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US launches investigation against Indian trade practices

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

PTI | Aug 31, 2013, 07.07AM IST
WASHINGTON: A US federal agency has launched an investigation into Indian trade policies which allegedly discriminate against the American trade and investment.

The investigation, "Trade, Investment and Industrial Policies in India: Effects on the US Economy", was requested jointly by the Senate committee on finance and the House committee on ways and means.

USITC will report on recent policies and measures in India that affect US exports and investment and evaluate the effects of such barriers on US firms and the economy, the federal agency has said in a statement on Thursday.

In its examination, the USITC will enumerate restrictive trade and investment policies that India maintains or has recently adopted, determine which sectors of the US economy are most affected by these policies, and describe the competitiveness of Indian firms in these sectors.

The USITC will provide several case studies of US firms or industries that have been particularly affected by India's restrictions.

As requested, by the Congress, the USITC will also perform a quantitative analysis of the effects of such measures.

The USITC will survey a sample of US firms to measure perceptions of India's policies and the impact of those policies on firms' strategies toward India.

The survey results will complement the quantitative analysis of the effects of these policies on trade, investment, and the US economy.

The USITC will deliver the report to the committees by November 30, 2014, the statement said, adding that it will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation on February 13, 2014.


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5.9 magnitude quake jolts southwest China

BEIJING: An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted southwest China at 8:04am Beijing time on Saturday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

The epicentre was monitored at the depth of about 10 kilometres in the area bordering the counties of Shangri-La, Deqen of Yunnan Province and Derong County of Sichuan Province, quoting China Earthquake Networks Centre, state run Xinhua news agency reported.

The quake was felt strongly in the county seat of Deqen, Liao Wencai, vice secretary of the Deqen County Committee of the Communist Party of China said.

Benzilan Township is believed to be the epicenter, according to local residents.

"We are heading to Benzilan. The telecommunication there has been cut off, and many residents cannot be reached by mobile phone," Liao said.

The quake and aftershocks triggered landslides, which blocked the traffic from Deqen to Benzilan.

More than 52,000 people were affected when a 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit the the same area on Aug 28.

Some 126 aftershocks have been recorded, the largest measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale, according to a statement from the disaster relief headquarters of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.


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5.9 magnitute earthquake jolts southwest China, 3 killed: Reports

BEIJING: An earthquake hit a mountainous area in southwestern China on Saturday morning, killing at least three people injuring several more, according to state media and the China Earthquake Administration.

The quake, which measures 5.9 on the Richter scale by the administration and 5.8 by the US Geological Survey, shook several counties in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, including the scenic Shangri-La county. A Chinese report said the epicenter was in a village in Shangri-La, but the USGS put it in Benzilan, a small town in a neighboring county

The China Earthquake Administration said two people were killed in Benzilan, where homes for 22 families collapsed, and that a driver died on a highway in Shangri-La, where falling rocks hit a tour bus and stranded three more buses. It said a total of 17 tourists were trapped.

The party-run People's Daily also reported three fatalities and said six others were seriously injured.

The administration said another major quake hit Shangri-La three days ago, and the US Geological Survey recorded three major aftershocks on Saturday.

China's mountainous areas in its southwest are prone to earthquakes. In May 2008, a powerful quake in Sichuan left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. In April this year, another quake in Sichuan killed 193 people.


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Call center employee crushed to death by speeding tanker in Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD: A 24-year-old call center employee died after a speeding tanker hit his motorcycle in Vijay Nagar area, police said on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Daman Kumar, who lived with his family in Bharat Nagar area of the district.

The incident took place when Kumar, who worked with a call center situated in Noida sector 62, was returning home from his office last night.

Kumar suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.

According to eyewitnesses, the tanker was speeding and the driver was in an inebriated state.

After hitting Kumar from behind, the tanker driver fled from the spot.

"We have got the registration number of the killer vehicle and the driver would be arrested soon," said a senior police officer.

A case has been registered against the driver.


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SIT to probe Arab national's marriage with minor girl

KOZHIKODE: A Special Investigation Team has been constituted by police to probe the case involving an Arab national marrying a minor Muslim girl who was residing in an orphanage here and divorcing her later.

Police said a list of 11 accused, including five officials of the orphanage, had been submitted before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court here.

The case relates to UAE national Jasem Mohammed Abdul Karim Abdulahmed marrying the 17 year-old girl from the orphanage in June last. He left the country in July and divorced her through 'triple talaq' over phone.

Police said they were trying to extradite Jasem, who has been named the first accused in the case. The accused, son of a UAE-Malayali couple, who had resided in India for six years, later adopted the domicile of his father, police said.

Three persons have already been arrested in connection with the case--Sulaika, the mother of Jasem, her second husband C Muneer, and Abu Shahabaz.

The accused have been charged under various sections of IPC for Rape, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Police took evidence from the girl, her family members from Malappuram and the orphanage authorities, who allegedly facilitated the marriage.

Jasem had given to the girl's family a gold chain worth six sovereigns and a mobile phone worth Rs 20,000, besides incurring the expenses for the marriage, police said.

The girl's plight came to light after she filed a complaint before the Child Welfare Committee, alleging that orphanage authorities forced her to marry the UAE national, who deserted after spending 17 days with her.

Women activists, political leaders and NGOs in Kerala had expressed outrage over the girl's plight and demanded a legislation to check the social menace of 'Arabi Kalyanam' (Arab wedding), in which minor Muslim girls are forced into marriage with Arab nationals.


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Nelson Mandela still in hospital, not discharged: South Africa government

JOHANNESBURG: Former South African President Nelson Mandela, who has been receiving medical treatment for three months for a lung ailment, is still in hospital in Pretoria in a critical but stable condition, the government said on Saturday.

The presidency said reports by some international media that the revered anti-apartheid leader, who is 95, had been discharged and returned to his home were "incorrect".

"Madiba is still in hospital in Pretoria, and remains in a critical but stable condition," the presidency said in a statement, using the traditional clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known in South Africa.

"At times his condition becomes unstable, but he responds to medical interventions," it added, repeating a medical bulletin it had issued a week ago which had said the ailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate was showing "great resilience".

News of Mandela's hospitalisation in June with a recurring lung infection attracted worldwide attention for the revered statesman, who is admired as a symbol of struggle against injustice and of racial reconciliation.

Mandela celebrated his 95th birthday in hospital on July 18, showered with tributes from around the world.

He spent nearly three decades in prison before being released and being elected South Africa's first black president in multi-racial elections in 1994 that ended apartheid rule.

Mandela's 27 years in prison under white minority rule included 18 years on the notorious Robben Island penal colony. His lung infection dates back to this time, when he and other prisoners were forced to work in a limestone quarry.


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CBI books UBI deputy general manager, 5 others in fraud case

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Agustus 2013 | 17.34

NEW DELHI: CBI has booked three former senior officials of Union Bank of India (UBI) and as many directors of a Nagpur-based private company for allegedly causing a loss of over Rs four crore to the bank, the agency officials said on Friday.

The agency has filed a charge sheet in the special court in Nagpur against the then Deputy General Manager, Assistant General Manager at that time, the then Chief Manager of UBI and three directors of a Nagpur-based private firm under charges of criminal conspiracy to cheat and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, an CBI spokesperson said.

"It was alleged that officials of UBI had sanctioned and released credit facility to the company and committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the funds of the bank over which they had dominion and cheated the bank," the spokesperson said in a statement.

During CBI investigation, it came to light that the UBI officials and directors of the company were in criminal conspiracy and had allegedly sanctioned credit limit of Rs three crore to the company which was enhanced subsequently.

"The loan amount sanctioned was diverted/siphoned-off for other than business activity from the account of the said private firm and transferred to the accounts of its sister concern, which resulted in a non performing asset with an outstanding amount of Rs 4.58 crore," the statement said.


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Lok Sabha adjourned till noon on anti-Telangana protests

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was on Friday adjourned till noon over protests by some members demanding that Andhra Pradesh remain united.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, members from Andhra Pradesh belonging to the Telugu Desam Party as well as the Congress started raising slogans demanding that Andhra Pradesh remain united.

This led to Speaker Meira Kumar adjourning the house till noon.

The protesting members were among the 12 who were suspended for five sittings by the speaker on August 23 for disrupting the House on the same issue.

The Congress, which leads the ruling UPA coalition, has decided to carve a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.


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Mangalore-Kacheguda weekly special trains from September 3

MANGALORE: Weekly special trains will be operated between Kacheguda-Mangalore Central to clear the extra rush of passengers.

Train 07606 Kacheguda-Mangalore Central weekly special will leave Kacheguda at 6am on Tuesdays from September 3 to 24 and arrive Mangalore Central at 11.20am on Wednesdays.

In the return direction, train 07605 Mangalore Central-Kacheguda weekly special will leave Mangalore Central at 8pm on Wednesdays from September 4 to 25 and arrive Kacheguda at 3.40am on Fridays.

The trains will stop at Jadcherla, Mahaboobnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool City, Dhone, Gooty, Yerraguntala, Cudappah, Rajampet, Renigunta, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Shoranur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Vadakara, Thalassery, Kannur, Payyanur, Kanhangad and Kasaragod.


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Lok Sabha adjourned till 2pm over Telangana, rupee

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha was on Friday adjourned till 2 pm over the sliding rupee and continuing protests against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

As soon as the House assembled, members from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Congress raised slogans demanding that Andhra Pradesh remain united.

The protesting members were among the 12 who were suspended for five sittings by the Speaker on August 23 for disrupting the House on the same issue.

This forced Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the House till noon.

When the House re-assembled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke on the economy.

Bharatiya Janata Party MPs and its allies then walked out, led by opposition leader Sushma Swaraj.

Members of the Trinamool Congress showed placards and raised slogans against the Prime Minister over the fall of the rupee.

The House was then adjourned till 12.45 pm and again till 2 pm following similar disruptions.


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Noted satirist KP Saxena admitted to hospital, serious

LUCKNOW: Hindi satirist and Padam Shri awardee K P Saxena has been admitted to a hospital in serious condition in Lucknow.

Saxena (81), who was suffering from cancer in the tongue and had been operated upon recently, was having difficulty in breathing and was admitted to a private hospital on Monday night, family told PTI.

He has made noteworthy contribution in Hindi cinema.


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Delhi gang rape: Defence lawyer collapses in midst of arguments

NEW DELHI: Proceedings in the December 16 gang rape trial before a fast track court here were interrupted on Friday when the lawyer for two of the accused in the case collapsed in the courtroom.

Advocate A P Singh, appearing for accused Vinay Kumar and Akshay Singh, swooned in the middle of defence arguments.

The doctors from the dispensary within the court complex were then called.

By the time the doctors arrived, which took more than half-an-hour, the court staff and Singh's associates managed to stabilise his condition to some extent.

Singh, who was by then a bit in control of himself, could be seen telling his associates about the first aid he needed.

After the doctors examined him, he was taken in a wheelchair to an ambulance which ferried him to his doctor in northwest Delhi.

Earlier, during the proceedings, additional sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna also noticed Singh's discomfiture and advised the lawyer to be seated while advancing his arguments.

However, Singh refused to be seated and continued with his arguments between which he would stop to take glucose to maintain his sugar level.


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US: Minister convicted in slaying found hanging in cell

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

IONIA, Michigan: The former minister of a small Michigan church who allegedly told police he killed his fiancee's 24-year-old daughter because he wanted to have sex with a dead body has killed himself.

Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan told the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant that 56-year-old John D White hanged himself in his cell at the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia. He says White was pronounced dead early Wednesday after efforts to resuscitate him failed.

White pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder in the death of his fiancee's daughter, Rebekah Gay Police say he said he killed the young mother to fulfill a desire to have sex with a dead body.

White was sentenced to at least 56 years in prison. He was minister of a tiny Deerfield Township church.


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US: Minister convicted in slaying found hanged in cell

IONIA, Michigan: The former minister of a small Michigan church who allegedly told police he killed his fiancee's 24-year-old daughter because he wanted to have sex with a dead body has killed himself.

Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan told the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant that 56-year-old John D White hanged himself in his cell at the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia. He says White was pronounced dead early Wednesday after efforts to resuscitate him failed.

White pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder in the death of his fiancee's daughter, Rebekah Gay Police say he said he killed the young mother to fulfill a desire to have sex with a dead body.

White was sentenced to at least 56 years in prison. He was minister of a tiny Deerfield Township church.


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Supreme Court seeks transcripts of some more Niira Radia tapes

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought transcription of some more telephone intercepts of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

After a two hour long in camera hearing, the apex court asked the income tax department, which intercepted her personal and official phones, to transcribe few more calls.

The top court asked the I-T department to hand over these transcripts to the CBI, which would analyze it for criminality and give suggestions about further action.

The Supreme Court has given the agencies a month's time to do the needful and posted the matter for further hearing on October 1.


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Government approves setting up of 22 additional CBI courts

NEW DELHI: Government on Thursday said it has approved setting up of 22 additional special CBI courts in different parts of the country.

Minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions V Narayanasamy said in Rajya Sabha that after receipt of consent from the states, 15 courts have been sanctioned including five in Gujarat, and three each in Maharashtra and West Bengal.

He said the government in 2009 had decided to set up 71 additional special courts, especially for trial of CBI cases in various states.

Out of these 71 courts, 66 courts are functional, he said.

"One court at Srinagar has to be dropped. Since state government could not provide infrastructure, four courts could not be started, three in Odisha and one in Goa," Narayanasamy added.

He further said that due to less number of CBI cases, the court proposed initially at Panchkula and later shifted to Srinagar, has not been set up.

"Since the central government, on direction of the Hon'ble Supreme Court on December 13, 2012, decided to set up 22 more additional special courts for CBI cases in the country which include one at Srinagar, this proposed court for Srinagar (out of 71) has be dropped," he said.

Replying to a supplementary question posed by Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), the Minister said government does not interfere in investigations being carried by CBI.

"Our government never interfered in investigations by CBI ... UPA government will never interfere in CBI investigation," Narayanasamy said.

The minister also said that 88 posts, including that of public prosecutors, for the 22 courts for CBI have been sanctioned.

States have been requested to provide infrastructure and manpower for the courts, he said.


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Railways yet to launch 10 new trains proposed in 2012-13 budget

NEW DELHI: Railways is yet to launch services of 10 new trains proposed in the Rail Budget 2012-13, LokSabha was informed on Thursday.

Railways had announced 113 new trains in the last Railway Budget out of which 103 have been introduced and 10 new trains are pending due to various constraints like non-completion of gauge conversion, new line works, non-receipt of necessary clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).

These trains will be introduced as soon as the constraints are overcome and earnest efforts are being made for early introduction of pending new trains, railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge said in a written reply to the house.

Habibganj-Indore AC double decker express and Yerraguntla-Nanganapalli passenger trains are awaiting clearance from CRS.

Besides, Kanpur-Amritsar Express, Howrah-Raxual Express, Chappra-Lucknow Express and Rangiya-Tezpur Passenger among 10 proposed trains are yet to be made operational due to the non-completion of gauge conversion works.


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Govt has its way in inducting two MPs of its choice into the JPC on 2G issue

NEW DELHI: Government finally had its way in inducting two MPs of its own choice into the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum allocation issue amid strong opposition from the BJP members in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

After facing embarrassment on the issue last week, the government came prepared in the Upper House with even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a member of Rajya Sabha, making himself available when the motion was moved to induct two members into the JPC.

Most of the members of the treasury bench (ruling side) were present in the House, apprehending the Opposition's possible demand to go for 'voting' on this crucial issue. Though the opposition strongly protested the government's move, it did not press for voting (division) - perhaps realizing its weak numerical strength.

Ultimately, the government's wish prevailed and the required 'motion' was adopted by the Upper House with voice vote. The motion made it possible for the government to induct t wo members -- Congress member P Bhattacharya and nominated member Ashok Ganguly -- into the panel against two vacant seats in place of DMK member Tiruchi Siva (now retired from the House) and the Congress member EMS Natchiappan (who caused second vacancy after becoming a minister).

Government had to face some embarrassing moments last week (August 22) when the opposition forced it to agree for "wider consultations" with leaders of all political parties before appointing a new member in the JPC.

Questioning a manner in which the government moved to induct new MPs into the JPC, the BJP and the AIADMK leaders had rejected moving the motion seeking to appoint two members, saying the vacancy of a member from Tamil Nadu should ideally be filled with another member from the same state.

The government had in its motion proposed the names of P Bhattacharya and Ashok Ganguly to fill two vacancies. The Opposition members had, however, objected to it saying they didn't have any problem with the new Congress member in the panel but the second vacant seat should go to the AIADMK which has more members (seven) than the DMK (six members) in the Upper House.

They had questioned the rationale of appointing a nominated member in the panel when the seat should conventionally go to any other member from Tamil Nadu. Government had then developed cold feet and agreed for wider consultation once the Opposition insisted that there has to be a "division through secret ballot on the motion" if government wants to go ahead with its original proposal.

As the Opposition had sought either the withdrawal of the motion or a division of votes through secret ballot in the House, deputy chairman P J Kurien had deferred it for further discussion.

The Opposition raised the similar objection on Thursday. But, the government appeared prepared to take on the BJP members head on by showing their numerical strength. As soon as the minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla moved the motion, the opposition BJP and AIADMK members raised their objections.

As Shukla remained unperturbed and moved on with the motion, a number of BJP members entered into the well of the House.

Leader of opposition Arun Jaitley said the minister should have wider consultations on the issue as it is "not the same composition" as earlier agreed by the government. He also demanded that the matter should come to the House later after consultation.

Shukla, however, said the government had already consulted with the key Opposition members and there was no point in holding the motion back at this juncture. The government, later, moved on with its motion and got it adopted with voice vote when opposition BJP and AIADMK members looked on helplessly.


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Series of bombs kills 16 in Baghdad, police say

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

BAGHDAD: A series of bombings across Baghdad killed 16 people and wounded 85 on Wednesday, police and medical sources said.

The worst attack was in Kadhimiya, a district in the northwest of the capital, where several explosions killed five people and wounded nearly 30, according to the sources.


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Series of bombs kill 16 in Baghdad, police say

BAGHDAD: A series of bombings across Baghdad killed 16 people and wounded 85 on Wednesday, police and medical sources said.

The worst attack was in Kadhimiya, a district in the northwest of the capital, where several explosions killed five people and wounded nearly 30, according to the sources.


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UN arms experts resume Syria chemical weapons probe

DAMASCUS: UN inspectors on Wednesday set off to a site in Damascus of alleged chemical weapons attacks, a day after suspending their mission due to safety concerns, an AFP photographer said.

The team of arms experts boarded a convoy of six vehicles, the photographer said. It was unclear which site they were intending to visit.


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UN arms experts resume Syria chemical weapons probe

DAMASCUS: UN inspectors on Wednesday set off to a site in the Syrian capital of alleged chemical weapons attacks, a day after suspending their mission over safety concerns, an AFP photographer said.

The team of arms experts boarded a convoy of six vehicles in Damascus, the photographer said. It was unclear which site they were intending to visit.

The inspectors braved sniper fire when they began their mission on Monday but still managed to visit two field hospitals in Moadamiyet al-Sham, southwest of Damascus, and collect evidence of last week's suspected chemical attacks.

But they were unable carry out a planned visit to a second site in Eastern Ghouta, on the Syrian capital's northeastern outskirts, on Tuesday because their safety could not be guaranteed.

Opponents of President Bashar al-Assad's regime say more than 1,300 people died when his forces unleashed toxic gases on the two neighbourhoods on August 21. The regime strongly denies the claim.


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Strong response needed to LoC firing, Chinese incursions: Ex-Army chief VK Singh

WASHINGTON: India should mount a "strong response" to Pakistani firing across the LoC and increased border incursions by China, former Indian Army chief General VK Singh has said.

"If the message you convey is, 'OK you can do what you want to, but we are not going to react to it,' then (they) will keep doing more things," Singh told PTI here.

Responding to a question on recent incidents of firing by Pakistani troops across the Line of Control in Kashmir and an increase in border incursions by China, Singh made it clear that India needs to give a "strong response to such efforts".

"See, as far as the LoC with Pakistan is concerned, it has its own dynamics, a lot of things happen. But along with it, it is also a question of what kind of messages you convey," he said.

"Everybody knows that Pakistan is waging a proxy war against us and if the terrorists are not able to infiltrate and they do other things along the LoC, then a much stronger message is required," said Singh, who is currently on a visit to the US with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

"Where China is concerned, China respects strength and strong will. If you try to adopt policies which were adopted in the 1950s then you are going to land in trouble," he said.

"At the governmental level there has to be a much stronger response. Only then people will realise as to why a thing should be done, or should not be done," Singh said.

Relations between India and Pakistan soured after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack along the LoC on August 6. Since then, both sides have accused each other of violating a 2003 truce on the ceasefire line.

India has accused Chinese troops of several violations of the disputed border in Ladakh sector.


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Strong response needed to LoC firing, Chinese incursions: Ex-Army chief VK Singh

MUMBAI: The five accused arrested in connection with the gang rape of 23-year-old photojournalist were on Wednesday taken to Shakti Mills compound here to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the crime.

All the five accused were brought to the crime scene at around 1pm and police sought details from them as to what had transpired on the fateful day.

The victim, an intern with an English magazine, was allegedly raped by the five accused when she had gone to the desolate Shakti Mills premises on August 22 with a male colleague on an assignment. Her colleague is a prime witness in the case.

Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy, who is supervising the investigation, was also present at Mills when the accused were brought there.

The reconstruction of events that led to the crime is also being video-recorded, police sources said.

All five accused - Salim Ansari, Vijay Jadhav, Chand Babu Sattar Shaikh, Mohammed Kasim Hafiz Shaikh alias Kasim Bengali and Siraj Rehman Khan - are in the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Police had earlier said that when Salim made a phone call to Kasim Bengali, asking him to immediately reach Shakti mills on the day of the crime, the latter was present in a shanty with Chand, Siraj and one more person. "That person has been found and made a witness in the case," he said.

Yesterday, two teams from Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, and Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory, carrying advanced equipment, thoroughly examined the crime scene for nearly three hours to gather evidence to build a water-tight case against the accused.

The team from Gujarat also had two psychiatrists who conducted Layered Voice Analysis (LVA) on the accused. LVA is a technique designed for truth verification and detection of deceit. It helps measure the emotional content of human speech, captured live or extracted from recorded audio.

Police have also conducted searches at the homes of the accused and recovered clothes including undergarments.

Responding to a query about the victim being forced to clean the crime scene after the brutal act, a police official had earlier replied in the affirmative but said plenty of evidence was still collected from the spot.


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Army rescues hundreds from flood affected areas in Hoshangabad, MP

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 25 Agustus 2013 | 17.34

LUCKNOW: With the flood situation worsening in Hoshangabad area of Madhya Pradesh, the district magistrate of Hoshangabad requested for assistance from the Army.

Central Command immediately mobilized troops from Jabalpur and Bhopal and moved two columns to the flood affected areas.

Despite flooding of bridges, the Army columns displaying resolve and taking detours reached the affected area of Bambal approximately 20km southeast of Hoshangabad and immediately launched into the act of rescuing marooned villagers in about seven severely affected villages in the area.

With one column each deployed on either side of the river, the Army rescue columns launched boats with out board motors and working till late in the evening successfully rescued approximately 270 marooned villagers to safety.

The Army is pressing more resources into service and additional boats and helicopters are being moved in for the relief operations.

The Army operations under Commandant Grenadiers Regimental Centre were still in progress in the affected area when reports last came in.

Reports were also received of floods in Dewas district and the Army has moved a reconnaissance column from Mhow to Dewas.


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Thousands rally in Tunis to launch week of anti-govt demonstrations

TUNIS: Thousands of protesters gathered outside Tunisia's national assembly Saturday demanding the ouster of the Islamist-led government, amid political deadlock a month after the assassination of an opposition MP.

"The people want the fall of the regime," "Get out!" and "(Rached) Ghannouchi assassin," were some of the slogans chanted by the protesters, the latter referring to the ruling Islamist party Ennahda's veteran leader.

The organisers, who say the protest marks the first day of a week-long campaign to bring down the government, dubbed the "week of departure," claimed 60,000 people attended, while the police gave an estimate of 10,000.

The protest took place in a celebratory atmosphere, with demonstrators draped in the Tunisian flag and singing the national anthem, while opposition MPs addressed the crowd.

"We must bring down the government of shame... because of which there are only political assassinations, terrorism and the harassment of political activists, the impoverishment of the people," said Mongi Rahoui.

"Soon we will go to the Kasbah and surround it," he added, referring to the location of the government's headquarters.

An evening concert is planned by artists backing calls for the dissolution of the cabinet.

Saturday's gathering comes one month after secular politician Mohamed Brahmi was assassinated, the second attack of its kind in six months, which plunged Tunisia into crisis.

The opposition National Salvation Front (NSF), which organised the protest, has repeatedly insisted on the resignation of the Islamist-led government step down and the formation of a non-partisan administration.

The demonstration coincides with political turmoil in nearby Egypt, where the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last month after millions of protesters took to the streets demanding he step down.

Tens of thousands of Tunisians have turned out for similar anti-government demonstrations twice already this month.

Tunisia's powerful UGTT trade union has been mediating between the opposition group and the Islamists to try and find a way out of the crisis.

But the talks have made little progress, with the NSF insisting on Friday that any negotiations prior to the government's resignation were a "waste of time."

Ennahda indicated on Thursday, for the first time since the start of the crisis, that it might agree to step down, having previously rejected the opposition's demands.

But the Islamists, who won the largest numbers votes in October 2011 elections, stressed that a "national dialogue" bringing together supporters and opponents of the ruling coalition needed to take place first.

"For Ennahda, a government of technocrats will destabilise the state. For the opposition, the state has been destabilized enough already," Tunisian daily Le Temps said in an editorial on Saturday, entitled: "Political stalemate, institutional deadlock."

The UGTT has not given up hope of forging a compromise between the rival factions.

"We hope that we will find a solution responding to the interests of the nation above all, and which satisfies the different parties," said union's secretary general Hocine Abassi, after holding talks with President Moncef Marzouki.

The opposition accuses Ennahda of failing to rein in Tunisia's hardline Salafist movement, who are blamed for murdering Brahmi and Chokri Belaid, another prominent secular politician whose assassination in February brought down the first Islamist-led coalition.

Ennahda has also been accused of mismanaging the economy and failing to improve living standards, with Egypt's Mohamed Morsi facing similar criticism in the mass protests that led to his military overthrow on July 3.

Senior Ennahda members have, for their part, accused the opposition of trying to mirror events in Egypt, saying their demands amount to an attempt to engineer a "coup" like the one that toppled Morsi.


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Obama gets 'detailed review' of Syria options, speaks with UK's Cameron

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama received a "detailed review of a range of potential options" from his top advisers on Saturday on how the United States and its allies could respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government, the White House said.

Obama also spoke with British Prime Minister David Cameron about Syria and agreed to consult about "potential responses by the international community," the White House said.

The White House did not provide details about what options were under consideration, and gave no indication about Obama's timeline for making a decision on the issue.


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Wildfire forces new closures at Yosemite National Park

SAN FRANCISCO: A fast-moving wildfire on the edge of Yosemite National Park has forced the closure of two more areas of the park, but an official said on Saturday he was cautiously optimistic that firefighters could halt the advance of flames.

The so-called Rim Fire, which had grown to just over 125,000 acres (50,585 hectares) as of early Saturday, remained largely unchecked with extreme terrain hampering efforts at containment, which stood at 5 percent.

The fire had blackened about 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) in the northwest corner of Yosemite on Saturday, up 1,000 acres from the day before, said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman. It was consuming brush, oaks and pines and threatened some giant sequoia trees in the park.

"We're working very closely with the fire team, but we're not looking at any further closures," he said. "Things are - knock on wood - things are looking good."

Officials have closed parts of the park's northwestern edge throughout the week, including the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir area, Lake Eleanor and Lake Cherry. The fire on Saturday remained about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the reservoir and more than 20 miles (32 km) from Yosemite Valley, the park's main tourist center, Gediman said.

The latest sections to close are Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove. Officials said they have no plans to shut down the entire park or its top attractions.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California department of forestry and fire protection, said crews were making progress but the steep terrain in the area "definitely has posed a major challenge."

The fire was threatening power and water supplies to San Francisco about 200 miles (320 km) to the west.

California governor Jerry Brown on Friday declared a state of emergency for San Francisco, saying the fire had damaged the electrical infrastructure serving the city and forced the local Public Utilities Commission to shut down power lines.

The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides water to 2.6 million customers in the San Francisco area and Brown in his declaration said the city's water supply could be affected if the blaze harms the reservoir.

The reservoir provides about 85 percent of San Francisco's water needs and has not been disrupted by the fire, said Tyrone Jue, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

San Francisco could draw on water from neighbors if the supply is compromised, he said.

There have been no reports of blackouts in San Francisco, which is drawing on a reserve of power stored for emergencies. It also has spent around $700,000 buying power on the open market after two powerhouses in the path of the fire were shut down.

Berlant, the forestry spokesman, said about 2,700 firefighters were expected to be on the front lines on Saturday to fight the fire, which started on Aug. 17 in the Stanislaus National Forest.

DROUGHT PARCHED

Yosemite, one of the nation's major tourist destinations, attracted nearly 4 million visitors last year. The park has been posting updates and alerts on its website.

The blaze in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains is now the fastest-moving of 50 large wildfires raging across the drought-parched U.S. West that have strained resources and prompted fire managers to open talks with Pentagon commanders and Canadian officials about possible reinforcements.

There has been one reported injury, a heat-related injury to a firefighter, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Ashley Taylor. About 4,500 residences, three commercial buildings and 1,000 outbuildings are currently threatened by the fire, she said.

Through Friday, the fire had destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings.

An American Red Cross shelter at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Tuolumne County located north and west of the fire had 184 people on Saturday, spokesman Jordan Scott said.

Campers forced from Stanislaus National Forest had taken shelter there earlier in the week, but the fairgrounds shelter now had people forced to leave their homes, he said.

"People coming in are obviously concerned about their home and their situation," but their spirits have been "generally upbeat," Scott said.

Highway 120, one of four access routes to Yosemite, which is known for its waterfalls, giant sequoia groves and other scenic wonders, was temporarily closed. The highway leads to the west side of the 750,000-acre (300,000-hectare) national park.

Dozens of miles north of the fire in Reno, Nevada, smoke from the Rim Fire and other nearby wildfires led the local air quality agency to notify residents of the potential for poor air conditions through Tuesday.

Several outdoor events in northwest Nevada scheduled for Friday and Saturday have been canceled or postponed, including a Reno food festival, according to local news station KOLO8.

Also on Saturday, more than 1,000 firefighters were closing in on a sprawling 111,200-acre (45,000-hectare) wildfire now about 75 percent contained near the ski resort town of Sun Valley in central Idaho.

The 2013 fire season has already drained U.S. Forest Service fire suppression and emergency funds, causing the agency to redirect $600 million meant for other projects like campground and trail maintenance and thinning of trees to reduce wildfire risks, agency spokesman Mike Ferris has said.


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Fatal crocodile attack suspected in Australia

DARWIN: A 26-year-old birthday party goer has been snatched by a 5-meter (16-foot) crocodile while swimming in a notorious habitat of the dangerous reptiles, police said on Sunday.

The man, whose name has not been released, was celebrating a friend's 30th birthday on Saturday at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat, an Outback tourist destination 70 miles (110 kilometers) southeast of the Northern Territory capital Darwin, the victim's hometown, Senior Sergeant Geoff Bahnert said.

The victim and another man had swan across the river. The pair were swimming back when the crocodile attacked, he said.

"Several of the group in the party witnessed the male being taken in the jaws of the crocodile for a period of time, and then he was out of sight,'' Bahnert said.

"The Mary River is known worldwide to have the greatest saturation of adult saltwater crocodiles in the world. You don't swim in the Mary River,'' he said.

Alcohol may have played a part in the decision to swim, he said.

Police and a government crocodile management team arrived at the resort late Saturday, and an officer shot one of the largest crocodiles found in the area for the safety of searchers, he said.

It was not yet known if it was the killer crocodile.

Teams were dragging the river in search of remains, Bahnert said.

"The advice to tourists is to come, look, take photographs and stay out of the water,'' he added.

Crocodile numbers have exploded across Australia's tropical north since the species was protected by federal law in 1971. The crocodile population is densest in the Northern Territory and is promoted as a major tourist attraction.


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Congress issues whip to MPs for passage of key bills

NEW DELHI: With food security bill and some other major legislative measures scheduled for consideration in Lok Sabha on Monday, Congress is leaving no stone unturned for their early passage and has issued a three-line whip to its members for the entire week.

The members have been asked to be present in the House and support government business on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Parliament will not have a sitting on Wednesday due to Janmashtami.

The consideration of the food security bill, described by Congress as "game changer", could not be taken up despite being listed in Lok Sabha's business since Monday last due to disruptions over Telangana and other issues. It will come up for discussion and passage on Monday.

After the naming of 12 members from Andhra Pradesh for disruptions over the Telangana issue, it was serious business in the House despite being a Saturday when it passed as many as three bills.

Besides the food bill, other major bills coming up for consideration this week include Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011.

The land bill seeks to ensure a humane, participatory, informed consultative and transparent process for land acquisition for industrialisation, development of essential infrastructural facilities and urbanisation and provide just and fair compensation to the affected families.

The two bills are seen by Congress as "game changers" in the next Lok Sabha polls.

While several amendments have been given by different parties on the food bill, Congress leaders expect no opposition from any party to the pro-poor measure.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Rehabilitation Bill, 2012 are among several others listed for consideration this week.

The session has a heavy legislative agenda and there have been indications that it may be extended till September 5.


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Ban Ki-moon pushes Syria to allow for chemical attack probe

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 23 Agustus 2013 | 17.34

BEIRUT/SEOUL: UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Friday renewed his push for Syria to allow UN inspectors immediate access to investigate allegations that the government carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of Damascus.

"I can think of no good reason why any party, either government or opposition forces - would decline this opportunity to get to the truth of the matter," the UN chief told a diplomatic forum in Seoul.

Syria's government has offered no public response to UN calls for its team to inspect the site of the attack, which opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said killed from 500 to well over 1,000 people.

They said more bodies were being found in the wake of Wednesday's mysterious pre-dawn killer fumes, which the Syrian government insists were not its doing.

The administration of US President Barack Obama said it was "appalled" by the death reports.

A US official familiar with initial intelligence assessments said the attack appeared to be the work of the Assad government. It was "the regime acting as a regime", the official said. But the Obama administration made clear that any response would await confirmation of a chemical attack and its origin.

Images, including some by freelance photographers supplied to Reuters, showed scores of bodies laid out on floors with no visible signs of injury. Some had foam at the nose and mouth.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said world powers must respond with force if allegations that Syria's government was responsible for the deadliest chemical attack on civilians in a quarter-century prove true. But Fabius stressed there was no question of sending in troops on the ground.

Talk of a forceful foreign response remains unlikely to be translated into rapid, concerted action given division between the West and Russia at Wednesday's UN Security Council meeting, and caution from Washington on Thursday.

Moscow has said rebels may have released gas to discredit Assad and urged him to agree to a UN inspection. On Wednesday, Russian objections to Western pressure on Syria saw the Security Council merely call in vague terms for "clarity" - a position increasingly frustrated Syrian rebels described as "shameful".

The State Department said senior US and Russian diplomats would meet in The Hague next Wednesday to discuss ending Syria's civil war, in what would be the first such meeting since allegations of the chemical attack.

A senior State Department official said chemical weapons would also be discussed at the meeting. The meeting had previously been announced, but no date had been released.

Ban said he would send a top UN disarmament official, Angela Kane, to lobby the Syrian government in person and expected a swift, positive answer.

Obama has directed US intelligence agencies to urgently help establish what caused the deaths, a State Department spokeswoman said while acknowledging it may be difficult given that the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Syria.

"At this time, right now, we are unable to conclusively determine CW (chemical weapons) use," the State Department's Jen Psaki told reporters. "We are doing everything possible in our power to nail down the facts," she added.

Another US official said intelligence agencies were not given a deadline and would take the time needed to "reach a conclusion with confidence."

Former weapons investigators say every hour matters.

"The longer it takes, the easier it is for anybody who has used it to try to cover up," said Demetrius Perricos, who headed the UN team of weapons inspectors in Iraq in the 2000s.

'People are growing desperate'

Syria is one of just a handful of countries that are not parties to the international treaty that bans chemical weapons, and Western nations believe it has caches of undeclared mustard gas, sarin and VX nerve agents.

Syrian officials have called allegations against their forces "illogical and fabricated". They point to the timing of the attack, days after UN inspectors arrived after months of argument, and to previous assurances that, if they possessed chemical weapons, they would never use them against Syrians.

After months of negotiating with Assad's government to let inspectors into Syria, a UN team arrived in Damascus four days ago. Their task is to check on the presence, but not the sources, of chemical weapons that are alleged to have been released in three specific, small incidents several months ago.

Many rebels and activists in the opposition area say they have lost interest in promises of UN investigations or in help from abroad: "We are 7 km away, just a five-minute car ride from where they are staying," said activist Bara Abdelrahman.

"We're being exterminated with poison gas while they drink their coffee and sit inside their hotels."

Qassem Saadeddine, a commander and spokesman for the rebels' Supreme Military Council, said the group was still deliberating on how or if it should respond: "People are growing desperate as they watch another round of political statements and UN meetings without any hope of action," he told Reuters.

Syria's revolt against four decades of Assad family rule has turned into a brutal civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people in 2-1/2 years and divided the Middle East along largely sectarian lines.

Among world powers, the conflict has revived Cold War-era East-West tensions and on the ground the struggle has limped to a poisonous stalemate.

Assad's Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and has the backing of Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Western powers back the opposition but have been reluctant to fully commit to an Arab Sunni-backed revolt increasingly overtaken by Islamists linked to al Qaeda. Yet they have said the large-scale use of widely banned chemical weapons would be a game changer.

Syria's southern neighbour Israel, still technically at war with Damascus, said it believed Syrian forces had used chemical weapons and accused the world of turning a blind eye: "The world condemns, the world investigates, the world pays lip service," Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz said.

In Paris, Fabius said that if the Security Council could not make a decision, one would have to be taken "in other ways", but he did not elaborate.

Immediate international action is likely to be limited.

European officials speaking on condition of anonymity said that options ranging from air strikes, creating a no-fly zone, or providing heavy weapons to some rebels were all still on the table - but that there was little prospect of concrete measures without US backing, which still seemed unlikely.

"The American reaction following yesterday's attack was cautious," said one official. "And without US firepower, there's little we can do."


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Way forward in Indo-Pak ties is to resume dialogue: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Emphasising on the need to resume stalled composite dialogue between Pakistan and India, President Asif Ali Zardari has said recent ceasefire violations along LoC should not be allowed to derail the normalisation process between the two countries.

"We believe the way forward for the two countries is to resume the stalled composite dialogue process at the earliest," Zardari said on Thursday.

He said that Pakistan wanted to transform bilateral relations with India into a friendly and cooperative partnership through resolving of outstanding disputes.

Zaradri, however, maintained that the two sides need to ensure that the recent incidents along the Line of Control should not derail the peace process.

"Our new democratic government has exercised restraint," Zardari said, adding that "the Prime Minister is committed to peaceful relations with India and has stated that his government will continue to exercise restraint".

He made the remarks while speaking at a dinner hosted in the honour of Islamabad-based diplomats here at the Presidency on Thursday evening to thank them for their support and cooperation during the past five years.

Zardari will demit office on September 8, following which newly elected Mamnoon Hussain would take over as the 12th President of Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan sincerely desires to establish durable peace and stability in the neighbourhood. "We need peace and stability to realise the vast potential of mutually beneficial cooperation in diverse fields," Zardari said.

He reiterated Pakistan's commitment to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of transition as the war-torn country approaches the next important stage of transition with the drawdown of foreign forces.

"We are extending every possible support to the efforts for intra-Afghan reconciliation," he said.

Besides the diplomats, the dinner was also attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, chairman of the Senate, speaker National Assembly, federal ministers and parliamentarians.

Zardari said democracy was taking roots in Pakistan, as for the first time in the country's history an elected civilian President would be handing over charge to another elected civilian President in a smooth and orderly manner.


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Government seeks Parliament nod for additional Rs 7,500cr spending

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday sought Parliament's approval to spend an additional Rs 7,500 crore including Rs 1,000 crore for setting up of 'Nirbhaya Fund' for safety of women and a similar amount for women's bank.

The first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2013-14 involving an additional expenditure of Rs 7,499.42 crore was tabled in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The net cash outgo, however, will only be Rs 127.14 crore as "gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the ministries/departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 7,372.55 crore," according to the statement of supplementary demands for grants.

The additional spendings include Rs 1,000 crore for setting up of 'Nirbhaya Fund' for safety of women and a similar amount will be provided to National Skill Development Corporation to extend skill trainings to youth.

Besides, Rs 1,000 crore has been provided for initial capital for establishment of women's bank.

Also, Rs 1830 crore loan is to be given to International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The government also proposes to provide Rs 500 crore to Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to set up a Credit Guarantee Fund while Rs 100 crore has been proposed to be given to India Microfinance Equity Fund of SIDBI to provide equity and quasi-equity to microfinance institutions.

Also, Rs 100 crore each has been provided as grants to Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University while Rs 200 crore has been provisioned for Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan.


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Fifteen villages submerged, 10,000 affected in Malda in West Bengal


MALDA: Over 15 villages were on Friday submerged in the flood waters affecting a population of ten thousand in Malda district in West Bengal, official sources said.

The swollen Ganga on Friday breached an embankment at Gopalpur area in Manikchak block submerging several villages, the sources said.

Rescue teams rushed to the area and moved the people to safer places, the sources said.

The river was flowing 25 cm above the danger level, the sources said.

District magistrate G Kirankumar was supervising relief operations.

Leaves of the block level employees were cancelled in view of the situation, the sources said.


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Poacher killed in encounter at National Defence Academy in Pune

PUNE: A poacher was killed in an encounter on Friday with security guards of National Defence Academy (NDA) situated at Khadakwasla, 20 km from Pune.

According to a spokesman of the NDA, about 4-5 trespassers were spotted in its premises by the patrol party early Friday who were challenged by the guards.

"When challenged to stop, poachers opened fire on NDA security personnel. In retaliatory fire, a poacher died while others escaped," he said.

The poacher who was killed in the encounter was yet to be identified, it was stated.

Incidents of sandalwood smuggling from the sprawling NDA premises have been reported in the past.

The NDA authorities have stepped up vigil and night patrolling as per guidelines given to defence establishments.


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Paternity row: Delhi HC closes ND Tiwari's right to lead evidence

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari was on Friday barred by the Delhi high court from leading any evidence in the paternity suit filed by a youth seeking to declare him as his biological father.

Justice Vipin Sanghi considered a report of a local commissioner that the Congress leader has failed to file his evidence by way of an affidavit in the paternity case despite opportunities granted to him.

"The right of defendant No.1 (Tiwari) to lead evidence has been closed. Put up the case on September 18 for further proceedings," the court said.

S M Chopra, a former additional district judge, was appointed as a local commissioner by the high court for recording evidence on day-to-day basis in the case.

He has filed a report to the judge that 88-year-old Tiwari neither filed his evidence within the stipulated time nor appeared before him for cross-examination on August 21.

Considering the report of the local commissioner, the high court decided to close the right of Tiwari to lead evidence in favour of his claim that he did not father 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar.

The local commissioner had on July 1 granted four weeks time to Tiwari for filing his evidence and listed the matter on August 21 for personal appearance before him.

However, on August 21, the counsel for Tiwari sought more time besides seeking holding of his cross-examination at a place other than the high court complex.

Earlier, the local commissioner had concluded the examination of Rohit and his mother Ujjawala Sharma and asked Tiwari to file his evidence by way of an affidavit.

The leader has so far refused to settle the lawsuit out of court through mediation saying there is a possibility that the medical evidence is not 100 per cent accurate.

The high court had on July 27 last year read out the DNA report in the case according to which Tiwari was shown as Shekhar's biological father.

Tiwari had given blood sample for the DNA test on May 29 last year at his residence in Dehradun following the apex court's order in the case, after repeatedly contesting against undergoing the test on various grounds.

Tiwari's pleas had been objected to by Rohit who had filed the paternity suit in 2008, claiming that the veteran Congress leader is his biological father. Tiwari had refuted his claim.


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Scarlett Keeling case: Four doctors from AIIMS to depose before Goa court

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 22 Agustus 2013 | 17.34

PANAJI: Four doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences will soon depose before the Goa Children's Court here as part of the trial in the 2008 Scarlett Eden Keeling death case.

The court has issued summons to three forensic experts — Dr DN Bharadwaj, Dr T Millo and Dr Sanjeev Lalvani — and a pathology professor Dr Rama Roy in connection with the killing of the minor British Girl in Goa.

The team of doctors had conducted chemical analysis of the forensic remains of Scarlett who was found dead on the famous Anjuna beach in the tourist state.

Two accused, Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, are being tried for the death of Scarlett, whose bruised body was found on February 18, 2008.

The CBI has filed a chargesheet in connection with the case and so far the court has examined 22 witnesses.


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Uneasy partners South Korea, Japan join US air drills

WASHINGTON: Japan and South Korea's unprecedented joint participation in air force exercises over Alaska shows that America's two staunchest Asian allies are willing to cooperate on security despite their political differences.

Their aircraft have been flying the annual Red Flag Alaska training drills that end Friday, along with US and Australian forces. The exercise has included simulated combat maneuvers in which Korean fighter jets helped secure airspace for military transport planes from Japan and other nations.

In recent years, Seoul and Tokyo have taken tentative steps to improve security cooperation. They have exchanged observers during military exercises and engaged together in naval training drills. But this is the first time their fighter jets have flown in the same exercise.

Jim Schoff, a former Pentagon adviser for East Asia policy, said that's a sign Japan and South Korea are not letting their bilateral frictions prevent a slow and steady improvement in their military cooperation. But he said the cooperation remains limited and is no cure for their political differences that last year derailed a bilateral agreement on sharing military information.

The tensions are rooted in Korean anger over Japan's attitude toward its colonial past and use of Korean sex slaves during World War II. The two nations also have conflicting claims to tiny Korean-administered islands in the seas between them.

Last week, two Japanese Cabinet ministers visited a shrine dedicated to 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including war criminals. Such visits anger Koreans and Chinese, which also suffered under Japanese colonial occupation. However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, known for his hawkish views, stayed away from the Yasukuni Shrine.

On the face of it, Japan and South Korea have lots of reasons to work together on security. Both are prosperous democracies and host to tens of thousands of American forces. They share a common interest in deterring a nuclear-armed and unpredictable neighbor: North Korea.

The two-week Red Flag Alaska exercise, which ends Friday, involves about 60 aircraft and 2,600 personnel, including from the US Air Force, Navy and Marines. Japan and Australia have participated in the annual exercise before, but it is South Korea's first time.

The exercise is a chance for participants to sharpen their combat skills in a realistic threat environment and integrate various forces in joint training, US Air Force Capt. Joost Verduyn said in an emailed response to questions.

Lt. Col. Tom Pagano, commander of the 353rd Combat Training Squadron, which plans Red Flag Alaska, said that seeing two major US allies, Japan and South Korea, practicing together is likely to be the highlight of the exercise.

"We have allies that are now on the same sheet of music able to cooperate, integrate and face a common foe (North Korea)," he was quoted as saying by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, a newspaper in Alaska.


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Green panel halts DRDO project at Chitradurga in Karnataka

CHENNAI: Defence Research and Development Organisation's project for setting up an aeronautical testing range at Chitradurga in Karnataka has been halted by the National Green Tribunal as it did not have necessary clearance from Karnataka Pollution Control Board.

The southern bench of the tribunal passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by environmental activists from Bangalore, who alleged that the farm lands in the area were converted for the testing range.

The petition submitted that over 10,000 acres of farm lands called 'Amrit Mahal Kaval' in Karnataka were being converted for industrial purposes violating norms and the land was transferred to various organisations such as the DRDO, Indian Institute of Science and Indian Space Research Organisation by the Karnataka government.

The petition further sought a direction to restore the lands to its original self without any encroachment and construction.

The NGT had set up an expert committee to go into the actual status of the land in Chitradurga and the committee had submitted its report recently.

When the matter came up on Wednesday, counsel for respondents said no clearance from the KPCB was necessary for the project and it was clarified by the environment and forests ministry. It was contended that if the NGT passed an order halting the project, it will result in huge loss of public money.

Observing that the DRDO had gone ahead with the construction even as its application to the KPCB was pending, the bench said it was not in accordance with norms.

The tribunal ordered that status quo should be maintained till the KPCB considered the application and processed it as per the requirements. The matter was posted to September 17.


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TDP MP Harikrishna resigns from RS over bifurcation issue

NEW DELHI: TDP MP and son of NT Rama Rao, N Harikrishna on Thursday resigned from Rajya Sabha in protest against the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.

Harikrishna, 57, said he met Rajya Sabha chairman M Hamid Ansari on Thursday morning and submitted his resignation.

Deputy chairman PJ Kurien informed the House that the chairman has accepted his resignation.

Talking to PTI, Harikrishna alleged that the decision to bifurcate the state was taken to reap political benefits in favour of Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

"By this decision, they (Congress) killed the Telugu spirit. They did it to make Rahul Gandhi next Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

Striking an emotive note, Harikrishna, son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao, recalled the steps taken by his late father to keep the state united.

"My father stood firmly for the cause of united Andhra Pradesh. Now it is shattered. My conscience would not allow me to continue (as Rajya Sabha MP)," he said.

The TDP leader, who had announced his resignation few days back, had alleged that the Congress leadership announced the division without resolving the crucial issues like water sharing.


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Fiji releases new constitution ahead of 2014 vote

FIJI: Fiji's military regime on Thursday unveiled a new constitution to serve as a blueprint for 2014 elections, the first polls to be held in the pacific nation since the government seized power in a coup seven years ago.

The document "will underpin the first genuine democracy in Fijian history" and enshrine the principle of one person one vote, the government said.

Fiji's military ruler, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, has repeatedly said such voting rights are needed to ease long-standing tensions between indigenous Fijians and the island nation's sizeable Indian minority.

Indians make up just under 40 per cent of the 900,000-strong population.

The document, the fourth since Fiji gained independence from Britain in 1970, will replace the constitution adopted in 1997 and torn up by Bainimarama in 2009.

"It will be the supreme law of the country and pave the way for elections on September 30, 2014, conducted for the first time on the basis of equal votes of equal value," the government said in a statement.

The new constitution, which makes provision for a 50-member parliament and elections every four years, also enshrines principles such as a secular state, freedom of speech and an impartial judiciary.

A draft version of the document, prepared by Kenyan academic Yash Ghai, had called for the military to remain apolitical but Bainimarama scrapped it earlier this year and ordered government lawyers to rewrite the constitution.

The new version does not contain any clauses barring Fiji's military from politics, a key factor in the four coups the country has endured since the 1980s.

The military's role is "to ensure at all times the security, defence and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians", says the constitution.

The current regime, which rules by decree, also abandoned plans to hold an assembly of church, political and civil society groups to review the document before it was finalised, leading to allegations it was silencing dissenting voices in the nation-building process.

Australia-based Pacific historian Brij Lal said the public had not been given any say in the latest constitution.

"There really has been no public consultation on the content and character of this document," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"They're introducing major changes here that will change the political culture of Fiji and there's been no public input into it."

While Bainimarama has pledged to hold elections in September next year, a similar vow to hold a poll in 2009 was never honoured, resulting in Fiji being suspended from the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum.


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Will like to challenge Sushma Swaraj from Vidisha in 2014, Digvijaya says

BHOPAL: Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Thursday said he would like to contest next LokSabha election from Vidisha seat in Madhya Pradesh, currently represented by leader of opposition SushmaSwaraj.

In an informal talk with reporters, the former chief minister said he had no plans to contest from Rajgarh, which is his hometown, as it has already been represented by Congress member.

To a query whether he will contest from Bellary in Karnataka if Sushma Swaraj enters the fray from there in 2014 polls, Digvijaya replied in negative.

Digvijaya clarified that though he was prepared to contest from Vidisha, nothing has been formalised yet and names of other constituencies are also doing round.

Swaraj had won the 2009 election to the 15th Lok Sabha from Vidisha by the margin of over 4,00,000 votes.

Digvijaya also said that current Bhopal MP and former chief minister Kailash Joshi would not contest next year's general elections.


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Japan upgrades Fukushima leak to "serious incident"

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 21 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

TOKYO: Japan's nuclear regulator on Wednesday upgraded its evaluation of a radioactive water leak at the crippled nuclear plant in Fukushima to a level three "serious incident."

The assessment, on an international scale of zero to seven with seven being the worst, came after operator Tokyo Electric Power Company ( TEPCO) said some 300 tonnes of radioactive water was believed to have leaked from a tank at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the worst such leak since the crisis began.


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Egypt's Mubarak back in court, lawyer to seek his release

CAIRO: Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak will face a new court hearing on Wednesday during which his lawyer will seek his release from prison, judicial sources said.

The hearing is the fourth and final case against the long-time president, who was toppled in a popular uprising in February 2011.

Since April, courts have ordered Mubarak's conditional release in the three other cases against him -- two involving corruption, and one for allegedly killing protesters.

The latest came on Monday when a court ordered his conditional release in the third case, which involved charges of corruption.

His lawyer plans to appeal against the fourth and final case, which is also related to corruption, in a bid to secure the former president's release, according to a judicial source.

Farid al-Dib, Mubarak's lawyer, is expected to argue that his client paid back $600,120 (449,570 euros) for gifts he received from his minister of information -- the issue at the heart of the fourth case.

The former president, 85, is on trial with his former interior minister Habib Adly and six police commanders on charges related to their rule before the 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.

On Saturday, a court adjourned his trial on charges of killing protesters until August 25 in a brief session that Mubarak did not attend.

He is facing the charges for a second time after a first trial that ended in him being sentenced to life was overturned by an appeals court on the basis of procedural errors.


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Chinese ships depart for rare drills with US Navy

BEIJING: Three Chinese ships are sailing east to join rare naval drills with the United States as Beijing ramps up its military diplomacy amid regional territorial disputes and other tensions.

The ships left the port of Qingdao on Tuesday to participate in search-and-rescue drills with the US Navy in the waters off Hawaii. Afterward, the ships will continue on to Australia and New Zealand for similar exercises

The naval drills build on a commitment to create stronger ties made by President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a June summit in California, and are an "important mission of military diplomacy," deputy navy commander Xu Hongmeng said, according to the military's official newspaper, People's Liberation Army Daily.

There have been only a handful of exercises at sea involving the two countries' navies, and this week's drills are the first since an unprecedented joint anti-piracy exercise was held last year off Somalia.

The ships' departure came during a visit to the US by Chinese defense minister Chang Wanquan, during which he and US defense secretary Chuck Hagel spoke of expanded military cooperation. During the visit, Hagel said he would visit China next year for the first time since assuming the Pentagon's top job in February.

The US and Chinese militaries are also exchanging military officers for academic studies and holding talks on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. In 2014, China's navy will participate for the first time in a major international maritime exercise known as Rim of the Pacific.

The expanding military ties are part of an on-again, off-again drive to build trust even as Beijing continues to express wariness over Washington's strategic "pivot" to Asia, in which the bulk of US Navy vessels are being positioned in the Pacific and broader alliances have been struck with regional allies such as Australia. China sees the moves as an effort to counter its expanding military and contain its growing economic and political influence.

China's disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and other Asian neighbors over territorial boundaries in the South China Sea are also an irritant, even though the US insists it does not take sides in territorial claims.

The Chinese navy flotilla on the current mission is made up of a supply ship, a frigate, and the guided missile destroyer Qingdao, which has taken the lead in China's naval diplomacy with visits to 21 countries. It also includes one shipboard helicopter and 680 officers and sailors.


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Liquor smugglers, tipplers bash up UP babus, cops

HAPUR (Uttar Pradesh): Four Uttar Pradesh officials, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured in an attack by people involved in the illegal sale of liquor brought from Haryana, police said on Wednesday.

A team of officials, acting on a tip-off, raided a liquor vend in Atrauli village of Pilkhuwa, about 30 km from the national capital and falling within Hapur district of western Uttar Pradesh.

After receiving the tip-off late Tuesday, Amit Kumar Nagar, circle officer (CO) of Pilkhuwa, led the raiding team, comprising six officials from the police and excise department of the state government, police said.

At about 10 pm, as the officials raided the vend, irate buyers and sellers of liquor gathered at the site attacked them with sticks and stones.

The circle officer was especially targetted by the irate mob and sustained critical head injuries. The other officials were less grievously hurt -- excise inspector Ajay Yadav sustained injuries in the neck and back while constable Vipin Sharma escaped with a sore arm.

One of the men involved in the illegal sale of liquor, identified as Rajendra, escaped under the cover of darkness in the melee at the vend.

Police managed to nab two of the people involved in attacking the officials.

"A criminal case was registered, and two suspects were arrested. Effective measures are being taken to stop smuggling of liquor from Haryana," a police official said.


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Next elections are crucial for India's destiny, Sam Pitroda says

CHENNAI: Sam Pitroda, chairman of the National Council for Innovations and adviser to the Prime Minister on public information infrastructure, has called for 'a young and strong government' at the Centre and asked the youth to vote in large numbers to make this happen.

Speaking at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute for Youth Development (RGNIYD) at Sriperumbudur on Tuesday, Pitroda said, "The next elections are very crucial for India and its destiny."

"You owe it to Rajiv Gandhi who as Prime Minister was instrumental in lowering the voting age to 18 from 21," Pitroda said delivering the 5th RGNIYD lecture at the institute.

Recalling his first meeting with Rajiv Gandhi in Delhi in 1979, Pitroda said he had been impressed with the latter's concern for a large number of people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Rajiv was focused his attention on balancing rural and urban growth, he said.

Pitroda, who is considered to be the father of Indian Telecom revolution, said broadband building in rural and urban areas held the key to transformation in educational, health and financial services, besides connecting all research and development labs and scientific research institutions.

He said the government planned to connect 2,50,000 panchayats with one million km of optical fibre in 18 months. He said a sum of Rs 5000 crore had been envisaged for investment in innovations and would come up before the Union cabinet for approval.

He called on the youth to 'have courage and conviction' to experiment and follow their ideals without waiting for government to help them.

"I do not have all the answers," he admitted replying to questions from students from various colleges. "I don't have an opinion on corruption but can say that I am 100 per cent non-corrupt. Don't know about my wife," he remarked asking people to take personal responsibility for themselves.

C R Kesavan, vice president of RGNIYD, said Rajiv Gandhi had always asked the youth to play an important role in nation building.


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In five years, UP could digitize only 2.84% of its waqf properties

LUCKNOW: Though computer education is fast becoming common in madarsas, there's resistance to computerization in the state sunni waqf board. This reflects in UP scoring lowly on the Waqf Records Computerization Project. Status data, as on July 31, 2013, shows that the state got only 2.84% of its records digitized in five years. This happens when the project could benefit UP the most for it is home to a maximum of 1.23 lakh waqf properties.

Initiated by ministry of minority affairs (MMA) in 2009 after recommendations from a joint parliamentary committee on waqf, the scheme aimed to streamline record keeping and introduce transparency through a single, web-based centralized application so that problems of encroachment and misuse of waqf properties could be checked.

National Informatics Centre, a stake holder for the programme besides union and state government, developed the software for the project. The scheme is to be implemented in three phases. Success of 'computerization of waqf data at state level' was important to roll out the subsequent parts. GIS mapping of wakf properties and taking computerization to peripheral activities of the boards were the highlights of the second and third phases.

Talking about the specific problems in UP, joint secretary, MMA Rakesh Mohan said, "There is lack of support from the state because they tend to feel that they can handle it on their own. At the ground level, there is resistance to technology and computerization. And finally, the size of the target demands a more dedicated effort from the state."

He admitted that UP's poor show reflected on the national picture too. UP has over 41% of the total number of waqf properties in the country. "The state must understand that computerization of records would allow Wakf Boards to monitor their properties in a better way. The data base would also help in preventing encroachments and fighting legal cases with the encroachers. They can also take stock of incomes generated through the properties and put it to better use like sponsoring education, opening skill development centers, generating employment and so on," said Mohan.

When asked to comment on what steps are being taken by the ministry to speed up the process, he said, "In the last week of June, the ministry organized a meeting of chairpersons from the state boards and sensitized them about how would they benefit from the digitalization. A similar session is being arranged for secretaries of the department too." Additionally, said Mohan, the ministry is planning to allocate funds and provide manpower according to the burden of waqf properties in the state. UP would surely benefit from this.


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Non resident Gujarati gives Raksha Band this Raksha Bandhan

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 20 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

AHMEDABAD: This bracelet can put roadside Romeos in handcuffs. A safety band designed by a firm incubated in IIM-A will enable a potential victim to photograph the assaulter and activate an alarm at the click of a button.

The brutal gang-rape of Nirbhaya in Delhi prompted Asha Jadeja to do something for the security of women.

Jadeja, wife of late US professor Rajeev Motwani of Google, is a technology venture capitalist based in the US. A native of Gujarat, she was badly shaken by the gang-rape and wanted to do something for women's safety.

"The band which will have mobile SIM card embedded looks like any fashion accessory but has two primary functions-raise an alarm and inform the pre-set numbers about the emergency via SMS with location. Raksha Band can remind the women about Rakshabandhan-the day when brothers take oath to protect their sisters," said Jadeja.

The device, currently in testing phase, is being designed at Gridbots, an Ahmedabad-based company. It has not charged anything for the project. Pulkit Gaur, founder of the company, said that they are excited about giving something back to the society through technology.

The band is expected to be out by October after market testing where the promoters are going to distribute it in Delhi and will later cover other parts of the country. Though the firm is working on pricing, Jadeja said the intention was not to make profits. The team is also working on variants including one with a mobile camera that can click the picture of the offender that will directly be stored in servers using cloud computing technology.

Jadeja said that the initiative is not all about gadgets. "We are using the opportunity of Rakshabandhan on Tuesday to launch a social media campaign where we are going to urge the Indian men to adopt three sisters and make a sacred pledge to watch out for their safety. I hope the festival brings in new confidence for girls and women," she said.


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China will defend its maritime rights, defence minister Chang Wanquan says

WASHINGTON: Military relations between China and the United States are steadily improving but Beijing remains determined to defend its maritime rights, the country's defence minister said Monday during a US visit.

Although General Chang Wanquan and his US counterpart, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel, struck an optimistic tone after more than three hours of talks, the Chinese official made clear Beijing would not make concessions when it comes to its core interests.

"We always insist that related disputes be solved through dialogue and negotiation," Chang told a joint news conference at the Pentagon.

"However, no one should fantasize that China would barter away our core interests, and no one should underestimate our will and determination in defending our territory, sovereignty and maritime rights," he said.

China claims virtually all of the South China Sea, despite rival claims from other countries in the region, which have accused Beijing of staging a gradual takeover of disputed islets.

And Japan and China are locked in a bitter feud over which country has sovereignty over islands in the East China Sea.

Hagel restated the US stance on the issue, saying Washington remained neutral over sovereignty questions but insisted that disagreements be resolved peacefully, "without coercion."

In the run-up to Monday's meeting, US defense officials have touted progress in defense ties with Beijing after years of false starts, crediting the shift in part to China's new leader, President Xi Jinping.

"One of the themes we emphasized today was that a sustained, substantive military-to-military relationship is an important pillar for this strong bilateral relationship," Hagel said.

And Chang said defense ties are "gaining a good momentum."

Before Monday's talks, Chang met the head of US Pacific Command in Hawaii on Friday and the head of Northern Command on Saturday.

His visit follows a series of high-level visits, exchanges and joint initiatives, including plans for Chinese naval forces to take part in a major US exercise next year.

This weekend, Chinese naval forces will take part in an anti-piracy exercise with US ships in the Gulf of Aden.

With China's rapid economic growth fueling an expansion of military might, the US military has sought to forge a dialogue with the Chinese top brass to avoid any miscalculations or incidents on the high seas.

Washington also has pursued a strategic "rebalance" towards the Asia-Pacific region to counter Beijing's rising influence, particularly in the South China Sea.

Chang said the strategic shift towards Asia had raised some concerns in China, and that more US-led military exercises "further complicated the situation in the region."

The general cautioned that the US tilt to Asia should not be focused on any one nation.

"We would like to have this rebalancing strategy balance on different countries as well because the essence of rebalancing is balance," he said.

The talks also covered cyber security, a contentious issue as the United States has alleged the Chinese military and government of backing some digital espionage against defense firms and other US targets.

Chang said his country opposed any "arms race" in the cyber realm, as well as any "double standard," amid recent revelations of massive electronic surveillance carried out by America's National Security Agency.

"Regarding how to solve the cybersecurity issue, I believe it requires the common exploration and cooperation between China and United States rather than ungrounded accusation or suspicion," he said.

Chang's trip to the United States follows a visit to China earlier this by the top US military officer, General Martin Dempsey, who took part in Monday's talks.

And Hagel said Monday he had accepted an invitation to travel to China next year, his first trip there as Pentagon chief.

Hagel said he was looking forward to meeting Chang again next week in Brunei at a gathering of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN).

The US defense secretary said his trip to the region also would include stops in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.


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US bomber crashes in Montana, four crew members survive

WASHINGTON: A US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber crashed on Monday in the northern state of Montana but its four-strong crew managed to eject before impact, the military said.

The plane had taken off from Ellsworth Air Force base, home of the 28th Bomb Wing, on what was described as a routine training mission.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known and all four crew members suffered "some injuries" during the incident, according to a statement.

"We are actively working to ensure the safety of the crew members and have sent first responders to secure the scene and work closely with local authorities at the crash site," said Colonel Kevin Kennedy.

"Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with the crews and their families," he said.

The B-1B is an updated version of the Rockwell corporation's long range B-1 bomber, which was originally designed to carry nuclear weapons.


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Boat carrying 105 passengers sinks in Indian Ocean: Australian officials

SYDNEY: A boat carrying around 100 asylum seekers sank in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, and Australian officials were hurrying to rescue passengers from the water.

The boat sank about 220 kilometers (140 miles) north of Christmas Island, where Australia operates a detention camp for asylum seekers. There were an estimated 105 people on board, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement.

The agency said it received a call for help Tuesday morning, and an Australian navy ship was sent to the scene. Rescue officials reported the asylum seeker boat had sunk when they arrived.

A merchant ship and rescue plane were also on the scene, and another Navy ship and plane were headed to the area to help.

"This is an ongoing search and rescue operation and no further information is available at this stage,'' the maritime agency said in a statement.

Christmas Island, located around 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a popular destination for asylum seekers who crowd into rickety boats at Indonesian ports and pay smugglers to bring them to Australian shores. Hundreds have died while attempting the journey in recent years.


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Country remembers Rajiv Gandhi on 69th birth anniversary

NEW DELHI: The country today fondly remembered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 69th birth anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leading the nation in paying tributes to the departed leader.

Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Singh paid floral tributes at Vir Bhumi, the samadhi of Rajiv Gandhi.

Rajiv's wife and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, son and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, also laid flowers at the samadhi.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among the other leaders who paid tributes to the departed leader.

Devotional music was played throughout the programme. Scores of National Students Union of India ( NSUI), the student wing of Congress, members were also present on the occasion.

A group of Congress workers, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, who were part of the Sadbhavna Yatra to spread the message of national harmony and integration against terrorism, were also present at Vir Bhumi.

Rajiv Gandhi, who heralded the information and communication technology revolution in the country, was born on August 20, 1944 and served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984--1989.

He was assassinated by the LTTE on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu while addressing an election campaign.


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Right to pension can't be take away pending proceedings: SC

NEW DELHI: Observing that gratuity and pension are hard earned benefits of an employee and right to receive pension is in the nature of "property", the Supreme Court has held that this right cannot be taken away from a government employee pending departmental or criminal proceedings.

"It is an accepted position that gratuity and pension are not the bounties. An employee earns these benefits by dint of his long, continuous, faithful and un-blemished service. It is thus hard earned benefit which accrues to an employee and is in the nature of "property".

"This right to property cannot be taken away without the due process of law as per the provisions of Article 300 A of the Constitution of India," a bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and A K Sikri said.

The court passed the judgement while dismissing the appeal of Jharkhand government against the state's high court order directing it to release the withheld dues of its retired employee Jitendra Kumar Srivastava, who had criminal cases pending against him.

"We are of the opinion that the right of the petitioner (Srivastava) to receive pension is property under Article 31(1) (of the Constitution) and by a mere executive order the State had no power to withhold the same."

"...the order dated June 12, 1968 denying the petitioner right to receive pension affects the fundamental right of the petitioner under Articles 19(1)(f) and 31(1)of Constitution, and as such the writ petition under Article 32 is maintainable," the bench said.

It also said "a person cannot be deprived of this pension without the authority of law, which is the Constitutional mandate enshrined in Article 300 A of the Constitution. It follows that attempt of the appellant to take away a part of pension or gratuity or even leave encashment without any statutory provision and under the umbrage of administrative instruction cannot be countenanced."


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Six passengers injured as bomb explodes inside bus in Jalpaiguri

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 18 Agustus 2013 | 17.35

JALPAIGURI: At least six passengers were injured, some of them seriously, when a bomb exploded inside a bus at Borovisah Chowpati in Jalpaiguri district.

The passenger bus, bound for Phunsiling in neighboring Bhutan from Assam, had stopped at Chowpati along the Assam-Bengal border, and as the passengers were about to come down, the bomb, concealed in the rear end, exploded.

Official sources said the police had reached the spot and it is yet to be ascertained who was involved in the planting of the bomb.

The injured have been rushed to the Alipurduar civil hospital for treatment.


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Pakistani, Bangladeshi origin people won't be given overseas Indian card

NEW DELHI: Bringing major changes in the Citizenship Act, the government has decided that any person who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan and Bangladesh would not be eligible for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder.

Besides, overseas Indian cardholders will not be entitled to the rights conferred on Indian nationals regarding equality of opportunity in employment, for election as President, vice-president and appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts.

The cardholders will also not be entitled to be registered as voters and cannot become members of the legislature anywhere in India.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2011, which was passed by the Parliament last week, provides for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder if the person is a citizen of another country but was a citizen of India at the time or at anytime after the commencement of the Constitution.

A citizen of another country eligible to become a citizen of India at the commencement of the Constitution, citizen of another country but who belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947 will also be eligible for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder.

"No person who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an overseas Indian cardholder," the bill, which seeks to remove certain lacunae relating to overseas Indian citizens, says.

It also provides for registration of a spouse of an Indian citizen, who is the citizen of another country and whose marriage is also registered abroad.

The central government can relax a provision requiring 12 months as resident in India as one of the qualifications for grant of citizenship by the process of naturalization, the bill says.


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UN secretary general alarmed at 'excessive use of force' in Egypt

UNITED NATIONS: UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm at the turmoil in Egypt on Saturday, urging an end to violent protests and citing the "excessive use of force" in handling them.

"He strongly condemns attacks on churches, hospitals, and other public facilities, which he finds unacceptable," Ban's spokesman said in a statement.

"Whatever the grievances, there is no justification for destruction of infrastructure and property so important to Egypt's future."

Egyptian police cleared Islamist protesters from a Cairo mosque on Saturday after a stand-off that included exchanges of fire, as the death toll from four days of violence surpassed 750.

Security forces dragged supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi from the Al-Fath mosque, passing through angry crowds who tried to beat the Islamists, calling them "terrorists".

Ban's statement said that preventing further loss of life should be Egyptians' "highest priority at this dangerous moment."

"He urges those in the street and those in authority to use maximum restraint and shift immediately to de-escalation. He appeals to the authorities and to the political leaders to adopt a credible plan to contain the violence and revive the political process hijacked by violence," the statement added.


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Rights group accuses Sri Lanka army of intimidating media over shooting

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan media rights group on Sunday accused the military of intimidating journalists who reported a deadly army crackdown on villagers protesting at contaminated water supplies.

The army has been under pressure after soldiers fired on unarmed locals on August 1 in a village outside Colombo, killing three, as they protested against a factory which they say polluted their ground water.

The Free Media Movement (FMM) said the army summoned reporters, photographers and video persons to give evidence as part of a military investigation into the incident.

"Summoning the journalists who were also badly assaulted by the army to give evidence is seen by us as further intimidation," FMM convenor Sunil Jayasekera told AFP.

"They (the media) were asked to come to an army camp on Saturday, but they did not comply."

Jayasekera said the rights group was willing to cooperate with a separate police investigation also under way , but not one conducted by the army considering its own soldiers were accused of wrongdoing.

"We have asked the military to tell us under what law are they summoning the journalists to army camps to give evidence."

Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya denied troops were intimidating witnesses, and said they issued summonses in the interests of a fair inquiry and to corroborate evidence gathered so far.

At least 26 journalists have fled Sri Lanka in the past five years to escape threats, intimidation, violence and imprisonment, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. At least five journalists have been killed in the same period.

Sri Lanka was ranked 162 out of 179 countries in a recent press freedom index compiled by the Paris-based Reporters without Borders. Media rights groups say journalists have been forced to self-censor their work due to fear of attacks.

Residents of Weliweriya, the village 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Colombo, have also told Sri Lanka's Human Rights Council of their fear of intimidation following army summonses to give evidence, local media reports said Sunday.

The US and the European Union have condemned the August 1 shooting and called for a speedy civilian inquiry to prosecute those responsible.

The incident comes ahead of a visit next week by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, who has demanded an international probe into alleged war crimes by Sri Lankan forces during the final stages of a war against Tamil rebels in 2009.


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EU to review relationship with Egypt in coming days

BRUSSELS: The European Union will review its relationship with Egypt in the coming days, the 28-member bloc said on Sunday.

In a statement, the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso called on all sides in Egypt to show restraint and prevent further escalation of the violence.

"To this effect, together with its member states, the EU will urgently review in the coming days its relations with Egypt and adopt measures aimed at pursuing these goals," the statement said.


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Tension in TN town after fire guts 'unauthorised' place of worship

SIVAGANGA: Tension prevailed in parts of this town on Sunday after a thatched roof of a place of worship run by a trust was gutted in a mysterious fire, police said.

The place of worship at a temporary shed and stated to be unauthorised caught fire around midnight on Saturday. On a complaint from the trust officials, fire and rescue service personnel and police rushed and put out the fire. But by the time thatched roof was burnt down.

Police said investigations were on to ascertain whether there was any sabotage behind the incident as alleged by the local residents, who were opposing the location of a liquor outlet bar, run by some ruling AIADMK men, a short distance away from the place of worship.

A large number people gathered in the area and demanded the arrest of the suspects, leading to tension.

Sivaganga superintendent of police Aswin Mukund Kotnis was holding a peace meeting with the trust members, police added.


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