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Three get life term in IC-814 Hijack case
Patiala, Feb 5 (PTI) Three persons involved in the hijack of the Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar in Afghanistan in December 1999 were today convicted and sentenced to life by a city court on charges including murder and conspiracy.
Abdul Latif Adam Momin alias Abdul rehman alias Patel, Yusuf Nepali and Dalip Bhujail were sentenced by sessions judge Inderjit Singh Walia, designated as the anti-hijacking court under provisions of IPC and anti-hijacking law. CBI had demanded capital punishment for Latif.
The ill-fated IC-814 was hijacked on December 24, 1999 while flying over Lucknow when it was on its way to Delhi from Kathmandu and the three were accused of helping the hijackers by arranging their stay, passport, tickets and with arms and ammunition.
During a week of suspense, five hijackers -- Ibrahim Athar (brother of Jash-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar), Sunny Ahmed Qazi, S A Sayed alias Doctor, Z I Mistri alias Bhola and R G Verma alias Shakir -- who commandeered aircraft to Kandahar negotiated with Indian officials with threats to blow up the aircraft and successfully got Azhar and two other dreaded terrorist released from jails in India for release of passengers.
Defence counsel contended that the three have been made a scapegoat. PTI
India to skip Tehran meet on Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline
New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) India is unlikely to attend a meet called by Iran next week to finalise the long-delayed IPI gas pipeline as it wants to settle the transit fee issue with Islamabad before signing the multi-billion dollar deal.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora is unlikely to visit Tehran on February 12-13 for the tri-lateral meet on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, a source close to the minister said.
Deora would instead make a visit to Islamabad sometime after general elections in Pakistan to settle the issue.
"A meeting in Islamabad was proposed on the sidelines of the Steering Committee meeting of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project on February 13-16 but the meet is not happening because of elections in Pakistan," the source said.
Iranian Ambassador to India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh said an invitation for the next week's meeting has been sent. "If we get a positive response, a meeting can be held on February 12 or 13." New Delhi has since July 2007 boycotted tri-lateral meeting on the pipeline project pending resolution of the transit fee issue with Pakistan. While the two neighbours are in agreement with the charge for transporting the gas through a 1,035-km pipeline length in Pakistan, differences continue on the issue of payment of a separate transit fee to Islamabad for use of its territory for passage of the fuel.
The source said the price of gas has been agreed upon by the three nations but Iran's demand for revision every five years has to be settled for signing of any deal. PTI
Asian countries should share info on terror networks: Antony
New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) India today said countries in the Asian region should build strong channels of communication between their defence establishments and share intelligence on terror groups which will prove to be an effective bulwark against spread of terrorism and other forms of conflict.
"We must devise common solutions to common challenges that threaten our collective security," Defence Minister A K Antony said in his speech at the inauguration of the three-day 10th Asian Security Conference organised by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).
He said such a bonding not only between governments but also defence establishments would prove to be an effective bulwark against spread of terrorism and other forms of conflict.
Observing that out of the 343 non-state armed groups operating in the world, 187 were operating in the Asian region, he said these groups recognised no borders and utilised latest global communication and transport networks to spread their message of death and destruction.
The common objective of these terror groups, he said was to disturb existing state apparatus, destabilise neighbouring states and create new states based on ethno-cultural identity.
"Most of these non-state players are not fighting for national identity, or territory and have abstract notions of carving out separate and unique identity of their own based on ethnicity, religious and tribal basis", the minister told assembled security experts from the world over, including Pakistan and China. PTI
Naveen inducts three new ministers, elevates two others
Bhubaneswar, Feb 5 (PTI) The long-awaited expansion of the BJD-BJP Government in Orissa was effected today with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inducting three new ministers and elevating two others to the cabinet rank.
The new ministers were Sanatan Bisi, Pradip Kumar Amat (both BJD) and Pradipta Nayak (BJP).
Excise and Tourism Minister Debiprasad Mishra and Health and Family Welfare Minister Duryodhan Majhi were elevated to the cabinet rank.
Governor M C Bhandare administered oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at Raj Bhavan here at a ceremony attended by Patnaik and several other dignatories.
This was the second expansion of the ministry after Patnaik assumed office in May 2004. The last reshuffle was done in 2006. PTI
Culling almost over in most West Bengal areas
Kolkata, Feb 5 (PTI) Culling operation was nearing completion in West Bengal with 34 lakh birds exterminated while eight quarantined members of a culling team in North Parganas district were being monitored after they complained of severe cold and joint ache.
Reports from neighbouring South 24 Parganas district said the condition of two members of a culling team, suffering from influenza, was improving.
State Animal Husbandry minister Anisur Rahman said 34 lakh chicken were culled in the operation and further measures will be discussed at a meeting later in the day.
In Minakha block of North 24 Parganas, 300 domestic fowls had already been killed with 1100 birds are expected to be culled by this evening, the officials said.
Culling was on at Canning-II block in South 24 Parganas where samples sent from Sarengabad gram panchyat in Canning block-2 for tests had been declared positive on February two, the sources said. The entire operation may take another three-four days in the interior area.
In Howrah, where 278 chicken had died in past few days at Sultanpur and Bokapara areas, the result of the sample tests were expected by tonight, officials said.
Mopping up and disinfection continued in other affected areas of 13 districts with ARD personnel tracking hidden poultry, the officials said. PTI
Sympathies pour in for Sania, calls for reconsidering decision
New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) Sania Mirza's decision not to play in India to avoid being dragged into controversies today evoked sympathetic reactions in the tennis fraternity with some former players even urging her to reconsider the decision.
The 21-year-old Sania, Asia's top women's player and ranked 29th in the world, pulled out of next month's Bangalore Open, saying it was increasingly becoming difficult for her to cope with such petty controversies dogging her career.
Former Davis Cup captain Akhtar Ali sympathised with the way Sania was being treated and described her decision as "unfortunate" for the sport in the country.
"It is a sad day for Indian sports. It is very unfortunate. She is not well. She did not have a good time at the Australian Open. And on top of that she is being made the subject of controversies every now and then. Some people are repeatedly hassling her. This is all sheer politics," Ali said.
Ali said Sania had helped the sport in the country in a big way but in return she was getting such troubles.
"Stars can influence youngsters more than even parents. She has also influenced hundreds of youngsters in the country to take up the game in a big way. We should all now ensure that she is not hassled in this way and allow her to carry on with her game and life," Ali said. PTI
It was important to keep wickets in hand: Gambhir
Brisbane, Feb 5 (PTI) After losing four wickets in quick sucession, India's game plan in the tri-series match against Sri Lanka was to play safe till the 40th over and then accelerate in the slog overs, according to centurion Gautam Gambhir.
"We had a gameplan to keep wickets till the 40th over and then go for some quick runs. We knew if we had a big partnership, we could accelerate towards the end," said Gambhir, who scored his third ODI century in the rain-abandoned game.
Gambhir (102 not out) shared an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 184 with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (88 not our) to bail India out of a precarious position.
The two put up a superb partnership and impressed with their running between the wickets.
"Dhoni batted very well and we concentrated on hard running as it is a big ground," the Delhi left-hander said.
"We can get two or three runs by good running on these big grounds and it was important to rotate strike. It is not like in India, where we have small grounds and quick outfields." PTI
Pak govt blames Mehsud for Rawalpindi suicide attack
Islamabad, Feb 5 (PTI) As experts tried to reconstruct the severed head of a suicide bomber who killed 10 people in Rawalpindi, Pakistan government has said Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud could be behind the attack against the Army personnel to retaliate the arrest of 18 of his close aides.
"The suicide attack in Rawalpindi (yesterday) can be an act of Baitullah Mehsud (the chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan), as only he has the capability to carry out such attacks," caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan told reporters at Parliament House late last night.
The suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into a bus carrying army medical personnel and detonated his explosives. A lieutenant colonel and a major were among the dead. Several children, who were in a school bus, also injured in the attack near the Army headquarters.
Khan also said the attack reflected Mehsud's "frustration" and could have been an act of retaliation for the arrest of 18 of his close associates.
Officials said an investigation was being carried out by civil and military officials as the attack had occurred in the vicinity of the Pakistan Army's general Headquarters. Experts in Rawalpindi were reconstructing the severed head of the suicide bomber found at the site of the attack, the officials said.
Shortly after the blast, President Pervez Musharraf chaired a meeting to review security arrangements ahead of the February 18 general election. He said 60,000 army and paramilitary personnel would be deployed to ensure that the polls are peaceful. PTI
Musharraf allows A Q Khan to meet close friends
Islamabad, Feb 5 (PTI) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has partially lifted restrictions on disgraced nuclear scientist A Q Khan, who was placed under house arrest after he confessed to heading a secret proliferation ring, to enable him to meet close friends and some old colleagues.
This was done after Khan's former lawyer S M Zafar, also a PML-Q Senator, took up the matter with Musharraf in the recent past.
Requests from persons intending to visit Khan are routed through Lt Gen (retired) Khalid Kidwai, the chief of the Strategic Planning Division, the organisation that controls Pakistan's atomic arsenal and the nuclear establishment. Kidwai and his department decide who should be granted permission, 'The News' reported today.
Earlier PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed had said the next government would set Khan free. Khan has been under detention in his home in the heart of Islamabad for four years.
Zafar, who heads the Senate's Committee on Human Rights, said the panel could not take suo motu action on Khan's detention and the issue could only be resolved by Parliament.
A member of Khan's family, however, said the nuclear scientist's colleagues have not been granted permission to see him.
According to a family source, there is a list of people who can meet Khan and even this list keeps changing. The source said Khan's daughters, his sister Razia and brother Abdul Qayyum are allowed to meet him. PTI
Polls not possible unless Madhesi issue resolved in Nepal: India
Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Feb 5 (PTI) Warning that the April 10 Constituent Assembly election will not be possible unless the Madhesi issue is resolved through dialogue, India has asked Nepalese government and the agitating groups to pursue "give and take" policy to ensure a "reasonably free and fair" vote.
"If you ignore the Madhesi leadership and don't solve the problems in Madhes through dialogue, election won't happen," Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shanker Mukherjee said in an interview.
He, however, stressed that the political situation in strife-torn Terai region "can be brought to the point of holding the polls".
"Given some political wisdom and spirit of compromise these problems could be solved," he said. "A little give and take is required to resolve the issue." Nepal has been reeling under a violent stir by Madhesi community in the southern Terai region against alleged marginalisation that has left 80 people dead since last year.
The agitating groups have been demanding greater political and economic rights for Madhesis and have even threatened to sabotage the polls.
Insisting that there had not been any deliberate change in India's twin pillar policy of supporting constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy in Nepal, he said the palace had made itself "irrelevant" by its actions.
India did not deliberately change its policy but the events so shaped themselves that the constitutional monarchy be came irrelevant, he said "It made itself something that the people of Nepal decided was no longer needed," he told Avenues Television. PTI
TCS slips 3 pc; Tata Power rises on BSE
Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) The Tata Group had a mixed day at the bourse today with the TCS falling nearly three per cent amid 500 employees of the company "voluntarily resigning" while Tata Power surged over three per cent on the BSE.
While the cost-cutting drive and fears of recession in the US took its toll on Tata Consultancy Services, the scrip of Tata Power Company sailed northwards after it announced the completion of financing for a power project.
TCS shares slipped 2.72 per cent to Rs 949.45 after the IT giant officially confirmed that about 500 employees "voluntarily resigned" following annual performance appraisals.
Further, the development coincides with cost-cutting drive in Indian IT space amid fears of recession in the US.
The scrip had touched an intra-day high of Rs 971.
On the other hand, shares of Tata Power shot up 3.31 per cent to Rs 1,447.20 after touching an intra-day high of Rs 1,465.
Earlier in the day, the firm said it has completed the financing of a thermal power project in Jharkhand, being set up by Maithon Power.
The entity is a joint venture between Tata Power and Damodar Valley Corporation. The project is estimated to cost Rs 4,450 crore.
However, shares of post-production firm Prime Focus fell about two percent to close at Rs 960. There were reports that the firm has entered into an agreement with a US-based company to offer post production services to movie makers.
The scrip had touched an intra-day high of Rs 999. PTI
Markets in consolidation mode, Sensex ends flat
Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) The stock markets today showed signs of consolidation with the benchmark Sensex ending flat on alternate bouts of buying and selling despite weak global trends.
Most of the Asian indices ended in the red, following bearishness on Wall Street last night. European markets also opened subdued today.
The weak global cues weighed on the local bourses which have seen choppy sessions for the last two days.
The 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange barometer concluded the day at 18,663.16, a mere rise of 2.84 points, over its previous close.
The Sensex during the day moved in the range of 18,729.83 and 18509.54 points, reflecting volatility.
However, the broad-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange moved up further by 20.40 points to 5,483.90 from previous close of 5,463.50.
While metal, refinery, power, PSU and realty stocks staged a smart rally on BSE, a sharp decline in bank, IT and auto counters negated the overall gains.
Marketmen said IT shares suffered a sharp setback owing to a gloomy outlook in US. There has been widespread concerns of the world's largest economy falling into recession. US contributes more than 50 per cent the revenue for most of these companies, they added.
The market mainly got support from Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) as they continued to buy shares and pumped in Rs 731.83 crore on Monday, while Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) also picked up shares worth Rs 163.74 crore on the same day as per provisional data. PTI
ICICI Bank assessing market on possibility of rate cut
Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) Country's largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank today kept its cards close to the chest on the possibility of an interest rate cut, saying it was still assessing the demand-supply position for credit.
"Let's wait see what happens. This is the last quarter of the year where rates normally tends to increase. It would be unwise to say how rates will move in the next six weeks. We have also to see the demand-supply gap," Chairman K V Kamath, told reporters here.
Asked about the slow-down in the bank's credit offtake during the fiscal, Kamath said there has been a slow-down in automobile and mortgage portfolios.
"There was a slow-down in segments like automobile. There was an impact in the mortgage business also, due to high cost of property prices," Kamath said, adding,"there was no serious impact across the board." On the issue of the bank's holding company, Kamath said it will wait for the new draft policy from the Reserve Bank before taking any decision in this regard.
Noting that the domestic economy is expected to continue the current growth momentum, Kamath said that he expects the economy to grow in double-digits in the next 10-25 years.
"A growth at 10 per cent is already happening. I believe that the country is able to sustain this (growth) and may even move to a double digit growth in the next 10-25 years,"Kamath said. PTI
Govt holding talks with industry on re-manufactured goods
New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) The government has initiated consultations with industry stakeholders to formulate a policy on import of re-manufactured goods as well as seek clarity on the definition of such goods and their impact on the domestic industry.
"There is need for a definition and clarity on the scope of re-manufactured goods as also the impact these would have on the domestic industry," Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Amarendra Khatua said today at a Ficci seminar on "Re-manufactured goods and WTO negotiations" here.
Under the current Foreign Trade Policy, import of re-manufactured goods is allowed only against licences. However, the goods have not been defined in the policy.
Khatua said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry would also hold consultations with industry bodies of the automotive components, hardware and engineering to seek views on domestic sensitivity to re-manufactured goods, export potential to markets with low purchasing power and enforceability of standards and regulations on the goods.
"We would also be discussing issues like customs valuation, IPR and misclassification and identification of industry spread," he said. PTI
Gulf investors interested in Indian textile sector
Dubai, Feb 5 (PTI) UAE investors are keen to invest in India's textile sector where the government is giving many incentives including 100 per cent equity allowed in SEZs, a senior Indian minister said.
"We got a very positive response from potential investors," Union Textiles Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who is leading a delegation of textile ministry and industry on a four-nation tour of Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and the UAE, said at a press conference here.
Insisting that the "Made in India" brand had better credibility than Chinese products, he said the Gulf region held immense potential for Indian textile exports.
"There is no point comparing Chinese textiles with Indian goods. We cannot compete with the Chinese in terms of price but the brand credibility of Indian products is better across the world," Vaghela said last evening.
With Indian government taking series of initiatives to boost textile exports, the Gulf region could emerge as an important destination for Indian manufactures, according to Vaghela.
"There is a lot of scope for the export of Indian textile and related goods in the Gulf countries as till now India is exporting its two third textile products to the US and European countries," he added At present, India's textile and garment exports to the UAE total USD1.068 billion out of the total USD12 billion exports to the country. While India's total textile exports were USD19 billion.
The minister said the delegation had fruitful talks with government leaders, local business representatives and members of the Indian textile community in Dubai.
India, through the French lens
Kamal Narayan
New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) "The light has gone from our lives and there is darkness everywhere." These words which the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru uttered on the night of January 30, 1948 have etched themselves in the minds of the generation that witnessed those tumultuous days.
But what made that moment and its sombre aftermath-- the flower covered body of the Mahatma surrounded by the funeral procession being witnessed by an ocean of people-- more familiar to later generations was the camera of a French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who captured the moments for posterity.
These and many other memorable moments of Indian history have come to life again at an exhibition.
Organised by the French Embassy, the exhibition displays work of the French photographers in the Capital depicting several memorable moments of Indian history and its cultural diversity from August 15, 1947 till date.
"As India has completed 60 years of its independence, we have decided to show what French photographers saw here and captured in their cameras. Also, we are exhibiting works of Indian photographers in France so that our people can get aware with its diverse culture," says Benedicte Alliot, Attache Culturelle in Embassy of France in India.
This initiative, 'India-Photo-Now 2008' was also a part of the bilateral agreement between India and France signed during French President Nicholas Sarkozy's state visit to the country last month.
The French government has also started a programme called 'Artists in Residence' to depute French photographers in India so they can watch the Indian culture closely. At the same time, it also provides scholarships to Indian photographers to help them explore life and culture of the Mediterranean country. PTI
Manifesto implementation committee set for Rangasamy govt
Puducherry Feb 4 (PTI) With continuing squabbles within his cabinet as also the state unit of the party often finding their way in the media, formation of a crisis management strategy is the latest of the party's efforts to ensure smooth running of the Rangasamy government.
A manifesto implementation committee has been constituted by the AICC with V Arun Kumar, special invitee of the CWC as its head to establish cordial relations between the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues.
Rangaswamy was sworn-in for the second successive tenure in 2006 with the support of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Communist party of India and the three Independents from outside.
The Ministry functioned smoothly until controversies arose on Rangasamy's project to establish a State owned medical college. The college named after Perunthalaivar Kamarajar, a political mentor of Rangasamy, is coming up in Kadirkamam in Thattanchavady a constituency represented by Rangasamy successively in all the last four elections.
There was a complaint that the Chief Minister was giving extra priority to the college project. The subject of the medical college came up for discussion even at the recent Planning Board meeting held under the chairmanship of the Lt Governor on Tuesday last.
The five ministers of Rangasamy cabinet, V Vaithilingam (Agriculture and Industries) E Valsaraj (Health), M Kandasamy (Welfare), Malladi Krishna Rao (Local Administration) and M O H Shahjahan (Education) called on the Lt Governor Mukut Mithi on January 26 to keep him informed. PTI
Air pollution making Delhi children asthmatic: survey
Diganta Biswas
New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) With the continuous exposure to air pollution, the number of children suffering from chronic bronchial asthma is on rise in the national capital, reveals a survey.
"We examined children of age group 7-15 years in nine industrial and residential pockets of Delhi. Among total of 3,456 children examined, 7.7 per cent were diagnosed having asthma, which was highest in industrial areas, 11.8 per cent," says Dr Raj Kumar of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, who was associated with the project.
The survey was conducted in Shahdara, Sahibabad, Nizamuddin, Siri Fort, Ashoka Vihar and Janakpuri. Also two rural pockets -- Dhallupura and Jagatpur -- were surveyed.
"Today indoor air pollution level is becoming a matter of concern in big metros like Delhi, which is triggering asthmatic symptoms among the children residing in those areas," Dr Kumar says.
The 4-year-long study was carried out jointly by the representatives of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute and the Geology Department of Delhi University.
In the last few years, children's health has also deteriorated due to exposure of air pollutants in indoor environments i.e. indoor air pollution, the survey points out.
"Generally people express their concern about outdoor air pollution caused by industrial emissions, but nobody thinks that it can affect children's health inside the home as well," he adds.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder, with the symptoms of cough, common cold, sneezing and feeling of heaviness on chest, besides breathing problems, doctors say. PTI
Movies on soldiers:remove bureaucratic shackles, say directors
Amit Kumar Das
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) With none of the movies made on the Indian army in the last one decade making it to the box office, national award winning directors say that creative limitations imposed by rules should be removed so as to make movies on the force more interesting and creative rather than just Pakistan bashing.
"Indian soldiers are the most underpaid and overworked group and it is important to address their cause. We need to get deep into the psyche of a soldier and talk about their problems in our films, says National award-winning director Rahul Dholakia, who is making his next film, 'Lamhe' on Kashmir, where he wishes to touch upon the lives of the
soldiers.
Agrees filmmaker Jahnu Baruah of 'Maine Gandhi ko nahi mara' fame.
"You need to depict conflict and war while making films on the Indian soldier. You don't have creative freedom. You can't criticise them, you can't make an anti-establishment film, everything has to be in favour of them," says the nine times National award winning director.
"I have been approached many time to make films on Indian Army but I couldn't because there are a lot of hassles. There is restrictions in everything, one has to get thousands of permission and the most insulting thing is when you have to approve the script by the authorities," adds Baruah.
Interestingly, after Border (1997), no other film on Indian Army has been able to touch a chord with the audience.
Dholakia says that it is time to move on from just Pakistan bashing.
"The problem with Bollywood is that you have to make everything heroic and larger than life. we have to make it war-oriented. My question is why can't We go beyond Pakistan and war," Dholakia says. PTI
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Sensex: 18663.16, +2.84
The sensex closed at 18663.16, up 2.84
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1 U.S. $ = 39.535 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3679 INR
1 British Pound = 77.791 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.503 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.902 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.765 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.557 INR
1 Euro = 58.027 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.875 INR
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