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Pak seeks
to draw DUBAI, Oct 25: Pakistan has sought to draw a parallel line between the Palestinians and the Kashmiris, saying there were many similarities in the ......more Chechans demanding MOSCOW, Oct 25: Angry at killing of their kith and kin by Islamic fundamentalists, Chechens have taken to the streets demanding justice...more
Gore committed to deepening
relations WASHINGTON, Oct 25: Vice President Al Gore, the democratic party’s nominee for the upcoming US Presidential elections, will be committed to ....more |
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Algeria considering ALGIERS, Oct 25: Algeria is considering buying defence equipment from India including spares for Russian built MiG series combat aircraft. ...more Indian curry can be as LONDON, Oct 25: Indian curry which has emerged as the national dish in Britain, can be as addictive as sex, according to a new scientific study. .......more Dhaka not to DHAKA, Oct 25: Bangladesh today said it will not allow any terrorist activity against India from its soil and denied that insurgent outfits from Northeast were operating from its territory....more |
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Pak
seeks to draw parallel line between DUBAI, Oct 25: Pakistan has sought to draw a parallel line between the Palestinians and the Kashmiris, saying there were many similarities in the "heroic struggle" being carried out by them and reiterated that Islamabad would continue to provide moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiris. Speaking to reporters in Teheran, Pakistani Ambassador to Iran Javid Husain used harsh words against India, saying "the Palestinians are victims of state terrorism just as the Kashmiris are being subjected to brutal state terrorism by India". He said the Kashmiris were being branded as terrorists by India to divert international attention from "its brutal repression of the Kashmiri people and denial of their right to self-determination". Accusing India of launching a "vicious propaganda campaign" against Islamabad, Mr Husain said New Delhi must be persuaded by the international community to give up its "obstinate and belligerent attitude" and address the Kashmir issue in a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with Pakistan. The Pakistani envoy said Islamabad believes that the Kashmir issue could be resolved through peaceful means. However, he alleged that India was trying to achieve a military solution to the issue by terrorising the people of Kashmir, according to IRNA. Mr Husain said Pakistan’s military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf, immediately after taking over in October last year, took a bold step by withdrawing Pakistani forces from the international border with India and proposed an unconditional dialogue with New Delhi "any time, anywhere and at any level". However, India had not responded favourably to his offer. (UNI) |
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Chechans
demanding end to ghastly MOSCOW, Oct 25: Angry at killing of their kith and kin by Islamic fundamentalists, Chechens have taken to the streets demanding justice and an end to these ghastly cold-blooded murders. Last week hundreds of Chechens demonstrated in the city against the militants who killed over two dozen people by using a car bomb near the Government headquarters. The rebels however denied their involvement in the killing through their mouthpiece Kavkaz Centre and instead claimed that those killed were Russian forces. Sleuths of the Chechen security services have found that a prominent rebel leader Ramazan Ahmedov was behind the killing. Ahmedov is a key lieutenant of rebel warlord Shamil Basayev who is continuing his fight against Russian troops. Chechen gunmen have occasionally vented their ire on the local population for refusing to withdraw their wards from Government schools. The lay boobytraps in the vicinity of these institutions to justify their demand. Such killings were igniting contempt among the local populace for the militants who now volunteer to hand over captured rebels to the police, according to an official spokesman of the Moscow-backed Chechen Government. (UNI) |
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Gore committed to deepening relations with India WASHINGTON, Oct 25: Vice President Al Gore, the democratic party’s nominee for the upcoming US Presidential elections, will be committed to broadening and deepening ties with India, particularly on the economic front, his campaign adviser has said. "The Vice President believes in strong relations with the Government of India. In fact, when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was here recently, they had very cordial relationship not only on issues of national security....But also on new economy issues," Ernest J Wilson, Director of the Centre for International Development and Conflict Management, told PTI. The differences on the issue of nuclear proliferation and other security issues are likely to remain but these will not hinder the "development of broader and deeper relations" between the two countries if Gore is elected to the top post, he said. He said the Vice President’s National Security Adviser Leon Fuerth spoke to several groups of American-Indian businessmen on the importance of the US in the information technology sector in India. Referring to the significant role Indian computer professionals played in the Silicon Valley, he said that in the near future, India would emerge as a major economic power in the world. He, however, refused to answer a question on Bush’s claim that if elected he would lift all remaining post-Pokhran sanctions against India. Bush had also said that he would not insist on India being a signatory to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Gore, however, will remain committed to the issues of nuclear non-proliferation and ratification of CTBT, Wilson said while speaking at the foreign press centre of the Asia yesterday. (PTI) |
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Algeria considering buying defence equipment from India ALGIERS, Oct 25: Algeria is considering buying defence equipment from India including spares for Russian built MiG series combat aircraft. Defence cooperation between New Delhi and Algiers figured during the talks External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had with the Algerian leadership during his three-day visit here. Algiers has been exploring various options for purchasing spares for its MiG series aircraft and buying helicopters, vehicles, night vision devices and communication equipment, officials here said today. It has also been looking for a partner for refurbishing its two kilo class submarines. Singh told reporters that the two sides discussed training of personnel of the armed forces but did not elaborate. In February 1992, Algeria had signed its first-ever defence contract with India worth Rs 10 crore. In 1993-94, India exported Rs 66 crore of defence supplies. Bharatone had accounted for nearly half of the defence exports and had set up for this country a mobile troposcatter for military communication. Other companies which had contributed to defence exports included TATA defence material, Crown Corporation and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Singh concluded his visit by calling on Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. During the visit, the first by an Indian Foreign Minister in the last 15 years, Singh held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Ali Benelis and Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem. In a bid to boost bilateral economic and trade ties, India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Algeria’s oil company sonatrach have decided to sign one billion US dollar deal later this month for joint exploration of 84 oil wells in Iraq. Officials said ONGC and Sonatrach have been working on the key deal which was being given final shape. The issue figured during talks Singh had with Algerian Secretary General for Energy Nurredin Charwati. Indo-Algerian trade, which stood at 29 million USD last year, is likely to get a fresh boost with Videocon group setting up a colour television assembly line here to produce 50,000 sets every year. The venture could fetch 12.5 million usd per annum. Car major Maruti has also entered into a deal to export 1200 800 cc vehicles to Algeria. Another 600 Santros and 760 Accent cars manufactured in India by Hyundai have also been sold to Algeria. India, which has a positive balance of five million USD in trade, has been exporting to Algeria coffee, machinery and instruments, synthetic fabrics and handicrafts. Imports from algeria to India include non-ferrous metals, iron and steel and organic and inorganic chemicals. Algeria also supported New Delhi’s position that Pakistan-backed cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir must end and aspirations of the people for peace and normalcy be met. "Algiers believes that the Kashmir issue should be addressed bilaterally between India and Pakistan and terrorism there must end and the aspirations of the people for peace and normalcy must be met," Singh said. Algeria, a member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Arab League, has steadfastly shared New Delhi’s concerns over Islamabad’s persistent attempts at internationalising the Kashmir issue and has frequently spoken against Pakistan-sponsored resolutions on the issue at OIC. It has also at times given written reservations of them. On violence in Gaza Strip and other areas in West Asia, both India and Algeria have called for immediate restoration of peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Asserting that New Delhi stood for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Singh said "all provocative acts" must stop to allow calm to return in West Asia. (PTI) |
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Indian curry can be as addictive as sex: study LONDON, Oct 25: Indian curry which has emerged as the national dish in Britain, can be as addictive as sex, according to a new scientific study. Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have found that curry that provokes physiological symptoms typical of some addictive experience. Eating curry, they say, raises the heartbeat and blood pressure. The result is that curryholics’ bodies crave the food, and can gain satisfaction even from mere anticipation of an Indian meal. Professor Stephen Gray, who led the research, said "it is like sex on a plate. What we are seeing is physiological and psychological effects combining to create an addiction. Eating a curry gives you a natural ‘high’ much more powerful than anything you get with traditional British foods. Our bodies physically crave curry in a way they do not seem to with other dishes." So arousing, in fact, that Professor Gray thinks "anticipation can be as good as the product itself. That suggests that this is more like an addiction to something like sex than to a narcotic. You need to take the drug." In the study, the effects of korma, tikka masala and rogan josh sauces were compared to those of a control meal of fish and chips. All three curries led to increases in blood pressure and heart rate, but rogan josh— the hottest curry tested— had the most marked effect and was deemed by the researchers to be the most addictive. In the tests, heart rates among those consuming fish and chips were raised by 3.2 beats per minute, but those scoffing tikka masala registered a heart rate of 4.4 beats. Korma led to a rise of 4.9 beats a minute but rogan josh triggered up to an extra 6.7 beats. "The assumption is that the ingredients in curries are addictive," the report says, "but the implicit reasons for liking the taste may be more concerned with a ‘natural high’. In terms of both human physiolocal reaction and the effect curry has on pain receptors in the tongue, it is indeed an arousing experience."(PTI) |
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Dhaka not to allow anti-India activities from B’desh DHAKA, Oct 25: Bangladesh today said it will not allow any terrorist activity against India from its soil and denied that insurgent outfits from Northeast were operating from its territory. "Bangladesh Border Guards are keeping constant vigil so that militants do not cross over to Bangladesh to carry out activities against India," Director-General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Maj Gen A L M Fazlur Rahman told reporters after holding four days of talks with an Indian delegation. Border Security Force (BSF) Director General E N Rammohan headed the Indian team during the discussions also attended by officials of and external affairs. Rahman said the BDR had so far not traced on its territory any camp belonging to insurgent groups of Northeast. A BSF official told PTI that the Indian side had handed over to Bangladeshi officials a list of over 30 miltants’ camps, including those of ULFA, where where anti-India activities were carried. But the BDR chief said the security forces could not trace any such camp functioing in Bangladesh. "Our forces launched several combing operations to verify the allegation but there is, however, no trace of such militants operating from our territory," he said. (PTI) |
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