Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Fresh twin blasts in Dagestan

The local police chief twelve people were killed and more than 29 injured Wednesday in two successive blasts in Kizlyar town in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan. Kizlyar town twelve people have died in the blasts, near school at car parking according to local media.Local police chief Vitaly Vedernikov was also killed in suicide attack by a man in police uniform.The first blast took place at around 8.30 am (1000 IST) when a car parked on the street near a school and packed with explosives was blown up by its driver.As police officers and residents gathered at the scene there was a second blast half an hour later by a man who was wearing police uniform.There were no children in the school. Three cars parked near by were gutted.Authorities have launched investigations into the blasts.

Dagestan and other Caucasian regions neighbouring restive Chechnya, become frequent targets of militant violence directed against the law enforcement agencies.
On Monday, two female suicide bombers killed 39 in attacks on the Moscow metro which the authorities have linked to militants from the North Caucasus.Putin to launch hunt for the blast organizers, hints Af-Pak elements.

A single terrorist group may be behind the bombings in Moscow and Dagestan, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday."I do not rule out that this is one and the same group," Putin said at a government session.

The premier ordered that the relatives of those killed and injured in the Kizlyar blasts receive the same financial aid as relatives of victims of the Moscow bombings.Putin also ordered Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to strengthen police units in the North Caucasus. Nurgaliyev vowed to increase security in areas of strategic importance and crowded public places in Dagestan earlier on Wednesday.

The president of Dagestan, Magomedsalam Magomedov, said the terrorist attacks in Moscow and Kizlyar are "links in the same chain."As many as 12 people were killed and 29 injured in twin blasts in the town of Kizlyar in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Wednesday morning.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Tuesday ordered security agencies to "scrap out from the bottom of the sewers" those responsible for the twin attacks that killed 39 people, even as Moscow hinted that militants trained at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border could be behind the blasts.Putin's strong comments came as police scrambled hard to nab the perpetrators of the twin suicide bombings suspected to have been carried out by two Chechen women on Moscow metro.

"We know that in the given situation they (terrorists) are hiding on the bottom, but it is a prestige issue for the law enforcement agencies to pick them out in to the sunlight from the bottom of the stinking sewer. And I am confident that this will be done," Putin said.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow is well informed about the so-called "no-man's land" on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the terrorist underground has entrenched itself.

"We know that many terrorist attacks - not only in Afghanistan, but in other countries too - are plotted in that area... Sometimes, the trail leads to the Caucasus," Lavrov said.Addressing a Cabinet meeting convened to discuss security arrangements on the public transport system, Putin told the security agencies that it was a "prestige issue" for them to locate the organizers of Monday's attacks.

Putin, in his televised remarks, noted that one of the blown carriages of metro train had CCTV camera, which could not prevent the terror act, but was helpful in locating the organizers.President Dmitry Medvedev pressed for tougher anti-terror laws to combat the menace."We need to focus our attention on certain aspects of improving legislation aimed at preventing terrorist acts," Medvedev said in televised remarks, a day after two suspected Chechen woman suicide bombers targeted the subway system.

He called for measures to step up the efficiency of law enforcement agencies, increase the safety of public places and transport systems as well as to improve the implementation of the country's anti-terrorism statutes.

"We have been destroying terrorists and will continue to destroy them. In recent years have learnt how to do this," Medvedev said.Security sources were quoted as saying that the two women suicide bombers boarded a metro train together at the Yugo-Zapadnaya station. Interfax reported that they were accompanied to the station by another two women and a man who were photographed by CCTV.As the country observed the 'Day of Mourning' in memory of the victims of the blasts, commuters broke their journey at Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations to place flowers at the makeshift boards, marking the area on platforms where most of the people died Monday in globally-condemned attacks.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Twin blasts Moscow Metro stations

Twin blasts occurred on Monday morning killing at least 38 people and injuring 70. The first took place at 7:52 a.m. (03:52 GMT) at the Lubyanka station near the former KGB headquarters, which now houses the Federal Security Service. The second bomb detonated some 40 minutes later four stops along the line at Park Kultury station, which is also within walking distance of the Kremlin.

Medvedev took the escalator down to the Lubyanka station platform and laid a wreath at the spot where the doors of the second carriage opened and the bomber detonated her explosives, killing at least 24 people.Reports RIA Novosti.Thirty eight people were killed and more than seventy wounded in Moscow this morning two suspected Chechen female suicide bombers blew themselves up on packed metro trains. Though no organisation claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks, Chief of the Federal Security Service (FSB) blamed militant groups active in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region-Chechnya for the strikes.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned on Monday the deadly terrorist attacks on the Moscow subway that claimed dozens of lives, his official spokesman said.

Hours after the blasts, security agencies recovered an unexploded suicide belt besides finding the body parts of one of the suicide bombers.The first suspected bomber wearing an explosive belt struck at the Lubyanka station near Kremlin claiming 25 lives.Forty minutes later, the second bomber hit a moving train at the Park Kultury station near the famous Gorky Park killing at least 12 people. One person succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.The Moscow subway system is one of the world's busiest, carrying more than seven million passengers daily. The toll could rise as the condition of some of the wounded is stated to be critical. At the emergency Kremlin meeting with the security chiefs, President Dmitry Medvedev said his government will continue the combat to suppress terror and terrorism.

He directed the Interior Minister to take tough steps to ensure security but without any violations of the civil rights of the public.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed to destroy the terrorists, who were behind the blasts at two metro stations and is rushing to the capital after cutting short his visit to Siberia.The blasts in the underground railway stations have revived the nightmare Moscow had witnessed on February 6, 2004 when a suicide bomb blast on a moving metro train had claimed 42 lives. Same year in August in a botched attack 10 people were killed outside another metro station.

India said that it stands united with Russia in combating the forces of violence and terrorism. Describing the twin blasts in Moscow as most horrific act of violence the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in a letter to President Medvedev expressed India's solidarity with Russia. In a statement the Ministry of External Affairs expressed the hope that the perpetrators of these senseless attacks will be brought to justice. New Delhi also reiterated its conviction that only collective efforts by the international community can combat the scourge of terrorism that the world is facing today.

U.S. President Barack Obama offered his condolences to the Russian people. Presuident Obama said the American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violent extremism and heinous terrorist attacks that demonstrate such disregard for human life.

Israelis quit Gaza

Israeli troops and tanks left the Gaza Strip Saturday, witnesses said, after the bloodiest clash in the Hamas-ruled enclave in 14 months killed two soldiers and a Palestinian.The violence underscored the deadlock in US-mediated contacts between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose peacemaking bids have been sapped by Hamas hostility along with continued Israeli settlement construction on occupied land.

The Arab League, which had given its blessing to indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations only to see that initiative stall like many before it, signalled a major review in strategy.''We have to study the possibility that the peace process will be a complete failure,'' League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told Arab leaders gathered in the Libyan town of Sirte.''It's time to face Israel. We have to have alternative plans because the situation has reached a turning point,'' he said.

The impasse has triggered sporadic rocket attacks this month from Gaza which drew Israeli air strikes, Saturday, Palestinians ambushed soldiers who, the army said, had crossed the border to dismantle a mine. Two infantrymen were killed and two wounded. The skirmish -- in which the army said it believed it had killed two gunmen -- was the fiercest since the three-week Gaza war of early 2009. Some 1,400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, and 13 Israelis, mainly troops, died in that conflict.



Islamist Hamas spurns the Jewish state but has largely held fire since the war. It said its men took part in Friday's fighting, but only in order to repel the Israeli incursion.''We have been used to seeing breakaway (Palestinian) groups doing the firing, and Hamas trying to calm things down. Possibly it is loosening its grip, for all sorts of reasons,'' Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said in a television interview.''Should that indeed prove to be the case, then there will also be ramifications for Hamas,'' he said, but added: ''We have no interest in returning the region to what was in the past.''

Friday, March 26, 2010

India to chair of the Council of the IPDC

India to chair of the Council of the IPDC

2010-03-26 02:49:29 - India elected as head of a UN-associated body on media and communications, making it the first developing country to get the honour.India polled 23 out of 37 votes in the elections for the Chairmanship of the 39-member Inter-Governmental Council of the International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC), which is associated with UNESCO.

India, which defeated Switzerland, will be the chair of the 30-year-old Council till its next session in 2012."This is for the first time in the history of
IPDC that a developing country assumes the chair of the Council of the IPDC. Since its inception, the chairmanship had always remained with developed countries," a statement issued by the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting said on Thursday.

IPDC is the multilateral forum in the UN system, designed to mobilise the international community to discuss and promote media development, especially in developing countries.

It is supervised by the Inter governmental Council, comprising 39 member states elected by UNESCO's General Conference.The Council is responsible for policy making, guiding the planning and the implementation of the programme.
India's candidature was endorsed by Asia Pacific Regional Group and supported by countries from Africa, Arab and Lain American Region.
The Council implements national, regional and inter-regional projects in the areas of promotion of freedom of expression and media pluralism, development of community media, capacity building and promotion of international partnership.
On India's behalf, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Raghu Menon will be the Chairperson of the body.
India has contributed USD 1.4 million to IPDC Programme since its inception and is strongly committed to the Fund and its programmes.In his acceptance speech, Menon thanked the members of the Council for reposing faith in his leadership and assured his full commitment for strengthening programme implementation under IPDC's mandates

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Two bombs explode near Thai Ministry

BANGKOK, March 23:Thailand, two bombs have exploded outside a government building where the cabinet of prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was holding a meeting. The government moved its weekly cabinet meeting to the Health Ministry to avoid protests from the supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Two bombs exploded outside the Health Ministry but no one was injured and there was only minor damage to a parked car. Inside in the meeting, the cabinet agreed to extend the Internal Security Act - which gives the military control over policing the city - until the end of the month.

The red shirts are continuing to hold protests and On Saturday, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) mobilized about 65,000 protestors in a 17,000-vehicle caravan through Bangkok to highlight their demands that Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva resign, dissolve parliament and call new elections.Abhisit responded by saying that he was open to negotiations on dissolving parliament, but talks have not begun.Protest continue to stay on the street until the government resigns an estimated 100,000 red shirts marched through Bangkok, the largest protest in the city since the red shirts rioted in April last year, leaving two dead and scores injured.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sarkozy Meets With Leaders of His Party After Defeat in Regional Elections - Topix

Sarkozy Meets With Leaders of His Party After Defeat in Regional Elections - Topix

Brahmo Manoeurable supersonic cruise Missile

India on Sunday became the first country to have a 'manoeuvrable' supersonic cruise missile when it successfully test-fired the vertical-launch version of 290-km range BrahMos from a warship in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
"The vertical-launch version of missile was launched at 1130 hours today from Indian Navy ship INS Ranvir and it manoeuvred successfully hitting the target ship. It was a perfect hit and a perfect mission," BrahMos aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai told the news agency.

India has become the first and only country in the world to have a "manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile in its inventory," he said in New Delhi.President Pratibha Patil and Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated the BrahMos scientists and the navy for the successful test-launch.
Pillai said the software of the missile was improved and today's test proved its capability of manoeuvrability at supersonic speeds before hitting the target."During the test, the missile hit a free-floating ship piercing it above the waterline and destroying it completely," BrahMos officials said.The test-firing was part of the pre-induction tests by the Navy as moves are afoot to deploy the vertical-launch version of the missile in ships.The weapon system has been designed and developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture company.

All the three Indian Navy's Talwar class ships, under construction in Russia, have been fitted with vertical launchers and many other ships will also be equipped with them, officials said.The navy had earlier carried out several tests of the BrahMos but most of them had been done from inclined launchers abroad INS Rajput.

The missile is already in service with the Navy and its Shivalik class frigates have been equipped with it.BrahMos has also been inducted into the Army and preparations are on to develop its air-launched and the submarine-launched versions, officials said.

Friday, March 19, 2010

First EBTC Energy Trade Delegation to India.

First EBTC Energy Trade Delegation to India.
2010-03-19 07:38:10 - The delegation of Europe Union to India EBTC Mission,European Business and Technology Centre,headed by The Director Mr Poul V.Jensen organized Seminar on "Renewable Energies-Opporunity for closer EU-India Collaboration" on the occasion of the Ist EBTC Energy Trade Delegation to India.

Seminar on "Renewable Energies-Opporunity for closer EU-India Collaboration" on the occasion of the Ist EBTC Energy Trade Delegation to India under the EU-India Collaboration EBTC Mission 2010 on the occassion of the Ist EBTC Energy trade delegation to India meet on Wednessday,17 March 2010 in Taj Mahal Hotel,Mansingh Road,New Delhi.

With attendance of more than 250 members both from EU
and India a half day session was true success.Delegates from Europe Unions and India with their Green tech presented their papers representing the Ist EBTC Energy trade delegation to India. Eminent delegates particiapted in this EBTC mission are,- Migual Matias,Self Energy Group, Adriaan Kamp,Delphi Foundation, Darfusz Brodowicz CEO Ecoon, Dr Emo Balgoh,Co-President,Hydrogen Section, Hungary Energy Association, Prof Rajiv Shekhar,Material and Metallurgical Eneineering,IIT Jodhpur, Dr B Bhargava Director Ministry of New and Renweable Energy MNRE government of India, and further list includes, Femando Nino Page,Head Economic Cooperation Section,Delegation of EU to India, Indraneel Ghosh,Science and Technology Analyst Delegation of EU to India EBTC Mission 2010, Mr Darlusz Brodowicz:Ecoon.EBTC Mission 2010, Fermando Nino Page,Dr Emo Balogh,Hungarian Energy Association EU-India Collaboration with EBTC Mission, Rajesh Naik MD Environmental Control System Ltd, delegate of EBTC Mission 2010 on March 17 at Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi all presented their papers.

The seminar was held in collaboration with FISME,Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enetrprises,with inaugral address of Mr Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General,others notable present were Joint Sectary Mukesh Kalra of FISME,NKSagar of Sagar Media,Zsolt Pakozdy,the Economic Counsellor Embassy of Hungary,Saura Aulin,the First Secretary Embassy of Sweden
Szymon Szczesny and many more media Members,film Maker Manjira Dutta, business professionals,India Corporate Inc and of MSME sectors.
Sagar Media
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Sarkozy loss in regional poll

French President Nicolas Sarkozy faced heavy loss a regional vote and concern for his centre-right UMP party comes up for re-election in 2012.With global fiscal crisis taking the toll in Europe, France too is under strained economy which has created unemployment in France is running more than 10 per cent. The public finances are under growing strain and a series of controversies over issues ranging from lavish executive pay to immigration and security have undermined Sarkozy's popularity.

'Rarely has a regional election been so national' the leftwing daily Liberation declared in an editorial. The last vote before the presidential election in 2012. It can change the political landscape'Voting got underway at 8.00 a m on Sunday and the last polls close in major cities at 8.00 p m , with an initial first round result due later in the evening.

Sarkozy has said the election will be about local issues and he has ruled out a major reshuffle if the results are as bad as expected, but he said last week that he would be attentive to what voters say and some cabinet changes are possible. According to a survey published on Friday by the TNS Sofres polling institute, the opposition Socialists had 31.5 per cent support going into the first round of the election, compared with 29 per cent for the UMP.

Sunday's vote will be followed by a second round on March 21, when the top two parties in each of the 26 regions will face each other in a decisive runoff.The Socialists should pick up second round votes from the Greens and various far-left parties which outweigh the far-right National Front and a small centrist party where support may go to the UMP. Only in the eastern region of Alsace does the UMP look like winning.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Putin Sells New Delhi ‘Plane-Proof’ Reactors - Topix

Putin Sells New Delhi ‘Plane-Proof’ Reactors - Topix

National green tribunal : Jairam Ramesh

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh Saturday said a legislation proposing setting up of a national green tribunal will be taken up by the Parliament next week.Ramesh addressing at a public meeting on Environment, Energy and Climate Change Education and Research at the IIT Mumbai, Mr. Ramesh said the bill provided for quick and effective disposal of cases relating to environmental issues had been cleared by the union cabinet in December last year.
He said with Public Interest Litigations on environmental issues flooding the courts, the proposed tribunal would be aimed to take off the pressure by handling all the civil cases relating to forestry and environment.It would also address all substantial questions relating to environment, he added.

He said the Ministry had also proposed to set up a National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) similar to the one currently in operation in the United States,such an Authority would strengthen the regulatory framework and improve the environmental governance in the country, he added.The scope and configuration of the proposed Authority was currently being worked out by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.Mr Ramesh also highlighted various initiatives of his ministry to ensure environmental production.

He said that an Indian Network on Comprehensive Climative Change, involving 250 scientists, was being established to study and suggest measures for protection of coastal zones, western ghats, the Himalayan eco system and the North Eastern regions.He urged upon the IITs to set up environmental education and research in critical areas such as water resources management, clean coal technology and solar energy.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Kapil Sibal : National Accreditation Authority, autonomy to universities

Government on Saturday set up a committee of Vice Chancellors to study Common Entrance Test for admission into professional courses and optimum utilisation of the infrastructure in Universities.Kapil addressing a press conference in Hyderabad last evening,informed that the Group of Ministers had already cleared the draft bill for creating the National Accreditation Authority,same would be put before the Cabinet soon for approval and then would be tabled in the Parliament. He said that there would not be any more deemed universities,all the existing universities are required to go through the accreditation process with the standards that has to be adhere by all universities .
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal constituted the committee, consisting of seven Vice Chancellors, at a meeting in Hyderabad.The committee would also suggest ways for migration of students from one University to another.The government is considering holding a national-level entrance test for admission into courses like medicine and engineering, commerce and economics.
The committee will examine the possibility of such tests and suggests modalities.
Sibal, who presided the meeting of Vice Chancellors of CUs at Hyderabad Central University, said the infrastructure in the existing Universities remain unutilised after the class hour.
These facilities could be put to use for education, training and skill-development and also courses can be started under Public-Private-Partnership to maximise the use of assets by the institutes, Sibal said.If some universities teach only morning classes in some subjects, the assets of the university are lying waste for rest of the time.Universities should devise their own plan to utilise the assets to the maximum and they can use the money for university development, he said.

The Minister said the committee will meet every four months to clear bottleneck if any.The idea is to give greater autonomy to the universities, he told reporters.

Minister skips the inauguration of a new building of Institute of English and Foreign Languages because of student protest in support of Telangana staged a demonstration at the Hyderabad Central University . Later the police dispersed the students and brought the situation under control.

India and Russia inks 19 pacts

New Delhi March 13:India and Russia on Friday signed 19 pacts, including three in civil nuclear field and one for purchase of 29 MiG-29 fighters besides inking the revised agreement on Gorshkov aircraft carrier.The two countries plan to set up a joint venture to produce GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System)-enabled equipment and sign a contract for construction of two reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.Under the agreements in civil nuclear field, Russia will build 12 atomic plants -- six in Kudankulam and six in Haripur in West Bengal.The agreements were signed during the day-long visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who held comprehensive talks with his counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh with an aim of exploring opportunities for further boosting the relations.They also discussed regional issues, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the context of terrorism and agreed to intensify their consultations on Afghanistan the challenges posed by terrorism and extremism in the region.

The pacts in civil nuclear field are Agreement on Cooperation in the use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes and Agreement on Road Map for the Serial Construction of Russian Designed Nuclear Power Plants.
An MoU was also signed on Nuclear Power between NPCIL and Atomstroy Export for construction of Third and Fourth atomic plant in Kudankulum in Tamil Nadu.
The revised agreement on Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal was also signed during the visit. The deal had initially been signed in 2004 at the cost of USD 1.5 billion, along with 16 MiG-29Ks. However, the Russians later demanded USD 2.9 billion, citing escalation of costs.
After protracted negotiations, the two sides settled at USD 2.34 billion.
Russia wants to boost trade with India to 20 billion dollars by 2015 from the current 8 billion dollars.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says India and Russia have agreed to intensify cooperation on Afghanistan and terrorism.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expresses concern over terror groups operating from within Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Putin expressed concern over terror groups operating from within Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying it was a threat to the entire world.Putin said Russia understood well the concerns of India regarding banned terror outfits operating against it from within Pakistan's soil.He added in equal measure that Islamabad had in the recent months initiated action against those groups.

Participating in a video conference with businessmen from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, Putin said: "As far as terror groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan are concerned, it is a matter of worry for the entire region and in fact, the whole world."He said due to the proximity of India and Russia to Afghanistan border, the situation in the troubled Asian country "did impact the security" of both the two countries."Parts of Afghanistan's soil continues to be used by terror groups. We understand the concerns of India regarding the activities of banned outfits in Pakistan," he said.However, "lets be realistic... Pakistan has taken action against those outfits in the last few months," he added."We hope addressing the problem (of terror groups) will be in the best interest of Pakistan. We need to support those efforts," he said.Putin said India and Russia were concerned over terror activities and were strategic partners in the fight against terror.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Putin arrives in India

2010-03-12 04:41:29 - India has a long history of defense ties with Moscow.The current cooperation program comprises about 200 joint projects, including the transfer of technology for the licensed assembly of T-90 tanks in India, the production of BrahMos missiles and the purchase of Smerch MLRS by India.

India and Russia are to sign deals worth over USD 10 billion,during the visit of Prime Inister of Russia Vladimir Putin which includes sectors defence and civilian nuclear sectors, plus conclude the long-delayed agreement on aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.

"We expect the signing of 14-15 agreements after the talks and contracts worth over USD 10 billion," Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri
Ushakov told reporters in Moscow.During the talks in New Delhi, special focus would be laid on bilateral interaction in hi-tech sectors like civilian nuclear energy, defence industry and production of telecom equipment, he said.

Russian media reports that around 15 documents worth over $10 billion are expected to be signed during the Russian prime minister's visit to India, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.Vladimir Putin is to visit Delhi on Friday."There is a list of 17 documents. Some of them are being finalized, but I think that 14-15 documents will be signed," said Yury Ushakov, deputy government chief of staff.He said the following documents would be signed: a nuclear cooperation agreement, including a memorandum of understanding on the construction of new power units at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India, and an additional contract for the upgrade and retrofitting of the Admiral Gorshkov (INS Vikramaditya) aircraft carrier.

Military contracts will include a deal on delivery of MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based fighters.Further agreements will include a fifth generation fighter aircraft project and work on a multi-role transport aircraft.Additional agreement on retrofitting of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, the contract for supply of additional 29 naval MiG29K fighters and a deal to jointly develop a transport aircraft are among those to be signed during Putin's visit, he said.According to the delivery agreement for Admiral Gorshkov, an irritant in the bilateral ties, New Delhi would shell out an additional USD 2.35 billion for the up-gradation of the carrier and training of Indian naval crews."Besides the two countries are also expected to sign the agreement for the construction of two more nuclear reactors at Kudankulam NPP in addition to two already in the completion stage," Ushakov said.Report RIA Novost

Putin,last visited India as Russian President in 2007, would begin the official part of his visit on Friday by calling on President Pratibha Patil and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the official said.He is also slated to hold a video conference with the Indian business leaders and cultural activists, including active listeners of the Voice of Russia radio's Indian broadcasts, who will gather in Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.The main talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had visited Russia in December last year, would be held in the later half of Friday, Ushakov said.
Posted by Nksagar

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

BJP & Left : Pass Women's Reservation bill

Mar 8:New Delhi:The Prime Minister today held a meeting with the leaders of various parties supporting the Women's Reservation Bill in the wake of unprecedented unruly behaviour of some of the members of the SP and the RJD at the time the bill was moved in the Rajya Sabha today.Later, speaking to newsmen, BJP spokesman Mr. S.S. Ahluwalia said that the leader of opposition in both Houses, Mr. Arun Jaitley of Rajya Sabha and Sushma Swaraj of Lok Sabha have told the Prime Minister that they want discussion on the bill before it is passed.They also want the bill to be passed today itself as the government has the requisite support to do so. The Left parties have also said that they want the parliamentary practices to be protected and get the bill passed.
e Rajya Sabha will take up today for discussion and passage the Women Reservation Bill providing 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The discussion on the Bill was deferred on Monday following stiff opposition from SP and RJD on the issue.

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will meet the leaders of RJD, SP and JD(U) and some other leaders this morning before Parliament meets for the day.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Monday for the day as protest on the bill continued which lead to the final adjournment after repeated disruption and unprecedented unruly scenes by the members of the two parties. Both SP and RJD want a sub quota in the Bill for backward classes and minorities.The Bill was moved for consideration in the Rajya Sabha by Law Minister Veerappa Moily amidst noisy scenes. The members trooped in to the well of the House time and again and even resorted to snatching of the mike of the Chairman and tearing of the Bill. The Law Minister announced that the House will take up the Bill for discussion on Tuesday.

With unruly scenes continuing in the two Houses, the Prime Minister convened a meeting of the parties supporting the bill.

Later talking to reporters, BJP leader, S.S. Ahluwalia said that the leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley have told the Prime Minister that the party is in favour of a discussion on the constitutional amendment before it is taken up for voting.

CPI leader, D. Raja said that they want the Parliamentary practices to be protected and get the bill passed. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and CPIM leader Brinda Karat charged the government of failing to manage the floor.

Earlier, the RJD and Samajwadi Party announced that they will withdraw outside support to the UPA government to register their protest against the bill.

SP Chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters outside Parliament that a 20 per cent quota must be earmarked for minorities and backward classes in the bill.

RJD President, Lalu Prasad stuck to his party stand on the issue.

Meanwhile, Congress asserted that Women's Reservation Bill will be passed despite obstacles by a handful of members. Party spokesman, Abhishek Singhvi said that the passage of the bill is not far off.

AIR correspondent reports that the top leaders of the ruling alliance are holding discussions on the strategy to be adopted for the passege of bill. The BSP which has 21 members in the Lok Sabha is also opposing the bill but it is keeping its cards close to its chest on supporting the government. RJD has four members and Samajwadi Party 22 in the House of 544.

The Congress has issued a fresh whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in the House on Tuesday and vote for the bill. Party sources said, the three-line whip was issued by Congress last evening.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Iraqis go for General Election

Today the Voting in Iraq to its second parliamentary election on Sunday amid multiple mortar attacks and bombings to elect 325-member parliament are in progress.PM Nouri Maliki has appealed to his countrymen to turn out in large numbers,their participation would boost democracy.General election with little violence,casualty figures among civilians.Iraqi forces are in process of take over from the US troops is significantly lower.Iraq has 19 million eligible voters out of 28 million out of which 200,000 security personnel on duty in Baghdad.The issues rings round the voters are to bring Security, services.

United States wait for the outcome of the election to make Iraq an ideal nation of democracy in a region where free and fair elections or peaceful election least possible , thus give early way to a exodus of American troops.

The multinational force's invasion of Iraq in 2003 overthrew Saddam's regime and installed an interim government in which all Iraq's ethnic and religious communities were represented. This government held elections on January 30, 2005 to begin the process of writing a constitution.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki took office in May 2006, Iraqis have experienced a surge of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007, which left tens of thousands dead.

International groups and the formerly excluded Shi'a and Kurd factions claimed that the January 2005 elections were the first genuinely free elections in Iraq's history, with a fair representation of all ethnic groups.
The people war torn state looks for peace and they say,tired of sectarian violence and are eager for a normal life with improved basic services.Most of the political coalitions contesting this year's election are cross-sectarian. Shiite-led blocs also include Sunni candidates, and vice versa. They promote nationalism and goals of serving all Iraqi people. This is a good signal at least on the surface.

Regarding last election 2005 the opponents of the occupation, such as the insurgents and the Sunni faction, claim that the elections were not genuinely free and fair, pointing to several flaws in the process.

UN adviser to Iraq's election commission, Craig Jenness, said the complaints were not significant; "I don't see anything that would necessitate a rerun.There were nearly 7,000 candidates standing in 2005 election and only 275 seats, so you're always going to have winners and losers and it's normal that the losers won't always be happy about it."[

Friday, March 5, 2010

Moscow - Kiev reliable bilateral relations

Moscow - Kiev reliable bilateral relations
2010-03-05 17:50:40 - Ukrainian President Yanukovych talks of balanced policy towards Russia,his power base is in the mainly Russian-speaking eastern and southern industrial parts of the country, has pledged to take steps to assure the right of Ukrainians to speak Russian, something his predecessor had suppressed.

Yanukovych was the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002. He was Prime Minister of Ukraine from November 21, 2002 to December 31, 2004, under President Leonid Kuchma.He was an unsuccessful candidate in the controversial 2004 presidential election, losing to Viktor Yushchenko. Yanukovych continued to lead his party, the Party of Regions, after the 2004 election, and he served
as Prime Minister for a second time from August 4, 2006 to December 18, 2007 under President Yushchenko. On March 3, 2010, Yanukovych transferred the authorities of leading the party to Mykola Azarov.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his new Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych met in Moscow to discuss bilateral relations following Yanukovych's victory in the Ukrainian presidential elections."In recent years, relations between our countries have not been just stagnated, they have degraded," Medvedev said during a news conference after the meeting."We are talking about the reviving of these relations through drastic and effective means," he said.Medvedev said a Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission would be established in the near future to boost ties.

The Ukrainian and Russian governments will also hold talks on energy cooperation, including in the gas sphere, he added.Yanukovych said that new government would change its relations with Russia,ties between the two countries should never have reached such a low ebb."I understand the electorates and was observing the situation not just as a politician, but as a common Ukrainian citizen, and for me it was unpleasant, and we never fathomed that our relations would be like that," Yanukovych said.

"Relations with Russia and the CIS will be a priority for us. Our countries are closely tied by economy, history and culture," Viktor Yanukovych.Relations between Moscow and Kiev deteriorated during former Viktor Yushchenko's presidency over his West-leaning policies.Media agencies

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Sonia: No roll back on fuel pricing

Sonia: No roll back on fuel pricing

2010-03-04 07:14:07 - Rise in prices fuel and food has raised question on the welfare of Aam Aadmi the plank on which Congress has won the ballot verdict and some of the essential commodities like pulses, flour, potato and onion prices have touch its peak last month.

There is compl;ete dissastifaction among the famers who are not getting the right price of their outputs and now Government has partly blamed high cost of intermediation for the spiralling food prices.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has backed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Budget at Congress Parliamentary Party meeting and indicated there will be no roll back on fuel pricing.
She said food security bill and women reservation bill are the most important bills.She criticised the opposition for playing negative politics on prise rise.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, role of middlemen is very high from farm gate to the wholesale markets and from wholesale markets to retail markets. He was addressing an event organised by CII in the capital on Wednesday evening. Mr Mukherji said, one of terms of reference of the Prime Minister-appointed core committee is to address this issue.

As food inflation hovers around 17 per cent, he said, a series of activities to increase productivity, conservation, storage, post-harvesting and pre-harvesting technologies will take place soon and more measures will be taken. In the Budget speech, Mr Mukherjee said, the Government is acutely conscious of high food prices and has set in motion steps in consultation with the Chief Ministers, which should bring down inflation in the next few months and ensure that there is better management of food security.

The opposition on Wednesday thurst the government in the Rajya Sabha on the spiraling prices alleging scam in sugar imports, a charge rejected by Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.Pawar, who was replying to a short duration discussion on the rising prices, faced allegations by the united opposition, particularly BJP and Left, of a "great scam" in sugar."Not a single kg of sugar was imported by the Government," Pawar said amid din which forced adjournment of the House for the third time during the day on issues related to fuel or food prices.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Congress Core Group : Roll back of fuel price

Congress Core Group wants rollback of fuel price hike,the policy makers Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said he took a risk of facing inflation in raising excise duty across the board for mobilising resources, but expressed confidence that the impact would be absorbed.When asked on roll back he said: "No, where is the question of rollback. If there was question of rollback,I would not have put it.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday ruled out any roll back in petrol and diesel prices, saying the economy has the capacity to absorb the increase without triggering inflationary pressure."Any increase in prices does hurt some people, but we have to take a long-term view," he told reporters accompanying him on his way back home from Saudi Arabia.Singh made it clear following populist fiscal policies for long harm the economy."We cannot save people from inflation if we follow all populist fiscal policies. Sooner or later these populist policies if persisted for a long time to come will lead to the erosion of the investment climate," he said.

Meeting of the Congress Core Group on Tuesday in New Delhi assumes significance as it came in the back drop of hike in the fuel prices.Some of the UPA allies, Trinamool Congress and DMK and the Left parties and BJP had urged the government to roll back the hike.

Core Group meeting attended senior leaders along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party chief Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Meet discussed in detail the petrol and diesel price hike and if there should be a partial rollback. The Core Group weighed all possibilities and even political fallout of the hike. According to sources, the Government and the party leadership were of the view that 2010 was the only year when UPA could take difficult decisions.A senior Congress leader said, “This is the only year when there are no elections. Only one State — Bihar — has Assembly polls. Next year West Bengal and Tamil Naidu States go for elections. It would be difficult to take many harsh decisions then. So we had to bite the bullet. The timing is the most important part.” The Congress is taking solace from the fact that even the allies have toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday.

Congress president will hold a meeting of the Congress parliamentary party on Wednesday morning. where in the CPP meeting Mukherjee will brief all Congress MPs about delicacies of the Budget.Congress and the government today breathed easy even as opposition parties appeared determined to corner the government in Parliament for a roll back.

Top Congress leadership including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi tonight grappled with the ticklish issue amid indications that the government has kept all its options open.

The refrain in Congress was that it was running a coalition, a point being interpreted as ruling party's readiness to accommodate the concerns especially of the allies.
Earlier in the day both Trinamool Congress and DMK said they were not pulling out of the government and creating any problems for it but were only reflecting the concerns of the common man on the issue of price rise. reports PTI

Congress is aware of the fact that the Opposition, Left and even former allies like BSP and Samajwadi party to go all out in Parliament against the UPA Government's decision to hike petrol and diesel prices thus diluting their public image.There is tacit plan to put forth the reasons for the hike in fuel price to balance act of the recession mixed with deficit finanncing with global economy still at its mode of downswing thus the roll back done could damage the economy plan and if not the congress to dilute its populous image of Aam Adami Party such a good defence by briefing its MPs is on the cards.

“The Finance Minister will brief the MPs about the hike and other details of Budget so that Congress members are well-equipped to defend the Government, which would surely be under attack from Opposition. The Finance Minister will explain all details about the cascading effect of diesel price hike,” a senior leader said.Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh had yesterday ruled out the roll back. BJP condemned the Prime minister's statement that fuel price hike will not be rolled back.

BJP today condemned the Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh's statement that fuel price hike will not be rolled back.BJP and other opposition parties may strike hard today both in floor of the houses and streets.

BJP the party spokesman Mr Prakash Javadekar said that it shows that Prime Minister is oblivious to the pains and suffering of people who are all ready reeling under inflationary pressure. He said that UPA partners like TMC nd DMK have also protested the hike and demanded a rollback.Mr Javadekar said that the party will intensify its agitation till the government takes credible action to tame the inflation.

In HYDERABAD: Opposition party leaders discarded the day with their bullet-proof vehicles, including N Chandrababu Naidu, took to streets in bullock carts demanding roll back of fuel prices which were hiked in the recent budget.MLAs and MLCs of TDP, CPM and CPI and former city mayor T Krishna Reddy accompanied by party activists paid tributes at the NTR Ghat before marching to the assembly on bicycles and bullock carts.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Office of AIFF robbed

The office of All India Football Federation (AIFF) in south-west Delhi in the wee hours intruded by three masked men barged today and decamped with a van and other articles after holding two employees hostage. AIFF office is located in Sector 19 of Dwarka at around 2 AM.

The robbers entered the building where the office of the country's apex football body is located and held hostage a security guard and a driver present there."They locked the guard and the driver in a room before beating them up. They decamped with two LCD TV sets, a computer, fire extinguishing equipment, a Maruti van and an inverter battery," a senior police official said.
The guard and the driver managed to inform police at around 3:15 am about the incident after the robbers left the place.Police suspect the hand of gangs operating in the area.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Storms lash seven nation in Europe

2010-03-01 17:40:28 - Storms windy force with surging seas and rain lashed western Europe, killing nearly sixty people and million households without power affecting big wigs Euro nation France, Germany,Portugal, Spain, Nederland, Belgium and Britain.

"Xynthia", the Atlantic storm crashed the western coasts of France and Spain Germany overnight, damaging weather extended from Portugal to the Netherlands, in eastern Belgium,a man was killed by a falling tree in Belgium..
the storm finally reached England,where one woman reported dead as her vehicle submerged and washed down she was driving .

Most of the casualties were in France, where gusts of 150 kilometres per hour and eight metre waves battered the west coast, flooding inland and sending residents scurrying onto rooftops.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said France would formally declare the storm a natural disaster, freeing up funds to help communities rebuild, as Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux put the national death toll at "between 45 and 50".

"We were warned, but I didn't think it could do this," said 62-year-old retiree Jean-Francois Dikczyk, who saw the sea surge several hundred metres inland and smash though the windows of his house."My mother was nearly killed. She's 83 and disabled. She was sleeping on the ground floor, and her mattress was floating. My son and I managed to get her upstairs, but it was really catastrophic," he told the news agency.

In the western town of La-Faute-sur-Mer, householder Jean-Pierre was left barefoot and homeless.A high alert in Cambs and warnings in Suffolk, Bucks, Essex and Beds more problems in North Yorks and Sunderland. Thames Barrier was closed twice to reduce the flooding to London.Further reported train services in south London were disrupted because of flooding at Clapham.Media agencies

Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland is set ...