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Manmohan Singh meets George Bush
V Mohan Narayan
Berlin, Jun 8 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met US President George W Bush on the sidelines of the G-8 Summit in Germany's sea-side resort of Heiligendamm near here.
The two leaders had a brief meeting, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what transpired in the meeting.
The two leaders were expected to touch upon a proposed agreement to operationalise the civil nuclear deal, which has got stuck due to differences on reprocessing issue.
As negotiators of the two sides are looking for a political push at the highest level to break the impasse, the meeting between Singh and Bush was expected to give a signal in this regard. PTI
G-5 agrees to explore prospects of joint collaboration
V Mohan Narayan
Berlin, Jun 8 (PTI) Seeking to take advantage of their inherent strength, the G-5 countries, including India, have agreed to explore prospects of joint collaboration in cross border investment, research and innovation, climate change, energy and development.
"The consensus view was that all of these challenges must be addressed from a multilateral, regional and bilateral perspective, taking into consideration the interests and capacities of different states," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders from China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa said in a joint press statement after their meeting yesterday.
The leaders reaffirmed their shared conviction that developing countries must participate more actively in the "consolidation of strategies" to deal with challenges in an increasingly inter-dependent world.
"This is not a pressure group," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon explained on being asked whether the G-5 was gearing up to put pressure on the Group of Eight industrialised countries. PTI
India to open up education sector to foreign universities
London, June 8(PTI) India will soon open up its educational sector to foreign universities, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal has said.
"We are going to open up our educational sector to the foreign universities and it is going to be one of the largest FDI earners," Sibal said replying to a question at the Tehelka Summit here on the 'Challenge of India' which concluded today.
Sibal said relevant legislation for the purpose was on the anvil.
"All foreign universities would be allowed in India," he said.
Sibal said the main concern of the government was how to actually spread education and allow talents to grow in India.
Answering a question on Special Economics Zones, he said of the 237 proposals 234 have already been approved.
Most of the SEZs were in Information Technology field, he said. PTI
Proposal on Singur land being worked out: Jyoti Basu
Kolkata, Jun 8 (PTI) West Bengal's Left Front government is working on a proposal to find a solution to the stand-off over acquisition of land in Singur for Tata Motors' car plant, veteran CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu said today.
Basu, who took the initiative to hold a meeting with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to find a solution to problems over acquisition of land for industry in Singur and Nandigram, said Industry Minister Nirupam Sen was working on the proposal.
"Nirupam is listing points. Legal aspects are also being looked into. Let's see what happens," Basu said.
The opposition Trinamool Congress has demanded the return of land that it claims was forcibly acquired from farmers in Singur.
To a specific query, Basu admitted that there was not much alternative land in Singur for industries. "Alternative land is available elsewhere but why should land-losers go there?" During her meeting with Basu, Banerjee had claimed that the Tata car project would not need over 600 acres and the land that was "acquired forcibly" for the project should be returned.
To a question whether a solution could be found soon, Basu replied, "We certainly want it but how do I know what they (Trinamool Congress) will do?" He conceded that a solution could be found. PTI
Most Nepal citizens for republic, Hindu state: Survey
Kathmandu, June 8 (PTI) Majority of the Nepali citizens want the monarchy to be abolished and the Himalayan nation be declared a Hindu state, a survey has said.
In the survey conducted by the Nepal chapter of South Asia Democracy Study Group, about 59 per cent of the respondents favoured a republic, which was far ahead of the 15 per cent who favoured the idea in the 2004 survey.
"During the first survey (in 2004), the idea of a republic was favoured by only 15 percent of respondents," the South Asia Democracy Group noted in a summary of the new poll.
The survey conducted between March and April in over 41 parliamentary constituencies of 40 districts, showed that the vast majority of the respondents (68.8 per cent) supported Nepal as a Hindu state, with only 39.2 per cent backing the parliamentary proclamation of a secular state, The Himalayan Times online said.
Presenting the findings of the survey yesterday, political analyst Krishna Hachhethu expressed optimism about the expansion and deepening of democracy in Nepal due to increased political awareness and participation in the political process.
Over two-thirds of the respondents said "democracy is preferable to any other kind of government". A majority of respondents (92 per cent) believe that "democracy is suitable for Nepal".
Though 59 per cent of the respondents were unclear about the role of the constituent assembly (CA), 62 per cent of them believed that CA polls to frame a new constitution can be held in a fair and free manner.
Majority of the people were upbeat over the peace process, with 67 per cent believing that the Maoists would not return to war. PTI
Now Pak PM flays ruling coalition
Islamabad, June 8(PTI) After the angry outburst of President Gen Pervez Musharraf against the lawmakers of the ruling alliance, it now appeared to be the turn of Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Aziz apparently told some members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League(Q) that either they had lost heart and joined the opposition ranks or they were deliberately keeping quiet over the ongoing political crisis.
Earlier, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had also complained of a similar attitude by coalition partners who, he said, were not defending him and leaving him in the lurch.
Insiders attending the meeting of the ruling and allied parties here said Musharraf blasted leaders for their attitude and for the first time appeared visibly shaken.
"I feel disturbed for the first time", Musharraf was quoted by participants at the meeting as saying.
He said Pakistan without him (Musharraf) would be in deep crisis. "You do not know the problems for Pakistan if I am left out. You would see its (Talibanisation) in Lahore and Karachi as well. And that if the present state of affairs is continued, it would be a big disaster." PTI
Water shortage looms large over Asia: US report
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, June 8 (PTI) At a time when the Bush administration is coming under a lot of criticism at home and abroad for its policies on global warming and climate change a new State Department Report has warned that Asia is heading for fresh water crisis due to the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas.
Himalayas are sources of fresh water supplies to major rivers of Asia.
The report submitted to the Congress said that reduced fresh water availability in Asia could affect more than one billion people by the mid-century. It has focussed on safe water and sanitation strategy in developing countries.
"Increased floods and changes in coastal water temperatures could result in greater morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal disease" the report has further warned.
The point made by the State department report is that globally by 2020 between 75 and 250 million people are expected to be under "water stress" due to long-term climate shifts and population growth.
Apart from the shrinking of yields in rain fed agriculture, climate shifts in the short term can also impact the frequency and severity of droughts, floods and heat waves, the report has warned.
It further said that from a longer term perspective climate change could lead to changes in snow and glacier run off that feed water supplies and to increases in coastal flooding and salt water intrusion.
"All of these changes will impact the economic and cultural systems that have developed in response to current climatic conditions," the report has maintained. PTI
US condemns forced eviction of Tamils from Lankan capital
Colombo, Jun 8 (PTI) The United States today condemned the forced eviction of ethnic Tamils from the Sri Lankan capital, saying the "action can only widen the ethnic divide." Washington's comments came even as hundreds of people, including a large number from the majority Sinhalese community took to the streets here to protest the government's action.
"The United States condemns the forced removal of Tamils from Colombo. Such measures violate the Sri Lankan Constitution's guarantee that every citizen has the right to freedom of movement and choice of residence within Sri Lanka," the US embassy said in a statement.
It said the US understood and supported Sri Lanka's obligation to defend itself against terrorism. "But this action can only widen the ethnic divide at a time when important efforts are underway to reach a national consensus to end Sri Lanka's nearly quarter-century old conflict." "We call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to stop the forcible removal of its citizens from Colombo, to make public the destinations of those already removed, and to ensure their safety and well-being," it said.
The government crackdown came even as Japan's special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi was in the island to try and salvage a moribund peace process between the government and the LTTE rebel group.
Hundreds of Tamils, including the elderly and sick, were forced out of bed just before dawn yesterday and bundled into overcrowded buses and taken to Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa as part of a crackdown on LTTE rebels. PTI
Educomp to raise 100 mn dlr from overseas market
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Educomp Solutions, an e-learning solutions provider, today said it will raise 100 million dollar (about Rs 410 crore) through the issue of securities in overseas market.
The company would issue equity shares, Global Depository Receipts (GDR), American Depository Receipts (ADR), Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCB) and other securities to raise the proposed amount, Educomp said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
This fund raising comes in the midst of the company's plans to acquire Singapore-based Ask n Learn Inc.
Yesterday, Educomp informed that it had signed an agreement with majority of shareholders to acquire Singapore-based Ask n Learn Inc. The total acquisition price was Singapore 5.98 million dollar (about Rs 16 crore) in cash, in addition to options worth Singapore 1.05 million dollars (about Rs 2.8 crore).
Educomp would seek the approval of its shareholders by means of a postal ballot, the result would be announced by the Chairman on July 12.
The company further said it has allotted 3.29 lakh equity shares of the company upon conversion of 650 Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) worth 6.5 million dollar. Educomp had issued FCCBs worth 25 million dollar in October last year.
After the conversion, the paid up share capital has increased to about Rs 16.37 crore from Rs 16.04 crore.
The shares of the company today slipped by 0.59 per cent and closed on Rs 1815.30 the BSE. PTI
China becomes second largest exporter of auto parts to US
Beijing, June 8 (PTI) China overtook Germany to become the second largest exporter of automotive spare parts to the United States.
China exported 1.936 billion US dollars worth of auto parts to the US in the first quarter this year, pipping Germany which notched up 1.934 billion US dollars, state media reported today.
Japan is way out in front with a substantially higher 3.57 billion US dollars.
During the same period last year, China exported 1.52 billion US dollars worth of auto parts to the US, less than the 1.73 billion dollars attributed to Germany, Shanghai Securities News quoted statistics from the US Department of Commerce.
Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that China's exports of auto parts grew at 54 per cent annually from 2000 to 2005, far outpacing the 29.5 per cent rise in imports.
In the first three months this year, China exported a total of 2.57 billion US dollars worth of auto parts, a surge of 36 per cent year on year, and imports stood at 2.42 billion US dollars, up 27 per cent, according to China's customs figures.
However, analysts said China's higher exports were not a demonstration of stronger competitiveness, adding that margins on German-made auto parts far exceed those from China. PTI
Cos have to fix natural gas price through competitive bidding
New Delhi, June 8 (PTI) Companies like Reliance Industries, which plans to produce natural gas from KG basin from 2008, will have to invite bids from consumers to discover the price of output under a new exercise adopted by the government.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has accepted the recommendation of a committee that prescribed price discovery through competitive bidding, a ministry press release said.
The Committee, headed by the ministry's Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, was constituted to formulate transparent guidelines for approving natural gas price formula for giving government approval.
"Once a market-determined price has been discovered between the suppliers and customers through a transparent competitive bidding process, there should be no need for the government to interfere with the same," it said.
In cases where price is not determined through a transparent bidding process, it would be indexed to the most recently competitively determined price in the region.
Reliance Industries is to being production of natural gas from the KG-DG block off the Andhra coast from July 2008 and has not yet firmed up the gas sale price. These guidelines will now be the guiding principal for arriving at a price.
The committee was formed after the government rejected Mukesh Ambani-run RIL's sale price of 2.34 dollars per million British thermal unit (mBtu) to a firm in his brother Anil's group as not being arrived at arms length basis and way short of market price. PTI
i-Flex ties-up with US firm to fight identity theft, fraud
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Banking industry solutions provider i-Flex today said it will collaborate with US-based security solutions provider Bharosa to offer banking customers with advanced security solutions for combating threats of consumer identity theft and internet fraud.
"The collaboration with Bharosa would help iFlex add real-time fraud detection and multiple forms of authentication security to its FLEXCUBE retail banking product," i-flex said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
"It will safeguard consumers' online identity and transactions against the latest forms of online threats, including phishing, spyware, and computer bots," it said.
As part of its security strategy, i-flex would offer fraud detection and authentication capabilities from Bharosa to provide an enhanced security offering for its growing customer base as well as for customers of its outsourced offering through Financial Services Inc (FSI), it added.
"i-flex strives to deliver the world-class performance, reliability and security banks require," company' Vice President (Customer Fulfilment & Solution Architecture) George Thomas was quoted as saying in the statement.
By combining Bharosa's offering with our FLEXCUBE retail banking platform, we can enable a more robust, yet seamless protection against the most sophisticated fraud attacks, he added.
Bharosa has joined the ranks of the industries' largest security providers and is now securing over 25 million users in over 1,000 enterprises worldwide, i-flex said.
The joint solution would also enable the firms employ a range of security options to meet diverse user requirements or upgrade to higher levels of protection as without reinvesting in infrastructure. PTI
India likely to host European Tour event early next year
New Delhi, June 8 (PTI) The creme de la creme of the golfing world might converge in India next year with the country likely to host an European PGA Tour event, possibly in the capital.
The European Tour authorities are in touch with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) to explore the possibility and though it's still in the embryonic stage, the prospect underlines the game's growing stature in the country.
"It's very much in the preliminary stage, I should say. Yes, we have been approached to explore the possibility. We are in touch with the European Tour authorities and the process would take some time before we can make an official announcement," IGU Secretary General Satish Aparajit told PTI today.
He insisted nothing has been finalised and it was too early to comment on the field, venue and even the prize money.
"We have not reached that stage yet. Once everything else is finalised, we have to approach the government for the prize money sanction. But if things fall into place, it would take place some time early next year," he added. PT
Munaf fully fit for forthcoming tour of England: King
Mysore, Jun 8 (PTI) Indian team's fitness trainer Gregory King today certified that speedster Munaf Patel has recovered fully from the back injury he sustained on the tour of Bangladesh and was fit for the forthcoming tour of Ireland and England.
"All the bowlers are fit for the forthcoming tour of Ireland and England. Injured bowler Munaf Patel is also fit," King told reporters today after the conclusion of the four-day fitness-specific camp for bowlers held at the Infosys campus here.
The injury-prone Patel broke down during India's tour of Bangladesh last month after complaining of lower back pain and was replaced by Delhi rookie Ishant Sharma before the second Test at Chittagong.
Patel was also replaced by teammate S Sreesanth in the Asia XI team in the Twenty20 fixture against Africa XI held here on June 5 as part of the Afro-Asia Cup tournament.
The Indian team is scheduled to play three off-shore ODIs at Belfast, Ireland, against South Africa and a one-off ODI against Pakistan at Glasgow, Scotland, before moving over to England for a full tour comprising three Tests and seven ODIs against the hosts.
King and left-arm pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, who addressed the media, sounded pleased over the outcome of the training camp, with bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad in charge, which commenced on June 4.
The duo was all praise for the excellent facilities available for the players at the Infosys campus.
During the camp the bowlers were taught lessons in communication skills and leadership qualities at the Infosys Leadership Institute situated inside the campus.
The bowlers trained by jogging, swimming and working out at the state-of-the-art gymnasiums. PTI
2011 CWC committee to meet to finalise venues
Karachi, Jun 8 (PTI) The venues for the 2011 cricket World Cup will be finalised when the representatives of the four host countries meet at Bhurban in Pakistan on June 18.
BCCI President Sharad Pawar will lead a 10-member Indian delegation at the World Cup Committee which will hold discussions with its counterparts from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Pakistan Cricket Board's Director special projects Saleem Altaf told PTI today that the four Boards have so far identified 15 venues for staging the tournament.
The meeting has been re-scheduled to just a day on June 18 at Bhurban.
"Besides formation of the official joint committee, the meeting will also discuss formation of the local World Cup committees in each country and the operation of a joint bank account," Altaf said.
Pakistan and India hosted the 1987 World Cup and combined with Sri Lanka to organise the 1996 tournament. Some financial disputes between the three countries have still not been resolved.
The four countries were awarded the hosting rights for the 2011 event at the expense of Australia and New Zealand.
India will host 22 matches, including the final, while Pakistan will stage 14 games. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be hosting nine and six matches respectively. PTI
Inzamam criticises performance-based contracts
Karachi, June 8 (PTI) Paksitan Cricket Board's idea of introducing performance-based central contract has drawn sharp criticism from former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who believes that it is improper to judge experienced players and freshers on the same scale.
"The fact is I don't agree with the concept of performance-based contracts because a player is in the Pakistan team only on the basis of performance. But how can one judge in the same way a player who has played 80 Tests and one who is still raw," he said.
Inzamam also hit out at the board for their constant talk on player's power. "What is player's power? Basically this talk arises when an established player gives some advise to the board," he said.
The former captain, who is keen to continue playing Test cricket, said the Pakistan team needed a full-time coach who could communicate well with the players.
"Whether the board appoints a foreign or local coach, it is their choice. But he should be someone who can communicate well with the players," he said.
Inzamam asserted that no one could stop him from playing Test cricket if it was destined so.
"I strongly believe that if fate has ordained me to play Test cricket, no one can stop me from doing so. If it's not in my fate even the selectors can do nothing about it," he said. PTI
Whatmore relents for Pakistan job: PCB
Karachi, June 8 (PTI) After surprisingly failing to remain in contention for team India's coach, former Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore has now responded positively to Pakistan's job offer, PCB sources claimed today.
"His attitude is different now and we remain positive about talks with him. There is no doubt he is our top choice at the moment," sources in the board confirmed to PTI.
The source said that former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram had also been consulted on the appointment of a new coach after the untimely death of Bob Woolmer during the World Cup.
"Yes, Wasim has been consulted and he has also spoken highly of Whatmore so we are interested in signing him on," the source said.
The PCB source added that Wasim had also recommended a couple of other names and his input was being taken on the coaches, who have applied for the job of Pakistan coach.
Whatmore had initially rejected the offer from the PCB as he was more interested in coaching the Indian team. But earlier this week the Indian cricket board ruled him out of the race for unknown reasons.
The burly former Australian batsman coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title and in a four-year term with Bangladesh was instrumental in lifting their reputation.
It is expected the Pakistan board will make an appointment by end of June and the new coach would be appointed for a two-year term, which will be extendable. PTI
Literary agencies enter India
Sunandita Dasgupta
New Delhi, June 8 (PTI) It is already a popular and widely accepted concept in the West, but the idea of literary agency -- a bridge between the author and the publisher -- is making a slow entry in India as well.
A literary agent acts as a support base for writers, helping them reach the publishers and negotiating on their behalf so that they get a fair deal while selling the publishing rights for their books.
The role of an agency is manifold -- starting from seeking manuscripts from the authors, deciding whether to go ahead with the project depending on the merits, light editing, sequentially arranging the material if necessary, marketing the book to the publishers and encouraging its promotion.
In the West, most of the reputed publishing houses accept a manuscript only through an agent, giving them an important role in the industry. In India too, quite a few well-known writers have got their agents to sell the overseas rights of their books.
"With European markets opening up for Indian writing and a number of reputed foreign publishers coming here, the authors now have a lot of choices before them. We feel this is the time for agents to come in," Renuka Chatterjee, the head of the newly-launched professional literary agency of auctioneer and art house Osian's, says. PTI
Book: Indian art scene is on the threshold of a new era
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Indian art scene is on the threshold of a new era riding piggyback on a rapidly expanding art market. The contemporary art in the country is attracting more and more people who are complete strangers to the art world till the other day, says a new book.
From Singapore to San Francisco, newspapers point towards the exchange of big money at art auctions of Indian art and of events mounting Indian artists worldwide.
This is one reason why any Indian artist, especially one like Bikash has to be written about extensively for readers both at home and abroad, says the book "Close to Events".
The book explores the life and works of contemporary artist, Bikash Bhattacharjee by noted author and critic Manasij Majumder in his foreword by eminent painter M F Husain.
"More and more people are now keen to know and understand contemporary art, often as part of efforts to cope with their own time. They include young collectors as well as those who can afford to buy art only in prints and reproductions and they want to read lucid exegetic texts about art and artworks," Manasij says.
The tome analyses the techniques and styles through which art developed with detailed illustrated explanations on the paintings, contained in the book. The sketches and writing used throughout the book has been taken from Bhattacharjee's own notes. (About the Book- Works of Bikash Bhattacharjee Close to events by Masij Majumder foreword by M F Hussain by Niyogi Publishing, pages 250, price not mentioned.) PTI
A replica in Berlin: to help Taj enter the Seven Wonders list
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) As the race for the Seven Wonders of the World draws closer with the on-line voting to choose world-class monuments closing next month, sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik is going to make a last-ditch attempt to canvass for the 'Monument of Love's' inclusion in the prestigious list.
The artist, who is all set to participate in the Berlin International Sand Sculpture Championship beginning from June 14, has decided to use the forum as a medium to appeal art-lovers worldwide to vote overwhelmingly for the Taj.
"Paradise is the theme given to me as the base of the sculpture that I will design in the Berlin fair.
Taj Mahal -- the eternal symbol of love -- will aptly represent the theme with the faces of Shahjahan and Mumtaz carved out on it," the artist told PTI over phone from Bhubaneswar.
According to him, there is a large number of Taj lovers in Western countries, he hoped, would come forward to vote for the 16th century monument.
"I hope that the NRIs will also vote for the Taj," he said.
Taj Mahal, which has secured its place among 21 other world-class architectural beauties, including the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Acropolis in Greece, still needs active voting to be bag the final crown among six others. The campaign was started by Swiss billionaire Bernard Weber in 2000. PTI
Newsletter-Uttarakhand: Khanduri refuses Z plus security, prunes expenses
Deepti Saxena
Dehra Dun, Jun 7 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri's decision including that to gunners drawn from the ranks of the Uttarkhand Police assigned to VIPs and VVIPs and streamline distribution of funds from the CM's funds have gone well with the people of the state.
The previous Congress government had been quite liberal in assigning the security personnel and also downsized the army of government lawyers from 45 to 15, drastically reducing the Rs two crore annual burden on the exchequer.
The new Chief Minister has refused Z-plus security and restricted his fleet of vehicles to a bare minimum of two cars, a move that ha won him appreciation.
"I am taking only those steps which are good for Uttarakhand," says Khanduri.
Recently, he put a spanner on the foreign jaunts of IAS officers and other government officials as part of his economy drive.
Khanduri has also tried to record of sorts by undertaking whirlwind tours of the hill state covering all but one district in a short span of less than two months. "People are narrating their problems. We try to solve their problems as early as possible," said Khanduri.
In yet another major step, Khanduri has now ordered that the chief minister's discretionary fund would not be given unless it is being recommended by a district magistrate. PTI
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