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Third Front springs surprise, favours second term for Kalam
Chennai, June 18 (PTI) Springing a surprise, the Third Front today brought in a new element in the presidential race by coming out in support of a second term for A P J Abdul Kalam.
It also dismissed UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil as a "joke played on the country by Sonia Gandhi" and maintained that many parties have "reservation" over supporting Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, whose candidature as an independent is backed by opposition NDA.
"We feel there is one person who is universally acceptable for the post and that is A P J Abdul Kalam," AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa told reporters along with other Front leaders, including Chandrababu Naidu and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The announcement came after a meeting of the Front on the issue in the backdrop of the predicament it faced in deciding its strategy on the Presidential election in view of its declared projection of being a non-BJP and non-Congress alternative.
The Front, which at the meeting decided to have the name of United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), said that it would make efforts to persuade Kalam to run for a second term.
"We are making an appeal now to all political parties who are part of NDA-BJP, UPA-Left, particularly DMK, to support Kalam for a second term because he is from Tamil Nadu," Jayalalithaa, a known detractor of DMK, said.
Criticising the UPA's decision to field Patil in the presidential election, she said "UPA-Left has put up a candidate like Pratibha Patil which many people consider is a joke on the nation. They think this is some kind of a joke by Sonia Gandhi." PTI
India to float its biggest ever defence tender by month-end
New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) India is poised to float its biggest ever international defence tender for the purchase of 126 multi-role combat aircraft by early next month in a bid to shore up its dwindling fighter strength.
Indicating this, Defence Minister A K Antony said the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC) would meet here in another 15 days to clear the floating of the Request For Proposals (RFP).
India is going in for purchase of these aircraft to shore up its fighter squadron strength, which in recent years has fallen to the lowest-ever level of 32 squadrons from the sanctioned 45 squadrons.
"The DAC will be meeting within a fortnight and decide on the RFP. All negotiations are over and now it is a question of formalities," the minister told reporters, emerging after addressing the Combined Commanders conference, where the issue figured prominently.
Six aviation majors are bidding for the Indian deal, which according to defence experts could run upto anything between USD six to eight billion.
Among the bidders are US aircraft manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, European consortium with its Eurofighter, Sweden's SAAB with its Grippen fighter, Dassault Aviation's with its Rafale and the Russian Mig 35. PTI
India, Iran to discuss IPI pipeline next month: Deora
Srinagar, June 18 (PTI) An Iranian delegation will visit India next month in a bid to finalise an agreement on the over 7-billion dollar pipeline to bring gas from the fuel-rich nation to India and Pakistan.
"Only two weeks back, the secretary (ministry of petroleum) was in Tehran and after one month, they (Iranian officials) would be coming to meet us," Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told reporters today.
Discussions were on with Iran and Pakistan on prices and how the pipeline would be brought to India, he said, adding major issues have been sorted out while pending issues like transportation fees and alignment would be worked out soon.
The issue was also discussed with Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his visit to India recently, he said.
"The prime minister himself has said this will be a pipeline for peace and progress. The process is continuing and very soon we will be launching the pipeline," he said.
He, however, said no time frame can be set for such a massive project involving 7-8 billion dollars investment.
The 2,300-km long pipeline will initially carry around 60 million cubic meters of gas per day, split equally between India and Pakistan.
Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan had said on June 11 the three sides were likely to sign an agreement by July-end.
India-Pakistan official level talks by month-end or early July will be followed by a ministerial dialogue to seal issues on transportation tariff and transit fee payable to Islamabad for allowing passage of the pipeline to India.
After resolving the two issues, the three countries will sign a Framework Agreement for the project, he had said. PTI
Centre convenes meeting of Health Min to contain Chikungunya
New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) Concerned over Chikungunya spreading across the country after Kerala, the Centre has called a meeting of health ministers of eight affected states on Thursday.
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss with chair a meeting with health ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and the Capital to take stock of the situation and discuss measures to be taken to contain spread of the disease.
"Health ministers of the affected states will be attending the meeting. It is a review meeting," Director General of Health Services R K Srivastava told PTI today.
So far 400 people have been reported affected with the viral disease in the country.
Srivastava, who had visited Kerala last week to assess the situation following reports of deaths due to Chikungunya, said there has been no deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease in the country.
"We conducted a verbal autopsy in the state and have not found any deaths due to Chikungunya. All the deaths have been due to some other related diseases," he said.
He said the viral disease was reported in the country for the first time after 32 years last year and the health ministry had immediately provided training to the state health officers to contain the problem.
"We had provided awareness material to all the states. The minister will take stock of the situation and assess what more could be done," he said.
Srivastava said if the states sought more assistance from the Centre, the required help would be provided. "We are here to complement and supplement their efforts," he said. PTI
BARC to develop high temperature nuclear reactors
Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) A prototype Compact High Temperature Reactor is being developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre as part of the Indian programme to produce hydrogen as a substitute for fossil fuels.
CHTR prototype would be a technology demonstrator for all high temperature nuclear reactors planned for the future, Director, Nuclear Reactor Engineer Division, R K Sinha told PTI.
"The high temperature nuclear reactors are being developed with an objective to provide energy to facilitate combined production of hydrogen, electricity and drinking water," Sinha said.
The reject and waste heat in the overall energy scheme is proposed to be utilised for electricity generation and desalination respectively, he said and added that hydrogen production using nuclear reactors will become economical too.
CHTR is mainly a Uranium-233-thorium fuelled reactor using lead-bismuth as coolant and beryllium oxide as moderator.
The reactor, initially being developed to generate 100 kw (thermal) power, will have a core life of around 15 years along with several advanced passive safety features to enable its operation as compact power pack in remote areas not connected to the electrical grid. PTI
Indian Women Hockey team start on winning note
New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) After winning the two warm-up games convincingly, Indian women's hockey team is geared up to take on hosts Japan in the four-match Friendship Series in Tenri tomorrow.
The Mamta Kharab-led Indian team defeated Nanto Bank 3-0 in their opening warm-up game while they got the better of Tenri University 3-1 yesterday.
In the game against Nanto, Mamta, Surinder Kaur and Saba Anjum scored the goals.
The Indians staged a fightback to win the second game. Rattan Summer put Tenri ahead by converting a penalty corner.
But, Suman, Saba and Mamta converted a short corner each to ensure the visitors' victory.
The series comes to an end on June 24. PTI
Pawar named head of 2011 World Cup Organising Committee
Karachi, June 18 (PTI) BCCI President Sharad Pawar, after being elected Chairman of the 2011 World Cup Organising Committee, vowed today to make the event spectator friendly with low priced tickets for the cricket-crazy fans in the sub-continent.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Naseem Ashraf was named chief convenor of the organising committee, which would be headquartered at Lahore.
Sujeeva Rajapakse of Sri Lanka was named treasurer of the joint committee which will meet again in November in India.
In the meeting at Bhurban, the organisers also decided to have a common visa, for which they would seek respective government's help.
The decision to keep the ticket prices within the reach of the common people of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- joint hosts of the event -- was taken after this year's World Cup in the West Indies drew flaks for low turn out during the matches in the Caribbean.
"The World Cup is an opportunity for us to showcase South Asia to the world and we plan to make it one of the most spectator-friendly and low cost tournaments for them," Pawar said at a press conference after the meeting.
"It is important to have a common visa for players, officials and media in particular to make it a smooth event," he said.
A common Caricom visa was also issued by the Caribbean community for the 2007 World Cup. PTI
Umpires, referees for Scotland matches announced
Dubai, Jun 18 (PTI) Umpires Mark Benson, Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar will stand in the upcoming cricket matches in Ireland which will also see India and South Africa in action.
Australian Alan Hurst has been appointed match referee for the matches to be played between June 23 and July 1.
India's match against Ireland at Stormont will have Englishman Mark Benson and New Zealander Billy Bowden as on-field umpires with Pakistan's Aleem Dar as the third umpire.
Benson and Dar will stand in the India-South Africa matches on June 26 and July 1, while Bowden will stand with Benson when Rahul Dravid's team clashes with the Proteas on June 29.
The India-Pakistan one-dayer, scheduled for July 3 in Glasgow, will be officiated by Benson and South African Ian Gould. Sri Lankan Roshan Mahanama will be the match referee.
Meanwhile, India's Suresh Shastri will stand in the first and third Tests between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to be held in Colombo and Kandy respectively. The series will have Jeff Crowe of New Zealand as match referee.
Shastri will stand with Pakistan's Asad Rauf in the first Test from June 25 to 29 and with South African Rudi Koertzen in the third from July 11 to 15.
The second Test in Colombo from July 3 to 7 will see Koertzen and Rauf as umpires. PTI
Jeev logs best finish at 36th, Cabrera beats Woods to title
Oakmont, June 18 (PTI) Tested to the hilt by a brutal Oakmont Country Club, Jeev Milkha Singh showed tremendous grit and turned in a final round card of five-over 75 to finish tied 36th, his best show in a Major, in the US Open.
Playing his third US Open, Jeev ended a gruelling week with a four-round total of 18-over 298, 13 shots behind winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina (275).
"It was not the best of finishes, but I will take back a lot from here," said Jeev, who had also made the cut in his previous two appearances at the US Open.
Cabrera became the first Argentine to win the US Open as he edged out world number one Tiger Woods (72) and Jim Furyk (70), who shared second place, a shot behind Cabrera.
Overnight leader Aaron Baddeley of Australia stuttered to 10-over 80 and finished tied 13th.
Jeev maintained his proud streak of having played in all four rounds in all his four Major appearances and bettered his previous best outing of tied 37th at this year's US Masters.
The Indian is due to play the British Open and the PGA Championships later this year.
Jeev picked up USD 37,159 for his efforts.
Though satisfied with his overall show, Jeev was a bit unhappy with his putting.
"My putting was disappointing," said Jeev, who averaged 32.25 putts per round and his best was 31 in the final round.
"Sure the greens were tough and sloping made them very testing and challenging, but I wish a few more putts had dropped." On at least three to four occasions during the week, Jeev's well-struck putts stopped a few rolls short. PTI
Elbow surgery makes Tait doubtful for Twenty20 World Cup
Melbourne, June 18 (PTI) Australian pacer Shaun Tait's participation in the upcoming Twenty20 cricket World Cup is in doubt as he undergoes an arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow tomorrow.
"Shaun is undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday to relieve soft-tissue impingement," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement today.
The operation rules him out of action until mid-August.
"We are hoping he will be back bowling by mid-August. This would leave him with a 50-50 chance of playing in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa," he added.
Tait, who was drafted into Australia's World Cup squad only after an injury to strike bowler Brett Lee, emerged as one of the stars of the tournament taking 23 wickets at an average of 20.30.
The 24-year-old slinger has been having trouble in his bowling arm due to his unusual action. PTI
Nokia launches 3 models; expects to increase its global mkt
Mansi Taneja
Singapore, Jun 18 (PTI) Projecting a significant growth in emerging markets like India and China in the next three years, the world's largest mobile handsets maker Nokia today unveiled three new models intended to boost its offerings in the mid-range segment and increase its global market share.
Nokia has about 42 per cent market share in the Asia Pacific region and expects most of the projected growth to come from emerging markets, including India and China.
"In the next three years, the large part of growth will come from Asia Pacific with the region contributing to more than half of subscribers for the company," Senior Vice- President (Asia Pacific) Urpo Karjalainen told reporters at Nokia Connections 2007 here.
The new phones - Nokia 3500 and 3G-enabled Nokia 6267 - would be available in the next quarter across the world, including India, at 240 euros and 135 euros respectively, excluding taxes and subsidies.
However, another 3G phone Nokia 6121 would be available only in Australia and New Zealand in the third quarter of this year at 135 euros, excluding subsidies and taxes.
Nokia 6267 comes with enhanced music capabilities and other multimedia capabilities and uses 3G technology for faster downloads, internet browsing and video calls.
Nokia 6121 supports quadband GSM and WCDMA 900/2100 technology.
"The new launches will take the total number of handsets launched by Nokia this year to 26," Karjalainen said.
He said the launch of these new models are expected to increase the company's global market share up from the present 36 per cent. PTI
Tata Teleservices to provide Internet radio in handsets
Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) Telecom services provider Tata Teleservices today said it will launch Internet radio in its mobile handsets.
There would be 41 radio channels, including BBC, Bloomberg, CNN and different genres of music in the handsets provided by the CDMA major, which operates its services under the brand name Tata Indicom.
Subscribers would be charged Rs 50 for a month's subscription, Tata Teleservices President (Value-Added Services) Pankaj Sethi said at a press meet here.
Initially, the new service would be available in handsets of Rs 8,000.
"In three months, the facility would be available even in Rs 3,000 handsets," Sethi said.
The Internet radio application has been developed by US-based Locate-it Info Inc, which will share the revenues with Tata Teleservices, he said.
He, however, did not give details of revenue sharing pattern.
The company would provide services of radio stations which have free subscription on the Internet. PTI
Late selling wipes off early gains, Sensex loses 82 pts
Mumbai, June 18 (PTI) A fag-end selling wiped off early gains on the Bombay Stock Exchange today and the benchmark Sensex closed with a loss of over 82.57 points.
The Sensex, which commenced the day with a hefty gain of 121 points, rolled down on selling by funds in heavyweight stocks and lost 82.57 points to settle at 14,080.14.
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty, after touching of day's high of 4208.15 points, ended lower by 24.35 points at 4147.10.
Selling pressure was more confined to stocks in metal, capital goods and information technology stocks. PTI
Mfg sector to create 1.6 mn jobs annually: Ashwani Kumar
New Delhi, June 18 (PTI) With the country's manufacturing sector likely to witness an annual growth rate of 12 per cent till 2010, an additional 1.6 million jobs will be created in the segment every year, Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar said.
"The manufacturing sector in India is likely to grow by 12 per cent per annum by 2010 which could generate additional 1.6 million jobs every year," Kumar said at the UBS CEO Forum in Florence, Italy yesterday.
Kumar said of the total 550 billion dollars required for infrastructure development in India in the medium term, about one-third resources could be obtained through FDI.
He added that the SEZ policy was being fine tuned to ensure transparency and more employment opportunities for those displaced due to developmental projects.
Speaking at a session on 'Rapid emergence of India and China as global economic powers and their impact on the developed world', Kumar said growth in emerging economies has had a positive effect on consolidation of developed economies by spurring demand and supply, ensuring economies of scale, increasing global labour force and coherence in the global development agenda.
"Embracing of market economies by India and China will make possible the emergence of an international treaty based regime toward a fully integrated global economy," he said adding that investors should acknowledge resilience of India's democratic institutions as its strength. PTI
EU bid to seek Indian wine market stems from glut at home
New Delhi, June 18 (PTI) The European Union (EU), which wants India to reduce high import duties on wines, is facing a glut of the beverage at home and is taking steps to protect local producers from new rivals like Australia and the US.
EU's urgency to pressurise India to open up its market stems from the fact that "it is left with large quantities of wine for which there is no outlet", an EU official said.
Over the past five years, average production in the EU amounted to 178 million hectolitres worth around 16.1 billion euros. The EU's total wine production amounted to about 165 million hectolitres in 2005-2006 and contributed 65 per cent of the world production in the alcoholic drink.
The overstock in EU is due to declining consumption in domestic market and sharp surge in imports from 'new producers' such as the US, Australia, South Africa and Chile.
EU spends an estimated 500 million euros every year to dispose of, store and distill wine surpluses into alcohol.
Seeking a solution to tap the outflow of money in overstock, the European Commission will adopt on July 4 legal measures aimed at improving market balance, boosting quality and promoting sales of European wines, the official said.
The reforms in EU Common Market Organisation Policy aim at managing production by limiting planting rights and supporting structural improvement. The reforms would seek to adapt quality and quantity to consumer demand.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel had also recently said the 25-nation bloc was overproducing.
"We in Europe are producing too much wine for which there is no market... Consumption is down, and exports from the new world are making huge inroads into the market. We spend far too much money disposing of surpluses instead of building on quality and competitiveness," she had said. PTI
Quattrocchi intends to sue unnamed Indian political leaders
Rebecca Wright
Buenos Aires, Jun 18 (PTI) Fresh from a legal success in the extradition case against him, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi now intends to sue unnamed Indian political leaders for carrying out "political persecution" against him.
Living just outside the Argentinian capital after his arrest in Iguazu international airport in Misiones province, about 1,500 kms from here, on an interpol red corner notice on the basis of a CBI alert, on February six, the 68-year-old maintains that the case against him is "political".
However, Quattrocchi did not elaborate on who he would sue and where.
"I intend to take legal steps against some political leaders who have created this 20-year-old political persecution. The matter is now with my lawyers," he said in an interview to PTI, more than a week after a provincial court here rejected India's request for his extradition.
The court has given five days time till early this week for the prosecution to file an appeal against the order and has asked Quattrocchi to stay in Argentina till June 20.
Asked about CBI's extradition attempts, Quattrocchi said he was "under no doubt that this is a political case." "Why am I the only one left in this. There must be a reason, and that is political. This cannot go on. These people have tried to make my life difficult. This is an attempt at political persecution that has now lasted for over 20 years," he said. PTI
Pak same-sex couple appeals against LHC judgement
K J M Varma
Islamabad, June 18 (PTI) Pakistan's first same-sex couple, who tied the knot violating the country's law, today filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, challenging the three-year imprisonment handed down to them by the Lahore High Court (LHC) last month.
In their appeal before the apex court, the lesbian couple, Shumail Raj and Shahzina Tariq, said they were sentenced without conducting any gender determination test on the "husband", who is Raj in this case.
They cannot be punished without the confirmation of the gender of Raj, therefore, the LHC judgement should be quashed, the couple's advocate Babar Awan told the media here today.
Their case hit headlines in local and international media as it was the first of its kind in Pakistan and both vowed to continue to be married despite the sentence.
Awan said that though it was advised that the sex determination test needed to be done on Raj, it was not carried out.
"Investigation was recommended to determine the sex of Shumail Raj. The determination of gender in this case was not conclusive in this case according to the medical report. Basically gender determination is a standard operating medical procedure. Unless that is done nobody can determine what is the gender of a particular person," he said.
Awan also said the LHC sentenced the couple even after they tendered an apology.
"We have seen high profile cases being dropped after the apology was tendered," he said, adding that "there are a lot of lacunae in the judgement and I am hopeful of getting justice." PTI
Bhutto claims deal with Sharif on power sharing
London, Jun 18 (PTI) Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has claimed that she has reached a "verbal" agreement with deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif on a power-sharing arrangement in which she would have the first chance at running the country for five years if elected to power.
Bhutto, the leader of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), said in an interview with the Financial Times published today, that she and Sharif had struck the bargain so that they could present a common front in their battle to reassert civilian control over the Army.
Exiled Sharif, the Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), and Bhutto had earlier in May last year signed the Charter of Democracy - a 36-point common programme to "save the motherland from the clutches of military dictatorship." "Both of us are committed to reforming the military establishment. So I hope that we will have a consensus within Parliament on the reforms that we are going to bring and that the military would not be able to play one of us off against the other," self-exiled Bhutto said.
"Mr Nawaz Sharif and I agree. Mr Nawaz says, 'You should be the Prime Minister for the first five-year term', and after that five-year term he wants to run. So I hope that we can move forward. That's a verbal discussion between us but that is what he has said to me." But Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, the Secretary-General of the PML-N, denied there was any such offer from Sharif. "The people will decide in fair elections who forms the government," he told the newspaper.
"If she forms the government, Sharif has said we will respect her mandate, or that of anyone else elected by the people. This is a new development in Pakistani politics." The general election in Pakistan is due later this year or early next year. PTI
Pak elections could be held early: Rashid
Islamabad, June 18 (PTI) Pakistan's parliamentary elections due at the end of the year could be held "early" if President Pervez Musharraf agrees not to insist on being elected by the current assemblies, a senior minister has said.
Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid said general elections could be held "early" if President Musharraf agrees not to insist on being elected by the existing federal and provincial assemblies, Geo television reported.
"The elections have to be late if the president decides on his election by the current assemblies. Otherwise they can be held early," the channel quoted Rashid as saying.
Projecting an air of confidence, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz last week had predicted that this will be the first parliament in Pakistan's history to finish its full five-year term.
Aziz had said that he expects President Musharraf to secure another five years in office in spite of the ongoing turmoil over the suspension of supreme court chief justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afghan Niazi said last week that notwithstanding threats of the Opposition parties to resign en mass, President Musharraf would go ahead with his plans to get re-elected in Army uniform by existing national and provincial assemblies between September and October this year.
The United States, a key supporter of the Musharraf regime, has left the issue of Musharraf holding the dual office of the President and the army chief to the Pakistani leader himself.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who were in Islamabad last week, have hinted that Washington has no problem with Musharraf's re-election in uniform but its emphasis would be on the General holding free and fair elections due after November 15. PTI
Write right if you want to be on the right !
New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) The next time you submit your cv for a job or are called for an interview, don't be surprised if the panel gives a hard look to your signature.
Graphology, an old science that claims to 'read' the handwriting of a person to know his or her personality is increasingly being used by companies to know more about the person before recruitment.
Your hand-writing tells everything about your personality and character. Your sincerity, integrity, attitude, aptitude, motivational level, aspirational and inspirational level- almost all characteristic traits are there in your hand-writing. The amount of pressure, slant, size of letters, margin etc are actually indicators of your personality traits, and Graphologists- who practice the art of knowing a personality through the handwriting- can tell you about all these with 95-100% accuracy, says graphologists, say graphologists.
After getting its hold in west, Graphology has started making its inroads in India too. A large number of MNCs and other private companies in India are now hiring graphological services for recruitment, assessment of the employees, solving certain cases and increasing the efficiency.
"We tell you that much of our services go to MNCs "says Manikant, President, Handwriting Analysis India, Vishakhapatnam and a well known graphologist . "Almost 75% our sevices go to HR department of the companies" he adds while pointing out that he works for as consultant for some MNCs. PTI
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