles in the coming weeks by cutting overtime and suspending work at some of its plants.
Industry-wide US sales of cars and light trucks dropped to 838,156 in October after falling below the 1 million threshold in September for the first time in 15 years.
It marked the twelfth consecutive monthly sales decline. In the annualized terms tracked by analysts, the auto industry recorded a US sales rate of just under 10.6 million vehicles a year in October, down from over 16 million in the same month last year, Autodata Corp said.
MORE DISCOUNTS
That raised the stakes for an immediate and more aggressive round of discounting in November and December as automakers prepared to clear remaining 2008 model vehicles in exchange for cut-rate financing and other incentives. GM said it would roll out a "Red Tag" sale with lower vehicle prices and cash-back offers starting on Tuesday.
Toyota, which has overtaken GM as the global auto sales leader, extended a zero-percent financing offer it had launched in October and backed by a high-profile ad campaign aimed at capitalizing on the relative strength of its financing arm.
Nissan launched its own zero-percent offer for November and December, saying the financing deal would help its own results move higher from October levels.
Jesse Toprak, an analyst with Edmunds.com, said the US market could steady over the remainder of 2008 but said it would take until 2010 for a real recovery. "A lot of consumers are now waiting for the dust to settle and instead of making big ticket item purchases like a car, they are waiting for more certainty in the marketplace and some signs of hope for a recovery," he said.
Toyota shares rose 4.8% to 3,910 yen on Tuesday and Honda shares gained 3.3% to 2,480 yen. Nissan tumbled 7.3% to 457 yen, hurt by a profit warning on Friday.
A LOST SALE FOR EVERY PURSE AND PURPOSE
The US sales decline hit everything from budget-minded brands to the most expensive luxury nameplates. Sales at mass market Hyundai Motor Co fell 31% while its affiliate Kia fell 39%.
At the high end, sales for Porsche halved, while Lamborghini and Bentley posted declines of over 60%. Citing an "unprecedented credit crunch," GM's North American sales chief Mark LaNeve said cutbacks on leasing and consumer financing at GM's affiliated financing company GMAC were responsible for about half of GM's monthly sales drop.
"It was like someone turned off the lights in the month of October," LaNeve said. GM had sought some $10 billion in government aid to support the merger, a request the US Treasury Department rebuffed last week.
That put the focus on whatever support the industry can win from the incoming White House after Tuesday's presidential vote, people familiar with the talks have said.
A trade group representing US auto parts suppliers on Monday urged the Bush administration to create a new loan guarantee program for the industry, adding to the chorus of industry backers calling for urgent government aid. Chrysler sales chief Jim Press said he expected that it could take another year and a half before automakers started to see substantial sales gains, but held out hope that October would represent the low-point of the downturn.
"At some point you have to sort of hit the bottom of the bathtub and in October we may have got there," he said. "We now think the future won't be any worse, and it may be better." Sales were expected to fall by at least 10% in Germany, Europe's largest economy, when official figures are released. Sales in Canada bucked the downtrend, edging up by 1.5% to 122,711 vehicles, boosted by price reductions.
Man complains wife has pimples, gets divorce
MUMBAI: Pimples can not only wreck your confidence but even your marriage. This is the bitter lesson a Mumbai housewife learnt after her husband
sought divorce, saying he was "traumatized" during his honeymoon by the spurt of acne vulgaris on his new wife's face.
To add to that, the family court, while granting divorce, observed that the "repulsive condition of the wife is undoubtedly tragic for the wife but this is traumatic for the spouse". It also upheld the husband's argument that the pimples prevented him from consummating the marriage. "The woman played a fraud on him (the husband) by not disclosing the fact that she had a disease," said the court.
The only relief for the wife was granted by the Bombay high court, which recently expunged the family court's observations.
Ashwin Shah and Reema Desai (names changed) had an arranged marriage on February 2, 1998, and left for a honeymoon in Mahabaleshwar. Both were in their early twenties and Ashwin was involved in the family business.
According to Ashwin, he could not maintain marital relations as Reema had boils around her mouth. The boils, he said, had burst and were smelly.
According to court documents, Ashwin was enraged to learn that she had "this skin disease since early childhood" but kept it under wraps. He then asked Reema's parents to take her back to the doctor whom she had been consulting. A month later, Reema left for her parents' place on Ashwin's promise to get her back once she was cured.
In May 1998, Reema called up Ashwin and threatened to commit suicide if she was not allowed to return to him. This is when Ashwin sent a notice to her. Meanwhile, Reema lodged a police complaint about her in-laws harassing her for dowry.
When the matter reached the family court, the doctor who treated Reema was summoned. He testified treating the girl for four months after marriage for a skin condition known as 'acne vulgaris'. The doctor also told the court that it was curable and would not cause any hindrance to physical relations between the couple.
However, the court felt that the doctor had met Reema as a patient four months after Ashwin had first noticed the pimples and hence rejected the medical statements. The marriage was declared null and void in the family court's order of April 2002.
For six years thereafter, Reema has battled to get the court's adverse observations on her condition expunged. Terming the observations as "perverse", she wanted them to be quashed. Pimples are curable and don't hamper peaceful co-existence in married life, she said in her petition to the Bombay high court six years back. The petition also questioned the family court judge's decision not to admit her doctor's findings.
After prolonged hearings, the couple recently filed consent terms in the high court. Both parties agreed to withdraw the allegations levelled in the family court. While the high court expunged the family court's observations, Ashwin has agreed to pay Reema Rs 2.5 lakh and withdraw all pending cases.
Reema also pursued a master's degree in the meantime and now works as a teacher.
sought divorce, saying he was "traumatized" during his honeymoon by the spurt of acne vulgaris on his new wife's face.
To add to that, the family court, while granting divorce, observed that the "repulsive condition of the wife is undoubtedly tragic for the wife but this is traumatic for the spouse". It also upheld the husband's argument that the pimples prevented him from consummating the marriage. "The woman played a fraud on him (the husband) by not disclosing the fact that she had a disease," said the court.
The only relief for the wife was granted by the Bombay high court, which recently expunged the family court's observations.
Ashwin Shah and Reema Desai (names changed) had an arranged marriage on February 2, 1998, and left for a honeymoon in Mahabaleshwar. Both were in their early twenties and Ashwin was involved in the family business.
According to Ashwin, he could not maintain marital relations as Reema had boils around her mouth. The boils, he said, had burst and were smelly.
According to court documents, Ashwin was enraged to learn that she had "this skin disease since early childhood" but kept it under wraps. He then asked Reema's parents to take her back to the doctor whom she had been consulting. A month later, Reema left for her parents' place on Ashwin's promise to get her back once she was cured.
In May 1998, Reema called up Ashwin and threatened to commit suicide if she was not allowed to return to him. This is when Ashwin sent a notice to her. Meanwhile, Reema lodged a police complaint about her in-laws harassing her for dowry.
When the matter reached the family court, the doctor who treated Reema was summoned. He testified treating the girl for four months after marriage for a skin condition known as 'acne vulgaris'. The doctor also told the court that it was curable and would not cause any hindrance to physical relations between the couple.
However, the court felt that the doctor had met Reema as a patient four months after Ashwin had first noticed the pimples and hence rejected the medical statements. The marriage was declared null and void in the family court's order of April 2002.
For six years thereafter, Reema has battled to get the court's adverse observations on her condition expunged. Terming the observations as "perverse", she wanted them to be quashed. Pimples are curable and don't hamper peaceful co-existence in married life, she said in her petition to the Bombay high court six years back. The petition also questioned the family court judge's decision not to admit her doctor's findings.
After prolonged hearings, the couple recently filed consent terms in the high court. Both parties agreed to withdraw the allegations levelled in the family court. While the high court expunged the family court's observations, Ashwin has agreed to pay Reema Rs 2.5 lakh and withdraw all pending cases.
Reema also pursued a master's degree in the meantime and now works as a teacher.
US polls: 'Oh what a long strange trip it has been'
WASHINGTON: The United States faces one of the most ennobling moments in its existence when Americans go to the polls on Tuesday morning to elect
their 44th president, with a thoughtful young black man favoured to win over a feisty war veteran of caucasian stock. Talk of being on the edge of an economic precipice has given way momentarily to being on the cusp of history and the dawn of a new era.
Read what you want from the schedules of these three men 24 hours before voting begins in the US presidential election, but here it: President Bush has decamped from the White House to Camp David. Barack Obama is moving inexorably towards the capital from Florida through North Carolina and Virginia, with a final campaign stop just outside Washington DC on Monday night. And John McCain is all over the place - hopping from Florida to Tennessee to Pennsylvania to Indiana to New Mexico to Nevada, and finally ending in Prescott, in his native Arizona for a "Midnight Road to victory" rally.
As always, Election Day is NOT a holiday in the US so people are expected to cast their vote before or after their working hours or take a break in between. Although some 15 million voters have opted for early ballots (which only some states allow), long lines are anticipated in what is expected to be an unprecedented turnout.
It's not a perfect election, much less a perfect democracy. There are so many bugs and flubs in the system, and such scattershot voting procedures, that this correspondent keeps renewing the suggestion he first made during the disastrous Bush-Gore fiasco in 2000: Please, outsource your elections! Still, it's better than what many other countries have -- or don't. And India is no perfect model either.
Plenty of thinking that has gone into the Obama campaign and the pre-election night finale is no exception. His campaign ends in Manassas, Virginia, a few miles south of Washington DC, where the first battle of the Civil War was fought. The suburb offers a good representation of the national demographic profile - about 72 per cent white, 13% black, 10% Hispanic and 4% Asian.
Virginia is also the state that in 1866 decreed that "every person having one-fourth or more Negro blood shall be deemed a coloured person," a standard that was raised to 1/16th in 1910, and finally to the infamous "one-drop rule" under the Virginia Racial Purity Act of 1924 that defines Blacks as persons as "having any trace of African ancestry." Today, a man who is 50 per cent African is poised to win the state, with it, possibly the White House.
As Obama and his campaign reflect on this, well might they muse over a line from a song (Truckin' in the Grateful Dead album American Beauty) that is now recognized by the United States Library of Congress as a national treasure. Mulling about the vicissitudes of life on the road, the Deadheads sang: "Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me; Other times, I can barely see/ Lately it occurs to me ...What a long, strange trip it's been."
Indeed it has been a long strange trip from the cold February day in 2007 when Obama announced his intention to run for president from the steps of the Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. His chances were considered as wispy as his breath-mist that day. A black man in the White House was only in fiction at that point.
Only a little less improbable is the story of John McCain, whose campaign went so broke at one point in time that he fired his closest advisors (because he couldn't pay their salaries) and started flying economy class in commercial airliners -- alone. At 72, he still exhibits the kind of stamina and fighting spirit that tells everyone to not turn off the lights, as much as it tells Obama-philes not to start measuring new drapes for the White House.
May the best man win.
their 44th president, with a thoughtful young black man favoured to win over a feisty war veteran of caucasian stock. Talk of being on the edge of an economic precipice has given way momentarily to being on the cusp of history and the dawn of a new era.
Read what you want from the schedules of these three men 24 hours before voting begins in the US presidential election, but here it: President Bush has decamped from the White House to Camp David. Barack Obama is moving inexorably towards the capital from Florida through North Carolina and Virginia, with a final campaign stop just outside Washington DC on Monday night. And John McCain is all over the place - hopping from Florida to Tennessee to Pennsylvania to Indiana to New Mexico to Nevada, and finally ending in Prescott, in his native Arizona for a "Midnight Road to victory" rally.
As always, Election Day is NOT a holiday in the US so people are expected to cast their vote before or after their working hours or take a break in between. Although some 15 million voters have opted for early ballots (which only some states allow), long lines are anticipated in what is expected to be an unprecedented turnout.
It's not a perfect election, much less a perfect democracy. There are so many bugs and flubs in the system, and such scattershot voting procedures, that this correspondent keeps renewing the suggestion he first made during the disastrous Bush-Gore fiasco in 2000: Please, outsource your elections! Still, it's better than what many other countries have -- or don't. And India is no perfect model either.
Plenty of thinking that has gone into the Obama campaign and the pre-election night finale is no exception. His campaign ends in Manassas, Virginia, a few miles south of Washington DC, where the first battle of the Civil War was fought. The suburb offers a good representation of the national demographic profile - about 72 per cent white, 13% black, 10% Hispanic and 4% Asian.
Virginia is also the state that in 1866 decreed that "every person having one-fourth or more Negro blood shall be deemed a coloured person," a standard that was raised to 1/16th in 1910, and finally to the infamous "one-drop rule" under the Virginia Racial Purity Act of 1924 that defines Blacks as persons as "having any trace of African ancestry." Today, a man who is 50 per cent African is poised to win the state, with it, possibly the White House.
As Obama and his campaign reflect on this, well might they muse over a line from a song (Truckin' in the Grateful Dead album American Beauty) that is now recognized by the United States Library of Congress as a national treasure. Mulling about the vicissitudes of life on the road, the Deadheads sang: "Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me; Other times, I can barely see/ Lately it occurs to me ...What a long, strange trip it's been."
Indeed it has been a long strange trip from the cold February day in 2007 when Obama announced his intention to run for president from the steps of the Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. His chances were considered as wispy as his breath-mist that day. A black man in the White House was only in fiction at that point.
Only a little less improbable is the story of John McCain, whose campaign went so broke at one point in time that he fired his closest advisors (because he couldn't pay their salaries) and started flying economy class in commercial airliners -- alone. At 72, he still exhibits the kind of stamina and fighting spirit that tells everyone to not turn off the lights, as much as it tells Obama-philes not to start measuring new drapes for the White House.
May the best man win.
Asia's 'biggest' mall launches sales campaign in Dec
The model of Jamuna Future Park, which is said to be the biggest shopping mall in Asia.
Jamuna Future Park, which is said to be the biggest shopping mall and entertainment complex in Asia, will kick off its sales campaign in December with a plan to open it for public by July 2010.
Sprawling over 33 acres of land in Baridhara, the park won the clearance of the city development authority, known as Rajuk, on October 21 after a six-year long legal battle.
One of the key objectives of the establishment of the park is to reduce the number of people going abroad for shopping and treatment, Nurul Islam Babul, chairman of the Jamuna Future Park, tod a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.
It would rather attract foreign businessmen and tourists to Bangladesh, he hoped.
The park's projected annual turnover is Tk 40,000 crore.
Babul said space at the park would relatively be expensive, with each square foot costing up to Tk 60,000.
“Small vendors will not be able to afford a shop at the JFP as it will be meant for higher and higher-middle-class people,” he said, expressing his high hope that the gorgeous park would escalate the economy of Bangladesh.
“As the twin tower has improved the image of Malaysia, the world will know Bangladesh by Jamuna Future Park,” said Babul.
The JFP will house over 4,000 shops of local and international brands, a food court with the capacity of 3,000 persons, a well spacious exhibition hall, a cineplex with seven hall rooms and an amusement park.
In addition, a 22-line bowling alley, health club, gymnasium, swimming pool and a banquet hall with the capacity of 500 persons will attract people from home and abroad, the journalists were told.
A five-star hotel and a hospital will be built on the JFP premises.
The centre will have parking spaces for 5,000 cars and is surrounded by a 26-foot ring road in order to allow customers to bring their own vehicles.
The JFP will set up its own power plant with a capacity of 45 megawatts to ensure uninterrupted power supply inside the complex.
An automatic system along with CCTV, auto alarm, surveillance and guard patrolling would ensure security.
Construction of the JFP started in 2001, but political disputes delayed the process.
In February 2007, Babul was arrested under the emergency power rules for anti-state activities
Oil rises above $68, lifted by firm stock markets
AP, Kuala Lumpur
Oil prices rose to nearly $69 a barrel in Asia Monday, rising in tandem with advancing regional equity markets but traders predicted gains may be capped by lingering worries over the health of the global economy.
Light, sweet crude for December delivery rose $1.09 to $68.90 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midmorning in Singapore.
The contract settled at $67.81 on Friday, up $1.85 following a late-session surge on the back of a Wall Street rally.
"Oil prices have edged up this morning in sync with Asian equity markets which are firmer as investor confidence rises," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst at consultancy Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
Oil investors have been tracking equity indexes as a barometer of global economic health. In trading Monday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 5.4 percent, while South Korea's Kospi was up 3.1 percent.
Japan's markets were closed for holiday. Shum said US presidential elections on Tuesday will help erase some uncertainties about future government policies, likely giving a further boost to equity markets and oil futures, especially if there's a convincing win by either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican candidate John McCain.
But persistent concerns that the weak global economy will weigh on oil demand well into 2009 will keep a lid on prices, he said.
Oil prices rose to nearly $69 a barrel in Asia Monday, rising in tandem with advancing regional equity markets but traders predicted gains may be capped by lingering worries over the health of the global economy.
Light, sweet crude for December delivery rose $1.09 to $68.90 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midmorning in Singapore.
The contract settled at $67.81 on Friday, up $1.85 following a late-session surge on the back of a Wall Street rally.
"Oil prices have edged up this morning in sync with Asian equity markets which are firmer as investor confidence rises," said Victor Shum, an energy analyst at consultancy Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
Oil investors have been tracking equity indexes as a barometer of global economic health. In trading Monday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 5.4 percent, while South Korea's Kospi was up 3.1 percent.
Japan's markets were closed for holiday. Shum said US presidential elections on Tuesday will help erase some uncertainties about future government policies, likely giving a further boost to equity markets and oil futures, especially if there's a convincing win by either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican candidate John McCain.
But persistent concerns that the weak global economy will weigh on oil demand well into 2009 will keep a lid on prices, he said.
New US commander in Pakistan for talks
AFP, Islamabad
The new commander of US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, General David Petraeus, was holding talks in Islamabad on Monday with Pakistani officials and military top brass, the US embassy here said.
Petraeus -- newly tasked with responsibility for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan -- arrived in the Pakistani capital Sunday night with Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, acting spokesman Wes Robertson told AFP.
"They're having meetings with Pakistani officials and military leaders," he said. "This was a regular scheduled visit. This is something that has been on the books for quite some time."
No further details were released for security reasons, he added.
The Dawn newspaper said both men were scheduled to meet Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar and Chief of General Staff General Ashfaq Khayani and were likely to drop in on President Asif Ali Zardari.
The News daily added that the pair will also travel to Peshawar, the capital of the troubled North West Frontier Province, to meet local commanders before leaving for Afghanistan.
The new commander of US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, General David Petraeus, was holding talks in Islamabad on Monday with Pakistani officials and military top brass, the US embassy here said.
Petraeus -- newly tasked with responsibility for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan -- arrived in the Pakistani capital Sunday night with Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, acting spokesman Wes Robertson told AFP.
"They're having meetings with Pakistani officials and military leaders," he said. "This was a regular scheduled visit. This is something that has been on the books for quite some time."
No further details were released for security reasons, he added.
The Dawn newspaper said both men were scheduled to meet Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar and Chief of General Staff General Ashfaq Khayani and were likely to drop in on President Asif Ali Zardari.
The News daily added that the pair will also travel to Peshawar, the capital of the troubled North West Frontier Province, to meet local commanders before leaving for Afghanistan.
Myanmar brings warships to explore Bangladesh waters
3 naval ships challenge oil and gas exploration inside Bangladesh territory; Myanmar envoy summoned to hand Dhaka's stern warning
Escorted by two naval warships, Myanmar has arbitrarily deployed four ships for exploring oil and gas in Bangladesh maritime territory Saturday ignoring Bangladesh Navy warnings. Bangladesh Navy has also positioned three ships at the spot.
As Myanmar ignored the warnings, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Towhid Hossain yesterday handed over a protest letter to Myanmar's ambassador in Dhaka Yu Fae Than U demanding withdrawal of the ships from the area until the maritime boundary is clearly demarcated through mutual understanding as per the UN guideline.
According to a press note, the Myanmar ambassador was requested to convey the protest note to his government. Bangladesh requested Myanmar to stop all its activities there as per Bangladesh Government's 1974 Territorial Water and Maritimes Zones Act and added that the government has the right to protect its interest.
Sources said Myanmar's ships started the exploration 50 nautical miles southwest of St Martin's Island. A South Korean company was awarded the oil and gas exploration contract there.
Three naval ships of Bangladesh--BNS Abu Bakar, BNS Madhumati and BNS Nirvoy--went to the spot challenging the Myanmarese ships but the Myanmar Navy responded by alleging that the Bangladesh Navy ships are trespassing.
The commanding officer of BNS Abu Bakar is currently in a dialogue with the officers of Myanmar's naval ships there, sources said.
"The Myanmar Navy told Bangladesh Navy that they have instructions from their government to come to these waters and they suggested that our navy should talk to our high-ups," said a source quoting Bangladesh Navy.
At least 50 people were working in the four exploration ships, two of which are registered in the Bahamas, one in Belize and one in India.
A competent government source said the spot was "well inside" Bangladesh maritime boundary.
Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain told the press yesterday that the dispute could be resolved through dialogue as Bangladesh has very good relations with Myanmar.
Additional Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmood, who led the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime delimitation talks in Dhaka in September, said the matter will be raised at the upcoming talks with Myanmar on November 16 and 17.
Mahmood pointed out that Bangladesh would also ask the South Korean company not to conduct the exploration work in the disputed area.
He added that Bangladesh would also sit with India on the maritime boundary issue later this month.
The Bay of Bengal has become very important, especially after India's discovery of 100 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2005-06 and Myanmar's discovery of seven trillion cubic feet of gas during the same time. India also discovered oil.
The Bay in Bangladesh's territory promises huge natural resources, experts say. The Daily Star reported in 2006 discovery of sedimentary rock oolite that promises oil and gas there.
Escorted by two naval warships, Myanmar has arbitrarily deployed four ships for exploring oil and gas in Bangladesh maritime territory Saturday ignoring Bangladesh Navy warnings. Bangladesh Navy has also positioned three ships at the spot.
As Myanmar ignored the warnings, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Towhid Hossain yesterday handed over a protest letter to Myanmar's ambassador in Dhaka Yu Fae Than U demanding withdrawal of the ships from the area until the maritime boundary is clearly demarcated through mutual understanding as per the UN guideline.
According to a press note, the Myanmar ambassador was requested to convey the protest note to his government. Bangladesh requested Myanmar to stop all its activities there as per Bangladesh Government's 1974 Territorial Water and Maritimes Zones Act and added that the government has the right to protect its interest.
Sources said Myanmar's ships started the exploration 50 nautical miles southwest of St Martin's Island. A South Korean company was awarded the oil and gas exploration contract there.
Three naval ships of Bangladesh--BNS Abu Bakar, BNS Madhumati and BNS Nirvoy--went to the spot challenging the Myanmarese ships but the Myanmar Navy responded by alleging that the Bangladesh Navy ships are trespassing.
The commanding officer of BNS Abu Bakar is currently in a dialogue with the officers of Myanmar's naval ships there, sources said.
"The Myanmar Navy told Bangladesh Navy that they have instructions from their government to come to these waters and they suggested that our navy should talk to our high-ups," said a source quoting Bangladesh Navy.
At least 50 people were working in the four exploration ships, two of which are registered in the Bahamas, one in Belize and one in India.
A competent government source said the spot was "well inside" Bangladesh maritime boundary.
Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain told the press yesterday that the dispute could be resolved through dialogue as Bangladesh has very good relations with Myanmar.
Additional Foreign Secretary MAK Mahmood, who led the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime delimitation talks in Dhaka in September, said the matter will be raised at the upcoming talks with Myanmar on November 16 and 17.
Mahmood pointed out that Bangladesh would also ask the South Korean company not to conduct the exploration work in the disputed area.
He added that Bangladesh would also sit with India on the maritime boundary issue later this month.
The Bay of Bengal has become very important, especially after India's discovery of 100 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2005-06 and Myanmar's discovery of seven trillion cubic feet of gas during the same time. India also discovered oil.
The Bay in Bangladesh's territory promises huge natural resources, experts say. The Daily Star reported in 2006 discovery of sedimentary rock oolite that promises oil and gas there.
CG assures UN chief of credible polls
Military leadership promises him not to intervene, interfere in political process; Ban leaves Dhaka last night
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to the press at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital before leaving for Dubai concluding his tour in Bangladesh. Photo:
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday said the caretaker government gave assurance that it would do its best to hold a credible election in an atmosphere conducive to polls and ensure voters' security.
"I was also assured by the military leadership that they will ensure that the forthcoming election will be free, fair and credible and there will be no intervention and interference in any political process," he said referring to his meeting with the army chief.
Ban Ki-moon was speaking at a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel, ending his two-day visit to Bangladesh.
It is very important that the election is held in December, Ban said, adding, "It should be held in the most fair, credible and transparent manners."
He said, "I told the political parties that they should play a responsible role and there should be fair competition and that they should respect the poll results and have full cooperation based on democratic rules among themselves."
Asked about the UN position on lifting of the state of emergency as being demanded by the country's political parties, the UN chief said he is well aware of the concern and urged the parties to resolve the matter through discussion with the government.
"As a matter of principle we want an atmosphere where people can cast their votes freely without fear," he said, adding that there should be guarantee of free assembly and free movement, which are basic principles to ensuring fair elections.
Ban said, "I saw clearly that democracy belongs in Bangladesh; there is no insurmountable obstacle to ushering in a better, brighter, more sustainable democracy after the elections in December.
"The December ballot is a historic opportunity. Now is the moment to stand against the polarisation and violence that have characterised past elections," he added.
The UN chief said during his meetings with BNP and Awami League leaders he stressed that holding of the election is very important for democracy.
He said, "The government must ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms necessary for a free, fair and credible election are guaranteed. And it must ensure that the elections take place in a peaceful and secure environment."
He said the incoming government would need to reach out to the opposition in parliament while the latter must engage constructively with the new government to consolidate the reforms begun by the current caretaker government, particularly those dedicated to fighting corruption.
Ban said the UN would dispatch a small team of highly capable and prominent individuals who will visit in the coming weeks to assess the conduct of the election and report to him.
The UN chief, who left for New York last evening ending his weeklong tour of the Philippines, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, had a very busy schedule yesterday. He visited the National Mausoleum in Savar, a micro-financing programme in Bogra and a disaster preparedness programme in Sirajganj. He also met with the president, chief adviser, foreign adviser, army chief and leaders of the BNP and Awami League.
He said the UN stands ready to help. "As a friend of Bangladesh, I have an obligation to speak frankly and I hope to lend my advice and personal assistance in any way that I can."
For Bangladesh, he said, much depends on good governance. "Perhaps never before has it been so important for the nation's diverse people and political leaders to pull together--to fight corruption, to uphold the rule of law, to respect institutional checks and balances and to promote democracy.
"This was my message to all I met--government authorities, political parties, civil society leaders and ordinary citizens," he added.
The UN secretary-general said it is in the best interest of the world and the people of Bangladesh to see the country achieve its full potential for democratic development through free and credible elections.
Asked if the UN will set up a special tribunal to try war criminals of the 1971 Liberation War, Ban said first the Bangladesh government needs to have an official position on this issue and then it must make an official request to the UN which will then go through proper procedures.
Turning to his talks with the army chief, he said they discussed how to strengthen the partnership between the UN and Bangladesh, especially in peacekeeping operations.
"I expressed my desire that Bangladesh can contribute more troops to the peacekeeping missions and I got very positive response from the military leadership," Ban Ki-moon said, mentioning that Bangladesh is the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations, with more than 9,000 troops and police officers serving in UN missions.
He also spoke on climate change and global financial crisis.
The UN secretary-general recalled his first visit to Bangladesh in 1975 as a Korean government official. He lauded the warm hospitality of the people of Bangladesh. He said he was impressed to witness the development Bangladesh achieved in the last three decades.
Palin takes prank call from fake French president
TORONTO: Sarah Palin told a Canadian comedian posing as French president Nicolas Sarkozy during a prank call that "maybe in 8 years" she will be
president.
The US vice presidential nominee unwittingly discusses politics, the perils of hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney, and Sarkozy's "beautiful wife," in the telephone call with comedian Marc-Antoine Audette released on Saturday and set to air on Monday on a Quebec radio station.
When the caller tells the Republican in a strong French accent that he can see her as president, she laughs and says: "Maybe in eight years."
Palin campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt confirmed she received the prank call.
"Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie," she said.
The comedian, one half of Canada's popular Masked Avengers duo, drops several clues that the call is a trick. He refers to French singer Johnny Hallyday as his special adviser to the United States and to Canadian singer Steph Carse as Canada's prime minister. In reality, the prime minister is Stephen Harper.
At one point in the conversation, Audette tells Palin that he enjoys hunting and loves "killing those animals."
We should go hunting together," she replies. "I think we could have a lot of fun together as we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone that way."
Audette then responds that they should not invite Cheney along, referring to a 2006 incident in which the vice president accidentally shot a friend with buckshot while quail hunting.
"I'll be a careful shot," she says. Playing off Palin's much-mocked comment in an early television interview that she had insights into foreign policy because "you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," the caller tells her: "You know we have a lot in common also, because except from my house I can see Belgium."
She replies: "Well, see, we're right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes."
Palin praises Sarkozy throughout the call and also mentions his wife Carla Bruni, a model-turned-songwriter.
"You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife," Palin says. "Oh my goodness, you've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours."
Sarkozy has three children with his previous two wives and Bruni has a child from a previous relationship.
The comedian tells Palin, as Sarkozy, that Bruni is "so hot in bed" and then informs her that Bruni has written a song for her about Joe the Plumber called "Du rouge a levres sur une cochonne" _ which actually means "lipstick on a pig."
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama derided his Republican challenger John McCain's call for change in Washington as "lipstick on a pig," days after Palin made a lipstick joke at the Republican convention. The McCain-Palin campaign then released an ad implying Obama was calling Palin a pig with that remark.
He then asks her if Joe the Plumber is her husband, and adds, "we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit."
Joe the Plumber is an Ohio man who has gained fame after McCain used him as an example of an everyday American concerned about Obama's tax plan.
Audette tells the Alaska governor that he loved the "documentary" made about her, and referred to a pornographic movie made by Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt featuring a Palin lookalike.
She answers tentatively, "Oh, good, thank you, yes." The callers then reveal the prank and identify themselves and their radio station.
"Oh, have we been pranked?" Palin asks, before handing the phone to an aide who ends the call.
Later, Audette expressed some remorse for the hoax. "I hope we won't have a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay," he said.
The duo of Audette and Sebastien Trudel has also played pranks on Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, and Britney Spears.
Obama's campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs, commenting on the prank, said: "I'm glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama."
president.
The US vice presidential nominee unwittingly discusses politics, the perils of hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney, and Sarkozy's "beautiful wife," in the telephone call with comedian Marc-Antoine Audette released on Saturday and set to air on Monday on a Quebec radio station.
When the caller tells the Republican in a strong French accent that he can see her as president, she laughs and says: "Maybe in eight years."
Palin campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt confirmed she received the prank call.
"Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie," she said.
The comedian, one half of Canada's popular Masked Avengers duo, drops several clues that the call is a trick. He refers to French singer Johnny Hallyday as his special adviser to the United States and to Canadian singer Steph Carse as Canada's prime minister. In reality, the prime minister is Stephen Harper.
At one point in the conversation, Audette tells Palin that he enjoys hunting and loves "killing those animals."
We should go hunting together," she replies. "I think we could have a lot of fun together as we're getting work done. We could kill two birds with one stone that way."
Audette then responds that they should not invite Cheney along, referring to a 2006 incident in which the vice president accidentally shot a friend with buckshot while quail hunting.
"I'll be a careful shot," she says. Playing off Palin's much-mocked comment in an early television interview that she had insights into foreign policy because "you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska," the caller tells her: "You know we have a lot in common also, because except from my house I can see Belgium."
She replies: "Well, see, we're right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes."
Palin praises Sarkozy throughout the call and also mentions his wife Carla Bruni, a model-turned-songwriter.
"You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife," Palin says. "Oh my goodness, you've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours."
Sarkozy has three children with his previous two wives and Bruni has a child from a previous relationship.
The comedian tells Palin, as Sarkozy, that Bruni is "so hot in bed" and then informs her that Bruni has written a song for her about Joe the Plumber called "Du rouge a levres sur une cochonne" _ which actually means "lipstick on a pig."
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama derided his Republican challenger John McCain's call for change in Washington as "lipstick on a pig," days after Palin made a lipstick joke at the Republican convention. The McCain-Palin campaign then released an ad implying Obama was calling Palin a pig with that remark.
He then asks her if Joe the Plumber is her husband, and adds, "we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit."
Joe the Plumber is an Ohio man who has gained fame after McCain used him as an example of an everyday American concerned about Obama's tax plan.
Audette tells the Alaska governor that he loved the "documentary" made about her, and referred to a pornographic movie made by Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt featuring a Palin lookalike.
She answers tentatively, "Oh, good, thank you, yes." The callers then reveal the prank and identify themselves and their radio station.
"Oh, have we been pranked?" Palin asks, before handing the phone to an aide who ends the call.
Later, Audette expressed some remorse for the hoax. "I hope we won't have a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay," he said.
The duo of Audette and Sebastien Trudel has also played pranks on Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, and Britney Spears.
Obama's campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs, commenting on the prank, said: "I'm glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama."
BMW heiress blackmailed over sex tapes
BERLIN: Germany’s richest woman Susanne Klatten says that she has been blackmailed by a "male acquaintance."
Klatten’s personal spokesman Joerg Appelhans said on Sunday that the BMW heiress approached Munich prosecutors in January to report that she was the victim of fraud and blackmail.
Appelhans says the man threatened to release "images of their encounters together" if the 46-year-old Klatten did not pay him millions of euros.
Anton Winkler, a spokesman for Munich state prosecutors, confirmed that an investigation has been opened.
Klatten owns a major stake in BMW. Forbes magazine listed her as the 68th richest person in the world in 2007, with a personal fortune of around $9.6 billion.
Klatten gained a degree in business finance and then worked for the advertising agency Young & Rubicam in Frankfurt from 1981 to 1983.
On her father’s death she inherited his 50.1% stake in pharmaceutical and chemicals manufacturer Altana.
Klatten’s personal spokesman Joerg Appelhans said on Sunday that the BMW heiress approached Munich prosecutors in January to report that she was the victim of fraud and blackmail.
Appelhans says the man threatened to release "images of their encounters together" if the 46-year-old Klatten did not pay him millions of euros.
Anton Winkler, a spokesman for Munich state prosecutors, confirmed that an investigation has been opened.
Klatten owns a major stake in BMW. Forbes magazine listed her as the 68th richest person in the world in 2007, with a personal fortune of around $9.6 billion.
Klatten gained a degree in business finance and then worked for the advertising agency Young & Rubicam in Frankfurt from 1981 to 1983.
On her father’s death she inherited his 50.1% stake in pharmaceutical and chemicals manufacturer Altana.
Global crisis makes 2008 China's worst year in recent times: Wen
BEIJING: The global financial crisis has made 2008 the worst year for China in recent memory, with growth and inflation posing serious challenges,
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said in a signed article.
"We must be aware that this year is the worst in recent times for our economic development," Wen said in the article, which was carried by Qiushi, a journal published by the Communist Party.
"The global financial turmoil and the economic downturn are getting worse. Inflationary pressure remains large as world oil prices are still at a high level despite some corrections."
"All these negative factors have affected and will continue to affect China," he warned.
China's growth slowed to nine percent in the third quarter of this year, the lowest quarterly figure since the second quarter of 2003, partly due to a slowdown in exports.
China's trade surplus for the first nine months of the year reached $180.9bn, down 2.6% year-on-year, according to customs data.
Wen said maintaining quick growth should "take an even more prominent position" among the government's priorities.
Meanwhile, he called for a continued focus on inflation, which has emerged as a top policy concern over the past year.
"We should fully grasp the harm that inflation can cause to economic growth, people's livelihood and social stability," he said.
The consumer price index rose 4.6% in September from a year earlier, compared with a 12-year high of 8.7% in February.
"We should... increase the focus, flexibility and effectiveness of the macro control policies, so as to maintain a balance between achieving stable and relatively fast economic growth and curbing inflation," Wen said.
China has cut interest rates three times since September, and some analysts are expecting a fourth rate cut before the end of the year.
Authorities have also decided to invest heavily in infrastructure, including $300bn in the nation's rail system, as a stimulus measure.
In his article, Wen also urged a boost to domestic consumption to reduce the country's dependence on exports and therefore its exposure to external risks.
"We have to work hard to alleviate and avoid excessive dependence on foreign demand, because it squeezes the real demand inside the country and increases the risk of external impacts," he said.
"Given the current world economic downturn and the serious export situation, encouraging domestic demand, especially consumption, is particularly important for expanding economic growth potential... and preventing a slowdown."
He added the government would seek to reform the country's income distribution to "ease and remove the worries that had prevented residents from consuming more."
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said in a signed article.
"We must be aware that this year is the worst in recent times for our economic development," Wen said in the article, which was carried by Qiushi, a journal published by the Communist Party.
"The global financial turmoil and the economic downturn are getting worse. Inflationary pressure remains large as world oil prices are still at a high level despite some corrections."
"All these negative factors have affected and will continue to affect China," he warned.
China's growth slowed to nine percent in the third quarter of this year, the lowest quarterly figure since the second quarter of 2003, partly due to a slowdown in exports.
China's trade surplus for the first nine months of the year reached $180.9bn, down 2.6% year-on-year, according to customs data.
Wen said maintaining quick growth should "take an even more prominent position" among the government's priorities.
Meanwhile, he called for a continued focus on inflation, which has emerged as a top policy concern over the past year.
"We should fully grasp the harm that inflation can cause to economic growth, people's livelihood and social stability," he said.
The consumer price index rose 4.6% in September from a year earlier, compared with a 12-year high of 8.7% in February.
"We should... increase the focus, flexibility and effectiveness of the macro control policies, so as to maintain a balance between achieving stable and relatively fast economic growth and curbing inflation," Wen said.
China has cut interest rates three times since September, and some analysts are expecting a fourth rate cut before the end of the year.
Authorities have also decided to invest heavily in infrastructure, including $300bn in the nation's rail system, as a stimulus measure.
In his article, Wen also urged a boost to domestic consumption to reduce the country's dependence on exports and therefore its exposure to external risks.
"We have to work hard to alleviate and avoid excessive dependence on foreign demand, because it squeezes the real demand inside the country and increases the risk of external impacts," he said.
"Given the current world economic downturn and the serious export situation, encouraging domestic demand, especially consumption, is particularly important for expanding economic growth potential... and preventing a slowdown."
He added the government would seek to reform the country's income distribution to "ease and remove the worries that had prevented residents from consuming more."
India's top 10 firms lose Rs 3.17tn in Oct
MUMBAI: Country's top 10 companies, including Reliance Industries and ONGC, witnessed an erosion of over Rs 3.17 trillion from their combined market
capitalisations in October, as the bourses bore the brunt of the global financial crisis.
The combined market cap of the elite club saw an erosion of Rs 3,17,510 crore in the past month dropping to Rs 9,92,000 crore.
With the market witnessing a free-fall last month, the country's most valued firm, Reliance Industries, lost Rs 61,539 crore in its market value and state-run oil producer ONGC lost Rs 79,801 crore in its market value dipping to Rs 1,43,261 crore.
RIL, which announced its second quarter results last week, had dipped below the crucial Rs 2,00,000-crore mark during the month.
Notwithstanding the fall in valuation, the Mukesh Ambani -led firm retained its numero-uno position with Rs 2,15,727 crore market cap on Friday, against Rs 2,77,266 crore on October 1.
The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex lost over 3,200 points in October to end at 9,788.06. The barometer Sensex was quoting at 13,055.67 points on October 1.
Besides, the elite club of top 10 firms, comprising four private sector and six public sector entities, witnessed a shuffle in the rankings, with PSU firm NMDC dipping to the 10th slot from 7th. Also state-run MMTC dipped from the 5th slot, while Bhel moved up to the 8th place from 9th.
According to the list, RIL is followed by ONGC (Rs 1,43,261 crore), Bharti Airtel (Rs 1,23,189 crore) NTPC (Rs 1,15,889 crore), Infosys (Rs 79,099 crore), SBI (Rs 70,439 crore), MMTC (Rs 66,479 crore), BHEL (Rs 62,737 crore), ITC (Rs 58,021 crore), NMDC (Rs 57,032 crore). PTI JD MBH SSA
capitalisations in October, as the bourses bore the brunt of the global financial crisis.
The combined market cap of the elite club saw an erosion of Rs 3,17,510 crore in the past month dropping to Rs 9,92,000 crore.
With the market witnessing a free-fall last month, the country's most valued firm, Reliance Industries, lost Rs 61,539 crore in its market value and state-run oil producer ONGC lost Rs 79,801 crore in its market value dipping to Rs 1,43,261 crore.
RIL, which announced its second quarter results last week, had dipped below the crucial Rs 2,00,000-crore mark during the month.
Notwithstanding the fall in valuation, the Mukesh Ambani -led firm retained its numero-uno position with Rs 2,15,727 crore market cap on Friday, against Rs 2,77,266 crore on October 1.
The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex lost over 3,200 points in October to end at 9,788.06. The barometer Sensex was quoting at 13,055.67 points on October 1.
Besides, the elite club of top 10 firms, comprising four private sector and six public sector entities, witnessed a shuffle in the rankings, with PSU firm NMDC dipping to the 10th slot from 7th. Also state-run MMTC dipped from the 5th slot, while Bhel moved up to the 8th place from 9th.
According to the list, RIL is followed by ONGC (Rs 1,43,261 crore), Bharti Airtel (Rs 1,23,189 crore) NTPC (Rs 1,15,889 crore), Infosys (Rs 79,099 crore), SBI (Rs 70,439 crore), MMTC (Rs 66,479 crore), BHEL (Rs 62,737 crore), ITC (Rs 58,021 crore), NMDC (Rs 57,032 crore). PTI JD MBH SSA
Suicide car bomb kills 8 troops in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's chief army spokesman says a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a group of paramilitary officers near the Afghan border,
killing at least eight troops in the volatile region.
The attack on Sunday occurred near Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a tribal area considered a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban-linked militants.
Pakistan has deployed security forces throughout its northwest to tamp down growing militancy. The troops have been frequent targets of attacks.
Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas says the latest attack occurred at a checkpoint near the main gate of the Zalai Fort, where members of the Frontier Corps were gathered.
killing at least eight troops in the volatile region.
The attack on Sunday occurred near Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, a tribal area considered a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban-linked militants.
Pakistan has deployed security forces throughout its northwest to tamp down growing militancy. The troops have been frequent targets of attacks.
Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas says the latest attack occurred at a checkpoint near the main gate of the Zalai Fort, where members of the Frontier Corps were gathered.
Taliban wants to establish Islamic state in Afghanistan: Report
NEW YORK: Refusing any peace talk with America, a top-ranking Taliban commander has said that his group has waged war against the US-led forces to
create an Islamic State in Afghanistan and to bring Sharia law back to the country, a media report said today.
"There is nothing to talk about. This is not a political campaign for policy change or power sharing or cabinet ministries. We are waging jihad to bring Islamic law back to Afghanistan," Mullah Sabir told Newsweek.
The news magazine said it conducted interview at textile shop on Afghanistan-Pakistan border and identified Sabir as one of the highest ranking commanders but said that he did not want his full name to be used.
The refusal to negotiate comes straight from the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, Sabir was quoted as saying. "The tone of his rejection has been so strong from the first that no one would dare to raise the subject with him."
But Newsweek says Sabir hasn't seen Mullah Omar in years, and he doesn't know of anyone who has. Internet posts released in Mullah Omar's name on Muslim holy days are the only hint that the one-eyed leader is still alive. All the same, Sabir says he and thousands of other Taliban won't stop fighting until they're back in power.
Distrust is spreading in the ranks, Newsweek says, adding that off the battlefield, Taliban fighters wonder aloud what has become of Mullah Omar. Some think he may have been put under house arrestor worse by his second in command and brother-in-law Mullah Baradar.
"He may have removed himself, or someone may have removed him," says a former Mullah Omar aide. "For the past two years, no one that I know has any hard evidence of where he is or what he's doing."
What would Mullah Omar say about mowing down civilians and beheading captives in the name of jihad? The aide asks, describing his former boss as a simple, decent village mullah who was always upset to hear of his men doing bad things.
Everyone seems eager to talk peace in Afghanistan except the only people who can turn the wish into a fact, the magazine comments, pointing out that Taliban's "brutal insurgent ally" Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has endorsed the idea of negotiations; so has the US defence secretary Robert Gates.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah personally hosted an exploratory discussion in Holy city Mecca between Afghan and Pakistani officials and former Taliban members during Ramadan, and last week Afghan and Pakistani tribal elders and politicians held a two-day meeting in Islamabad.
But Mullah Omar's fighters, the magazine says, aren't about to quit while they're on a roll. The number of coalition deaths in Afghanistan since May has exceeded US deaths in Iraq for the first time since the invasion of Iraq. The Afghan insurgency, which seemed as good as dead in 2004, has come back strong.
The Americans, it says, aren't racing to the peace table either, despite Gates' in-principle support for talks.
Big moves are likely to wait until the next US president takes office, and the consensus in any case is that the situation on the ground isn't right yet.
"If you go into these talks when you appear to be militarily weak, you're negotiating a partial surrender," warns Robert Neumann, who was US ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. The hope is that Gen David Petraeus, the architect of the surge strategy in Iraq, will find a way to fix that problem in his new role as commander in chief, US Central Command.
create an Islamic State in Afghanistan and to bring Sharia law back to the country, a media report said today.
"There is nothing to talk about. This is not a political campaign for policy change or power sharing or cabinet ministries. We are waging jihad to bring Islamic law back to Afghanistan," Mullah Sabir told Newsweek.
The news magazine said it conducted interview at textile shop on Afghanistan-Pakistan border and identified Sabir as one of the highest ranking commanders but said that he did not want his full name to be used.
The refusal to negotiate comes straight from the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, Sabir was quoted as saying. "The tone of his rejection has been so strong from the first that no one would dare to raise the subject with him."
But Newsweek says Sabir hasn't seen Mullah Omar in years, and he doesn't know of anyone who has. Internet posts released in Mullah Omar's name on Muslim holy days are the only hint that the one-eyed leader is still alive. All the same, Sabir says he and thousands of other Taliban won't stop fighting until they're back in power.
Distrust is spreading in the ranks, Newsweek says, adding that off the battlefield, Taliban fighters wonder aloud what has become of Mullah Omar. Some think he may have been put under house arrestor worse by his second in command and brother-in-law Mullah Baradar.
"He may have removed himself, or someone may have removed him," says a former Mullah Omar aide. "For the past two years, no one that I know has any hard evidence of where he is or what he's doing."
What would Mullah Omar say about mowing down civilians and beheading captives in the name of jihad? The aide asks, describing his former boss as a simple, decent village mullah who was always upset to hear of his men doing bad things.
Everyone seems eager to talk peace in Afghanistan except the only people who can turn the wish into a fact, the magazine comments, pointing out that Taliban's "brutal insurgent ally" Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has endorsed the idea of negotiations; so has the US defence secretary Robert Gates.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah personally hosted an exploratory discussion in Holy city Mecca between Afghan and Pakistani officials and former Taliban members during Ramadan, and last week Afghan and Pakistani tribal elders and politicians held a two-day meeting in Islamabad.
But Mullah Omar's fighters, the magazine says, aren't about to quit while they're on a roll. The number of coalition deaths in Afghanistan since May has exceeded US deaths in Iraq for the first time since the invasion of Iraq. The Afghan insurgency, which seemed as good as dead in 2004, has come back strong.
The Americans, it says, aren't racing to the peace table either, despite Gates' in-principle support for talks.
Big moves are likely to wait until the next US president takes office, and the consensus in any case is that the situation on the ground isn't right yet.
"If you go into these talks when you appear to be militarily weak, you're negotiating a partial surrender," warns Robert Neumann, who was US ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. The hope is that Gen David Petraeus, the architect of the surge strategy in Iraq, will find a way to fix that problem in his new role as commander in chief, US Central Command.
US Campaign 2008: Fascinating yet forgettable
WASHINGTON: Obama's fist bump. Palin's lipstick. McCain's plumber. Clinton's tears.
We've been through a lot in the two-year slog that will be remembered as Campaign 2008.
Much of it was temporarily fascinating. And at the same time utterly forgettable.
What will endure? What will fade faster than a campaign promise? The answers depend, in part, on who wins Tuesday night. If Barack Obama becomes president, he and Michelle may soon be fist-bumping on the White House portico. See Ninan’s cartoon
If John McCain pulls out a victory, Tina Fey's spot-on send-up of Republican running mate Sarah Palin could well be ``the iconic image of the 2008 election,'' says Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University.
Even if McCain loses, the Fey factor may well have some legs. What does it say that, in the end, one of the most enduring images of the campaign may be a comic's schtick about a vice presidential candidate?
Already, so much of what we've talked about, blogged about, analyzed and dissected is fading from memory.
Remember the mini-tempest over Obama's lipstick-on-a-pig comment, and whether it was a subterranean insult to Palin? Or Hillary Rodham Clinton's gripping account of her arrival in Bosnia under sniper fire, which never happened? Or McCain's ad lumping Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton as just another celebrity? Or the video of John Edwards carefully coifing his hair, set to the music of ``I Feel Pretty?''
We're just getting started. There was Obama's Jay-Z moment when he brushed off his shoulders, giving a visual brush-off to his critics.
And Joe Biden's putdown of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's speeches as nothing more than ``a noun, a verb and 9/11.''
There was Palin's eye-popping announcement during the Republican convention that her unwed teenage daughter was pregnant.
And will.i.am's viral Internet paean to Obama, ``Yes We Can,'' featuring celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and John Legend.
There was Clinton's doomsday ad claiming she was best equipped for the 3 am phone call.
And McCain's Web ad mocking Obama as ``The One.'' (Complete with images of Charlton Heston as Moses parting the Red Sea.'')
There was Obama dancing his way onto the set of ``The Ellen DeGeneres Show.'' (McCain did ``Ellen,'' too, but he didn't dance.)
And McCain planting himself on the couch with the ladies of ``The View.'' (Obama did ``The View,'' too.)
There was the Republican convention chant of ``drill, baby, drill.''
And the Democrats' rejoinder of ``jobs, baby, jobs.'' Obama had Obama Girl. McCain had Joe the Plumber.
Remember Clinton choking up in New Hampshire about what was at stake in the race, and later declaring that was when she'd “found her voice?''
Or Biden waxing on about President Franklin D Roosevelt's TV presence during the 1929 stock market crash- when FDR wasn't president and there wasn't any television?
Or martial arts star Chuck Norris barnstorming for Mike Huckabee? Mike who?
Professor Thompson offers an apt oxymoron for it all. ``They were temporarily iconic.'' You betcha. What will endure? Obama's address on race, way back in March, could well stand the test of time, regardless of whether the Democrat wins or loses.
When his campaign was thrown off-stride by his former pastor's incendiary remarks about race, Obama faced the issue head-on and spoke to the frustrations of Americans of all races: ``The anger is real. It is powerful, and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races,'' he said.
Months later, the 84,000 people who filled Denver's Invesco Field to see Obama become the first black American to accept a major party nomination for president were a sight to be remembered.
For McCain, his most memorable moment may well have come far earlier, when he found redemption in the snows of New Hampshire after losing the Iowa caucuses. His candidacy had been written off not much earlier as essentially dead.
Eric Dezenhall, a public relations expert, nominates a different telling moment for McCain, from the town-hall-style debate in October.
``He was sort of wandering around in the back as Obama was speaking,'' Dezenhall said. ``You have this old guy who just doesn't know what to do.''
The victor's path to the presidency will be well chronicled in future history books.
The losers' treks, no matter how compelling, will get lesser treatment. Except, perhaps, for Obama's historic journey.
For all of the intensity of Clinton's quest to become the first woman president, from the dramatic high of her New Hampshire comeback to her excruciatingly long exit from the race, and all of the drama and silliness in between, says Thompson, ``ask any 18-year-old freshman entering college five years from now about any of those things and I will be very surprised if any of them can tell you anything.''
We've been through a lot in the two-year slog that will be remembered as Campaign 2008.
Much of it was temporarily fascinating. And at the same time utterly forgettable.
What will endure? What will fade faster than a campaign promise? The answers depend, in part, on who wins Tuesday night. If Barack Obama becomes president, he and Michelle may soon be fist-bumping on the White House portico. See Ninan’s cartoon
If John McCain pulls out a victory, Tina Fey's spot-on send-up of Republican running mate Sarah Palin could well be ``the iconic image of the 2008 election,'' says Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University.
Even if McCain loses, the Fey factor may well have some legs. What does it say that, in the end, one of the most enduring images of the campaign may be a comic's schtick about a vice presidential candidate?
Already, so much of what we've talked about, blogged about, analyzed and dissected is fading from memory.
Remember the mini-tempest over Obama's lipstick-on-a-pig comment, and whether it was a subterranean insult to Palin? Or Hillary Rodham Clinton's gripping account of her arrival in Bosnia under sniper fire, which never happened? Or McCain's ad lumping Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton as just another celebrity? Or the video of John Edwards carefully coifing his hair, set to the music of ``I Feel Pretty?''
We're just getting started. There was Obama's Jay-Z moment when he brushed off his shoulders, giving a visual brush-off to his critics.
And Joe Biden's putdown of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's speeches as nothing more than ``a noun, a verb and 9/11.''
There was Palin's eye-popping announcement during the Republican convention that her unwed teenage daughter was pregnant.
And will.i.am's viral Internet paean to Obama, ``Yes We Can,'' featuring celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and John Legend.
There was Clinton's doomsday ad claiming she was best equipped for the 3 am phone call.
And McCain's Web ad mocking Obama as ``The One.'' (Complete with images of Charlton Heston as Moses parting the Red Sea.'')
There was Obama dancing his way onto the set of ``The Ellen DeGeneres Show.'' (McCain did ``Ellen,'' too, but he didn't dance.)
And McCain planting himself on the couch with the ladies of ``The View.'' (Obama did ``The View,'' too.)
There was the Republican convention chant of ``drill, baby, drill.''
And the Democrats' rejoinder of ``jobs, baby, jobs.'' Obama had Obama Girl. McCain had Joe the Plumber.
Remember Clinton choking up in New Hampshire about what was at stake in the race, and later declaring that was when she'd “found her voice?''
Or Biden waxing on about President Franklin D Roosevelt's TV presence during the 1929 stock market crash- when FDR wasn't president and there wasn't any television?
Or martial arts star Chuck Norris barnstorming for Mike Huckabee? Mike who?
Professor Thompson offers an apt oxymoron for it all. ``They were temporarily iconic.'' You betcha. What will endure? Obama's address on race, way back in March, could well stand the test of time, regardless of whether the Democrat wins or loses.
When his campaign was thrown off-stride by his former pastor's incendiary remarks about race, Obama faced the issue head-on and spoke to the frustrations of Americans of all races: ``The anger is real. It is powerful, and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races,'' he said.
Months later, the 84,000 people who filled Denver's Invesco Field to see Obama become the first black American to accept a major party nomination for president were a sight to be remembered.
For McCain, his most memorable moment may well have come far earlier, when he found redemption in the snows of New Hampshire after losing the Iowa caucuses. His candidacy had been written off not much earlier as essentially dead.
Eric Dezenhall, a public relations expert, nominates a different telling moment for McCain, from the town-hall-style debate in October.
``He was sort of wandering around in the back as Obama was speaking,'' Dezenhall said. ``You have this old guy who just doesn't know what to do.''
The victor's path to the presidency will be well chronicled in future history books.
The losers' treks, no matter how compelling, will get lesser treatment. Except, perhaps, for Obama's historic journey.
For all of the intensity of Clinton's quest to become the first woman president, from the dramatic high of her New Hampshire comeback to her excruciatingly long exit from the race, and all of the drama and silliness in between, says Thompson, ``ask any 18-year-old freshman entering college five years from now about any of those things and I will be very surprised if any of them can tell you anything.''
Police shot Haryana youth without provocation, claims family
BHIWANI, HARYANA: A 22-year-old youth was shot dead by the police "without provocation" when he was returning from a party early on Monday, his
family claimed. The police, however, said Kuldeep was killed in accidental firing.
The main accused, constable Karmbir, has been arrested and a case registered against seven other personnel of Hisar's Hansi police, Bhiwani SP Sanjay Singh said. This was after the killing sparked violent protests in the area with mobs damaging police vehicles. Kuldeep was a student of Vaish College here.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, District Magistrate Satya Prakash said.
Kuldeep's brother Vikas, who along with another friend was with the victim when the incident occurred, claimed that they were proceeding towards their house on a motorcycle when a police van suddenly stopped them. He said some of the personnel in the van were in plain clothes.
One of them fired at Kudeep "from point blank range without provocation", Vikas claimed. He said after the firing, the police inquired about their whereabouts. Kuldeep died on the spot, he claimed, adding the police team fled from the site.
Hukam Singh, who was also travelling with the two brothers, alleged that the policemen were in an inebriated state and manhandled them before firing at Kuldeep.
However, Hisar Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Rao said, "it is a case of accidental fire and not an encounter." The constable's gun went off accidentally as the "the condition of the road was not good", he claimed.
Rao said that police had stopped the youths as it had information that one Dara Singh, a prime suspect in a robbery case of Rs 2.16 lakh in Sorkhi village in May, was in Bhiwani.
When the police signalled the motorcycle to stop at midnight, the youths tried to flee.
family claimed. The police, however, said Kuldeep was killed in accidental firing.
The main accused, constable Karmbir, has been arrested and a case registered against seven other personnel of Hisar's Hansi police, Bhiwani SP Sanjay Singh said. This was after the killing sparked violent protests in the area with mobs damaging police vehicles. Kuldeep was a student of Vaish College here.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, District Magistrate Satya Prakash said.
Kuldeep's brother Vikas, who along with another friend was with the victim when the incident occurred, claimed that they were proceeding towards their house on a motorcycle when a police van suddenly stopped them. He said some of the personnel in the van were in plain clothes.
One of them fired at Kudeep "from point blank range without provocation", Vikas claimed. He said after the firing, the police inquired about their whereabouts. Kuldeep died on the spot, he claimed, adding the police team fled from the site.
Hukam Singh, who was also travelling with the two brothers, alleged that the policemen were in an inebriated state and manhandled them before firing at Kuldeep.
However, Hisar Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Rao said, "it is a case of accidental fire and not an encounter." The constable's gun went off accidentally as the "the condition of the road was not good", he claimed.
Rao said that police had stopped the youths as it had information that one Dara Singh, a prime suspect in a robbery case of Rs 2.16 lakh in Sorkhi village in May, was in Bhiwani.
When the police signalled the motorcycle to stop at midnight, the youths tried to flee.
Responsible role of parties vital to hold free, fair polls
Boucher tells Hasina
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher yesterday urged the political parties in Bangladesh to “act responsibly” to ensure a free and fair conduct of the December 18 national election.
He also said there is no confusion that the polls will be held on schedule.
He made the observations while meeting Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina at his Washington office yesterday, report US-based news agencies News World and American News Agency (ANA).
The AL chief, who was accompanied by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said holding of the election in time is crucially important for the country's democratic institutions.
Boucher, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, said on several occasions the caretaker administration has told the US government that they are committed to holding the election on December 18.
In response, his country has pledged all-out support in accomplishing the goal, he continued.
They are keeping a close watch on the overall situation. There seems to be no obstacles to holding the polls. Still, the political parties will have to act responsibly.
Hasina, however, pointed out a number of problems in organising a free, fair and credible election. Those include the state of emergency and re-demarcation of constituencies.
She told Boucher that writ petitions against the delimitation are still pending at the highest court, and that she is afraid those could provide the pretext for delaying the election.
She said her party thinks the election should be held as per the previous boundaries [of the constituencies] in the event of the re-demarcation issue not being solved timely.
The former prime minister said elections under a state of emergency cannot be free and fair. The emergency rules being in force during the election time might through into question the acceptability of the polls.
She also said the Election Commission must hand voter rolls with photographs to the polling agents to help identify the ones who would try to cast fake votes.
Ambassador Boucher said they too want the state of emergency to be lifted before the election.
He enquired about Hasina's health and wished her quick recovery.
HASINA, MENON MEET
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon met Hasina at Joy's residence in Washington. Among other issues, the latest political situation back home, upcoming election, electoral alliance, price hike of essentials, and war criminals came up for discussion.
Both the leaders stressed the need for building a secular society and resisting the anti-Liberation War forces.
Menon told ANA that the AL-led 14-party combine will meet immediately after Hasina's return home. He said she might return on November 9 or 10.
Meanwhile, Hasina will address the leaders and workers of the US chapter of her party tomorrow in Virginia. She is scheduled to leave for London on November 3.
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher yesterday urged the political parties in Bangladesh to “act responsibly” to ensure a free and fair conduct of the December 18 national election.
He also said there is no confusion that the polls will be held on schedule.
He made the observations while meeting Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina at his Washington office yesterday, report US-based news agencies News World and American News Agency (ANA).
The AL chief, who was accompanied by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said holding of the election in time is crucially important for the country's democratic institutions.
Boucher, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, said on several occasions the caretaker administration has told the US government that they are committed to holding the election on December 18.
In response, his country has pledged all-out support in accomplishing the goal, he continued.
They are keeping a close watch on the overall situation. There seems to be no obstacles to holding the polls. Still, the political parties will have to act responsibly.
Hasina, however, pointed out a number of problems in organising a free, fair and credible election. Those include the state of emergency and re-demarcation of constituencies.
She told Boucher that writ petitions against the delimitation are still pending at the highest court, and that she is afraid those could provide the pretext for delaying the election.
She said her party thinks the election should be held as per the previous boundaries [of the constituencies] in the event of the re-demarcation issue not being solved timely.
The former prime minister said elections under a state of emergency cannot be free and fair. The emergency rules being in force during the election time might through into question the acceptability of the polls.
She also said the Election Commission must hand voter rolls with photographs to the polling agents to help identify the ones who would try to cast fake votes.
Ambassador Boucher said they too want the state of emergency to be lifted before the election.
He enquired about Hasina's health and wished her quick recovery.
HASINA, MENON MEET
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon met Hasina at Joy's residence in Washington. Among other issues, the latest political situation back home, upcoming election, electoral alliance, price hike of essentials, and war criminals came up for discussion.
Both the leaders stressed the need for building a secular society and resisting the anti-Liberation War forces.
Menon told ANA that the AL-led 14-party combine will meet immediately after Hasina's return home. He said she might return on November 9 or 10.
Meanwhile, Hasina will address the leaders and workers of the US chapter of her party tomorrow in Virginia. She is scheduled to leave for London on November 3.
CA for combined move to minimise fallout
Global Financial Crisis
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called upon everyone to work together to minimise the impacts of the global financial meltdown to achieve a sustainable global economic development.
The country needs to switch on the economic drivers that can bring about an inclusive world economic order, he said at the inaugural session of the two-day long International Business Conference at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
"Such drivers include innovative entrepreneurship, pragmatic business strategies, non-polluting manufacturing process, renewable sources of energy, productive labour and seamless flow of labour, technology and capital across the borders," Fakhruddin said.
"Our vision for sustainable growth in the coming years will remain largely unachieved if we fail to put in place as set of participatory and accountable, coherent and coordinated global institutions," he said on tackling the adverse impacts of global climate change, saving Asian economies from the negative trends of global economic crisis and cross border conflicts.
In recent period, people have witnessed diverse sets of global factors, which have precipitated food insecurity, energy crisis, commodity price boom and currently, financial meltdown, he said. At the same time, multilateral trade talks remain at bay and flow of overseas development assistance show declining trend, he added.
"Given the emerging global economic situation, I think the envisaged brainstorming is very pertinent particularly for developing countries like Bangladesh. For Bangladesh especially, this conference comes at a very important moment of its democratic transition as the country prepares for national election," the chief adviser said.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organised the conference with the slogan "The next 15 years, a vision for growth" to mark the chamber's 50th founding anniversary.
Finance and Planning Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, Commerce and Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, UNCTAD Secretary General Supachai Panitchpakdi, and International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC-B) President Mahbubur Rahman also spoke at the inaugural session.
Mirza Aziz said the indomitable private sector of the country is helping a lot in achieving the millennium development goals within next decade or earlier.
The government has already formed Bangladesh Better Business Forum and Regulatory Reforms Commission to facilitate businesses, he added.
Adviser Hossain Zillur urged businessmen to work confidently to face the crisis of global financial turmoil although he said the time may be hard for businessmen in two contexts--the global financial recession and the upcoming parliamentary election.
Terming the global financial recession a "crisis of confidence", he said the dream of economic graduation of the country becoming a mid-income country is possible if everybody works confidently.
He said the nation is eagerly waiting to hold a general election as a transition to the democratic process. "As we face risky times, we should not forget to pick the opportunities from the risks," said Hossain Zillur.
ICC-B President Mahbubur Rahman said, "In the path of development for the next 15 years, we will have to keep in mind three issues--the current financial crisis and its impacts on the economy, the emerging role of Asia and the possible niches for countries like Bangladesh."
Asia is the new centre of gravity of the global economy, he said, adding that Bangladesh with its rapidly growing economy has weathered many challenges, emerging even stronger from each experience.
"Against all odds, and despite inadequate supportive infrastructure, our private sector has matured and become globally competitive," Mahbubur Rahman said.
Earlier, in his welcome speech DCCI President Hossain Khaled narrated a brief history of the DCCI.
The chief adviser signed a commemorative stamp released on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the DCCI.
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called upon everyone to work together to minimise the impacts of the global financial meltdown to achieve a sustainable global economic development.
The country needs to switch on the economic drivers that can bring about an inclusive world economic order, he said at the inaugural session of the two-day long International Business Conference at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
"Such drivers include innovative entrepreneurship, pragmatic business strategies, non-polluting manufacturing process, renewable sources of energy, productive labour and seamless flow of labour, technology and capital across the borders," Fakhruddin said.
"Our vision for sustainable growth in the coming years will remain largely unachieved if we fail to put in place as set of participatory and accountable, coherent and coordinated global institutions," he said on tackling the adverse impacts of global climate change, saving Asian economies from the negative trends of global economic crisis and cross border conflicts.
In recent period, people have witnessed diverse sets of global factors, which have precipitated food insecurity, energy crisis, commodity price boom and currently, financial meltdown, he said. At the same time, multilateral trade talks remain at bay and flow of overseas development assistance show declining trend, he added.
"Given the emerging global economic situation, I think the envisaged brainstorming is very pertinent particularly for developing countries like Bangladesh. For Bangladesh especially, this conference comes at a very important moment of its democratic transition as the country prepares for national election," the chief adviser said.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organised the conference with the slogan "The next 15 years, a vision for growth" to mark the chamber's 50th founding anniversary.
Finance and Planning Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, Commerce and Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, UNCTAD Secretary General Supachai Panitchpakdi, and International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC-B) President Mahbubur Rahman also spoke at the inaugural session.
Mirza Aziz said the indomitable private sector of the country is helping a lot in achieving the millennium development goals within next decade or earlier.
The government has already formed Bangladesh Better Business Forum and Regulatory Reforms Commission to facilitate businesses, he added.
Adviser Hossain Zillur urged businessmen to work confidently to face the crisis of global financial turmoil although he said the time may be hard for businessmen in two contexts--the global financial recession and the upcoming parliamentary election.
Terming the global financial recession a "crisis of confidence", he said the dream of economic graduation of the country becoming a mid-income country is possible if everybody works confidently.
He said the nation is eagerly waiting to hold a general election as a transition to the democratic process. "As we face risky times, we should not forget to pick the opportunities from the risks," said Hossain Zillur.
ICC-B President Mahbubur Rahman said, "In the path of development for the next 15 years, we will have to keep in mind three issues--the current financial crisis and its impacts on the economy, the emerging role of Asia and the possible niches for countries like Bangladesh."
Asia is the new centre of gravity of the global economy, he said, adding that Bangladesh with its rapidly growing economy has weathered many challenges, emerging even stronger from each experience.
"Against all odds, and despite inadequate supportive infrastructure, our private sector has matured and become globally competitive," Mahbubur Rahman said.
Earlier, in his welcome speech DCCI President Hossain Khaled narrated a brief history of the DCCI.
The chief adviser signed a commemorative stamp released on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the DCCI.
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