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India, Pak to hold talks on Sir Creek tomorrow
New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) As a part of the ongoing fourth round of Composite Dialogue, India and Paksitan will hold talks in Islamabad tomorrow on vexatious issue delineating boundary at Sir Creek - a 60-mile long estuary in Rann of Kutch between Gujarat and Sindh.
During the two-day talks, the two sides would exchange maps of site.
Till now, both sides have finished the joint survey of the marshy area on horizontal and vertical axis and have reported progress on the issue.
According to a Ministry of External Affairs official, the delegation will comprise officials from Defence, technical experts and cartographers. It will be led by a senior MEA official.
This talk will follow other rounds of Secretary-level talks in the coming months on a number of key issues including terrorism, drug trafficking, trade and water resources.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon had met his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohd Khan in Islamabad in March this year to initiate the fourth round of the Composite Dialogue.
The two had discussed peace and security including confidence building measures (CBMs) and Jammu and Kashmir. PTI
Tension in Punjab towns over protests against Dera chief
Chandigarh, May 16 (PTI) Tension prevailed in several towns of Punjab today as followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda clashed with Sikhs in Patiala protesting against an advertisement featuring the controversial religious order's head attired like Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
Ten people were injured in Patiala as police baton-charged protesting Sikhs in Arya Samaj area this afternoon. Trouble began when Sikh youths organised a protest march and asked shopkeepers to close their outlets.
When some shopkeepers objected, Dera activists stepped in and started pelting stones, injuring two Sikhs. The Sikh youths became agitated and damaged a few two-wheelers and attacked shops. Police then carried out the baton-charge.
The situation was tense in Phagwara, Batala, Bhatinda and Moga as Dera supporters and members of Sikh groups like the Damdami Taksal, SGPC and SAD staged protests against each other.
There were also protests in Jammu and Kashmir by Sikhs who demanded the arrest of the Dera chief for his "sacrilegious act" that had hurt the sentiments of their community. Sikhs organised rallies at Gandhinagar, R S Pura, Rehari, Satwari, Udhampur, Kathua, Rajouri, Baderwah and Ramban in Jammu division.
They also burnt the Dera chief's effigy while brandishing swords and sticks.
In Ludhiana, over 500 members of Sikh groups organised a peaceful rally against the Dera chief. Seeking strict action against the Dera head, they came out on the roads, brandishing swords and sticks, and shouted slogans against him.
The situation in Rajasthan's Srigangangar town, which witnessed clashes between Sikhs and Dera members, was today normal. Police yesterday arrested 27 people for the clashes there that left 30 injured. PTI
DMs will be held responsible for suicides by poor: Mayawati
Lucknow, May 16 (PTI) Taking serious note of the suicides committed by the poor in some parts of the state, UP Chief Minister Mayawati today said that district magistrates would be held responsible in case any such deaths were reported from their areas.
She asked the district authorities to ensure that no one commited suicide due to economic reasons.
A strategy would be evolved to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future, she said, according to an official release here. PTI
Sonia defends "freedom of expression", flays Modi
New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Warning that the BJP will raise communal tensions and passions in Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today came down heavily on the saffron government there on the issue of fake encounter killings and the attacks on religious minorities and freedom of expression.
She also asked the Central government to take serious note of these "dangerous trends".
Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party here, Gandhi said the nation was witnessing shocking revelations on the manner in which sections of the Gujarat police have been allowed to kill innocent people in the garb of fighting terrorism.
"It is apparent that these sections enjoy high-level patronage. This reflects utter and deliberate contempt for the rule of law to promote ideological prejudices. This also reflects the blatantly partisan attitude of the state government where an issue of human rights has been given a communal colour," she said.
Very soon, Gandhi said, elections are to be held in Gujarat and the BJP would undoubtedly raise communal tensions and passions. PTI
Musharraf holds court, says he will go ahead with re-election
Islamabad, May 16 (PTI) Notwithstanding the criticism over the spiralling judicial crisis, President Pervez Musharraf has reportedly made it clear to the ruling coalition that he will go ahead with his re-election by the existing assemblies later this year followed by the general elections.
"My re-election will be held from Sept 15 to October 15 by the sitting assemblies and there should be no two opinions," he was quoted as saying at the meeting of the leaders and parliamentarians of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) and allies here yesterday.
About 150 lawmakers of PML-Q, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, (MQM), Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) and the PML-F besides Prime Minister Shauakat Aziz attended the meeting convened by Musharraf to evolve a strategy to stem the crisis sparked off by Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry's suspension.
He also asked coalition members in unequivocal terms to prepare for the next general election without bothering about the current situation.
During the meeting, Musharraf brushed aside a query by PML-Q lawmaker M P Bhandara on whether the uniform issue could be hurdle in the Presidential polls as former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has made it clear that she would not support Musharraf's re-election if he continued as Army Chief.
He ruled out the possibility of a deal with the exiled leadership, saying "we have contacts with all political forces but he will not ditch the PML by striking a deal with any party", according to media reports here. PTI
Talismanic Kumble ready for another battle
Sirshendu Panth
Chittagong, May 16 (PTI) His partners may come and go, but Anil Kumble goes on forever.
The World Cup severely dented the reputation of many an established player in the Indian team, but with the exception of Kumble.
The 35-year-old leggie has come through several crises in his 17-year-long playing career. Post-World Cup, his experience and reliable craft make him one of the pillars around whom India can starts its rebuilding process.
There is no Harbhajan Singh to tweak the ball from the other end. Nor Ajit Agarkar to reverse swing when the leather has lost its shine. For Kumble, however, these are but names - like Venkatapathy Raju, Venkatesh Prasad and Javagal Srinath before them.
The quadrennial event in the Caribbean was Kumble's last ODI tournament, but there could be no denying the fact that he has still a lot to offer in the traditional version of the game.
"I feel more relaxed now. There is no problem with focusing. I am concentrating on the longer version full time," said Kumble who joined the India team two days ago for the upcoming two Tests against Bangladesh. PTI
Delhi Games running behind schedule: CGF
New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) today said it has no doubt that Delhi can deliver an outstanding Games in 2010 but planning is running behind schedule and the organisers need to address other "slippages".
After concluding the three-day stock taking tour, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation Coordination Commission, Austin Sealy, had a mixed opinion of the ongoing preparation for the 2010 Games.
"In our first tour in November last year, we had provided the Organising Committee with some targets. We can't say they met all because there are some grey areas," Sealy said.
"You have three and a half years to go and the Organising Committee immediately needs to build a team to deliver the Games. Development of skilled managers can't be delayed and this should be the highest priority," he said.
The organisers should remember that the Commonwealth Games is the most important sports event after the Olympics and they have a reputation to maintain, he said.
Sealy also gave a thumbs down to the games planning.
"Games planning, at an international standard adopting best practice for the Commonwealth Games, is behind the schedule and must be accelerated immediately.
"While the CGF remains confident of Delhi's ability and commitment to deliver outstanding Games, progress is required on all front in the near-term," added Sealy, also the CGF treasurer. PTI
ICL not meant to confront BCCI: More
Jaipur, May 16 (PTI) Asserting that the Indian Cricket League was not meant to antagonise the BCCI, former player and one of the directors on ICL's executive board Kiran More said the planned series would contribute to the game's growth in the country.
"We should see the ICL as an opportunity which will provide few more matches. There is no question of any confrontation. BCCI has still not said anything against it. ICL should be seen like just another tournament," he said.
"There are a number of private tournaments being organised in India," he added.
More also refused to compare ICL with Kerry Packer's rebel series and said, "It is not right to compare ICL with Packer's cricket. It is an opportunity for those who could not play for country due to one reason or the other." He rubbished reports linking Sourav Ganguly to the ICL and said the former captain has not been approached.
"The news that Ganguly is also in touch with ICL is only a rumour," he said.
On Team India's performance in the ongoing tour of Bangladesh, More said the side had started recovering after the World Cup debacle but needed more time to ragain top form.
"After every big failure, teams need time to recover. They have started the process but will need more time to come back in same flow," he said. PTI
Aussies always striving for perfection: Buchanan
Melbourne, May 16 (PTI) Former Australian coach John Buchanan, who joined the world champion team in 1999 with an "error-free" mantra, said the players were still to play a flawless game but were motivated to pursue pefection.
Buchanan said the Australians may not have a perfect game but they have a perfect team, which was always motivated to improve itself despite number of records to its name.
"We haven't played the perfect game (yet). But we do have the perfect team, one that constantly tries to improve itself, individually and collectively," Buchanan said.
He said Australia's pile of spoils grew but motivation never waned. "If it had, it might have meant we had the wrong players, if they needed some form of reward, punishment, external incentive," he said.
"It hasn't been about motivation. It's been about creating an environment for a group of players who want to improve themselves all the time.
"We've never compared ourselves to our opposition. We would look at our opposition as preparation. But our comparison was always with ourselves. That's one of the key reasons the Australian team is different," he was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
Coaching an already world champion side was not a easy ask but Buchanan believed there was always room for improvement. PTI
Appa sherpa climbs Everest for record 17th time
Kathmandu, May 16 (PTI) Veteran Nepalese mountaineer Appa Sherpa broke his own world record today by scaling the world's highest peak Mt. Everest for a record 17th time.
Appa scaled the 29,035 foot summit at 8:30 am (local time) from the South-East side with seven other sherpas, Tourism Ministry officials said here.
Appa was leading a team called the "Super Sherpas Expedition" to raise funds for the education of children of Nepalese mountain guides.
Five other Sherpa guides also reached the Everest summit from the same team today. Among them was Lhakpa Ghelu Sherpa, who scaled the peak for the 13th time today.
Both of them also released a travel book "From the Base Camp of the Everest" by Pratik Dhakal on the mountain top.
Appa, 46, is one of the most respected climbers in the mountaineering community. His closest competitor - fellow Sherpa guide Chewang Nima, 41 - scaled the peak for the 14th time last year.
Nepal Television cameraman Kami Sherpa also climbed Everest along with three others from Nepal Television and Lions Club Expedition today.
John Earnest Nelson, of the Dream Everest Expedition 2007, a Swedish team, also climbed the Everest. PTI
Yahoo! Mail begins global rollout of unlimited e-mail storage
Bangalore, May 16 (PTI): Yahoo! Mail today began a global rollout of its unlimited e-mail storage.
The unlimited e-mail storage will reach users of the service within the coming months, a company release said here today.
"Both new and existing Yahoo! Mail users will receive an unlimited amount of free e-mail storage as long as they follow normal e-mail practices and abide by the company's anti abuse limits. The service upgrade will be available to users of the original Yahoo! Mail Service and the Yahoo! Mail Beta", company's Vice President John Kremer said. PTI
United Spirits jumps 8 pc on Whyte and Mackay buyout
Mumbai, May 16 (PTI) Vijay Mallya-led United Spirits today surged over eight per cent on the bourses on the acquisition of Scottish whiskey maker Whyte and Mackay.
The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs 906 jumping up over eight per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
It ended at Rs 895.20, up 6.88 per cent, as a total of 2.70 lakh equity shares changed hands on the BSE.
United Spirits today announced that it has acquired Whyte and Mackay for 595 million pounds (nearly Rs 4,819 crore).
With the acquisition, the company is looking forward to exporting brands from India and have access to global distribution.
United Spirits would have consolidated sales of 75 million cases per annum after the acquisition, a company filing to the stock exchanges said.
Shares fo United Breweries, a group firm, also jumped up five per cent to end at Rs 297.10 after touching an intra-day high of Rs 334. PTI
Sensex closes past 14,000 mark, gains 198 points
Mumbai, May 16 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today closed above 14,000 mark after a gap of 8 sessions at 14,127.31 points on late buying support and was up by a whopping 198 points, led by a sharp rally in banking shares and also firm Asian cues.
The Lok Sabha yesterday passed State Bank of India (Subsidiary Bank Laws) Amendment Bill, 2006, allowing SBI to reduce its stake in seven subsidiary banks to 51 per cent, which will enable it to raise additional capital to meet new international risk provisioning norms and growth plans.
As a result, there was hectic buying in SBI stocks which later percolated to other banking counters. SBI shot up by Rs 57.80 or 4.71 per cent to close at Rs 1,284.45.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex), opened better at 13,949.81 points as against yesterday's close of 13,929.33 and improved further to close past 14,000 mark at 14,127.31, a sharp rise of 197.98 points or 1.42 per cent.
The broad-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also spurted by 50.65 points or 1.23 per cent to 4,170.95 from the previous close of 4,120.30.
Besides banking shares, capital goods, refinery and telecom counters, including heavyweights like RIL, ONGC, BHEL, Bharti Airtel and Rel Com also attracted good buying support.
However, some of the IT stocks remained in the doldrums and ended with losses on rising rupee which directly impacts revenue and profits of these firms.
The IT segment was also hit by reports that two US lawmakers had claimed that Indian IT firms were misusing the H-1B visa programme. PTI
UTI MF draws oveseas expansion plans
Mumbai, May 16 (PTI) Buoyed by the success of its foray in Japan, UTI MF plans to tap more foreign markets, by setting up a subsidiary in Singapore besides opening branches in Europe and the Gulf region.
The fund house is also open to forge partnerships in Europe and Asia.
"We had a target of USD 100 million in Japan but within six months we garnered USD 400 million...Now we plan such partnerships in Europe and Asia as well," UTI MF Chairman and Managing Director U K Sinha told PTI here.
"We will be opening a subsidiary in Singapore within two months for which we have received regulatory approvals," Sinha said, adding the mutual fund also plans to open its branches in Dubai, Bahrain and London shortly.
The company's foreign partnerships have all been successful so far, the UTI MF Chairman claimed, highlighting the performance of its tie-up with Japan's Shinsei Bank which collected USD 400 million in six months against the target of USD 100 -million.
"We will be finalising at least two partnerships within the next 3-4 months. We are presently fine-tuning our plans in this regard," Sinha said.
Issues such as whether the investments will be segment -based or broad-based are yet to be decided, he said. PTI
US ready to consider all options on Wolfowitz issue
Washington, May 16 (PTI) The US support for embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has started to fade with the White House hinting it was ready to consider "all options" including his resignation to find a solution to the crisis.
The US is willing to consider "all options," including Wolfowitz's resignation, as part of "a resolution of the question of what is best for the future of the institution," an unnamed official has been quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.
After going out of its way to be seen standing behind its nominee the White House is now said to be backing down and looking for ways to facilitate the exit of the former number two at the Pentagon and still maintain its leverage at the major international financial institution.
The White House official has said that the United States is prepared to engage in an "open discussion" with major players in the World Bank about whether he should continue in his job, the paper said.
The official has further said that the White House wants this discussion to be separated from the immediate controversy that has brought Wolfowitz to this point: his involvement in granting a generous compensation package to his girlfriend and longtime bank employee Shaha Riza.
Senior Bush administration officials have made the point that the allegations does not justify firing Wolfowitz and should be treated separately from other questions raised about his leadership since taking the post in June 2005. PTI
Pak-China to launch bus service from August
Islamabad, May 16 (PTI) A bus service connecting Paksitan's capital with China's oasis city of Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomus region would be launched from August.
An agreement to this effect was signed by Pakistan's Additional Secretary, Communications, Mohammad Abbas and the provincial minister of China's Sinkiang province yesterday.
The Gilgit-Kashgar bus service was launched between the two countries last year and is being run successfully.
Arrangements for launching the new bus service will be finalised at a meeting in Islamabad next month. China has also presented a proposal for launching a Urmachi-Islamabad bus service, which will also be discussed in next month's meeting.
The two sides also decided that a goods transport agreement would be implemented from July 1, 2007.
Pakistan also proposed that the economic corridor should be extended to Urmachi. Both sides agreed to increase the number of permits for goods trade between the two countries, the official APP news agency reported today. PTI
Al Qaeda plot to attack oil facilities in Gulf uncovered
Dubai, May 16 (PTI) A major terror plot by the Al Qaeda network to target oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE has been uncovered.
The plot was uncovered following confessions of captured militants, Arab News reported today.
Abdullah Al-Muqrin, one of the militants involved in planning the foiled attack on the Abqaiq oil refinery on Feb.24, 2006, said militants, on the directives of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, carried out the suicide bombing.
"Targeting the main oil facilities and areas, such as Ras Tanura and Jubail, was how the idea started," said Muqrin in confessions aired by Saudi Television.
Ras Tanura is the Kingdom's biggest oil export terminal and Jubail is its biggest industrial complex, both are located on the Gulf coast.
"We started planning (the attack) but were told to wait for direct instructions from Osama Bin Laden. I asked how we would receive a signal from him; I thought he was in some mountains. They said it would take from six to seven months to get his approval," Muqrin said.
Muqrin said the attack was meant to embarrass the Kingdom, destabilize oil prices in the United States and ultimately draw in US troops to the country to protect oil facilities so that Al-Qaeda militants could fight them on Saudi soil.
A few days after the foiled attack, five militants were killed in gunbattles with security forces. The five included Fahd Faraaj Al-Juwair, leader of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.
Late last month, police said that they had arrested 172 militants from seven terrorist cells, one of the biggest terror sweeps in the country. PTI
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