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Bin Laden fighters plan anti-US attack: Report LONDON, June 24: Followers of exiled Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden are planning a major attack on US and Israeli interests in the next two...more Trade
issues to figure ISLAMABAD, June 24: Apart from Kashmir, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would be...more US
using "India card" BEIJING, June 24: With improvement in Indo-US ties, China’s official media has launched a sustained barrage against ...more Zing
returns to KATHMANDU, June 24: The zing has returned to nightlife and the entertainment industry is back with a bang in Nepal as the....more |
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Pakistani migrants SODHA CAMP (BHUJ), June 24: Whenever their existence was threatened, they re-emerged like the phoenix. ....more
Musharraf may reshuffle cabinet after summit ISLAMABAD, June 24: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may reshuffle his cabinet and bring about important changes in the administrative ......more Premji,
Tejpal, Mittal are NEW YORK, June 24: Five Indians, including software giant Wipro’s chief Azim Premji and Editor-in-Chief of tehelka.Com Tarun Tejpal, are among 50......more Britain
to recruit LONDON, June 24: In order to meet an acute shortage of teachers, Britain plans to recruit about 1,000 teachers from .......more |
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Bin Laden fighters plan anti-US attack: Report LONDON, June 24: Followers of exiled Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden are planning a major attack on US and Israeli interests in the next two weeks, the Arabic satellite television channel MBC reported. The station, monitored by the BBC, broadcast a report yesterday from a correspondent in the Pakistani town of Quetta, who said he had met Bin Laden two days ago in Afghanistan. "There is a major state of mobilisation among the Osama Bin Laden forces. It seems that there is a race of who will strike first. Will it be the United States or Osama Bin Laden?" the correspondent said. US officials said on Friday that forces in the Gulf had been put on threat condition delta based on a non-specific but credible threat linked to Bin Laden. The MBC Correspondent said he had met Bin Laden at an unspecified location some three hours’ drive from the Afghan city of Kandahar. He had also talked with some of Bin Laden’s followers. "All of them affirm that the next two weeks will witness a big surprise. A severe blow is expected against US and Israeli interests worldwide," the reporter said. US warships in Bahrain, headquarters of the US 5th fleet, had been ordered to sea and a US marine corps training exercise in Jordan was being cut short. Commander Jeff Gradeck, spokesman for the US naval force in Bahrain, yesterday declined to comment on military movements or security measures. A high level of alert requires base guards and troops as well as families of service personnel to carefully watch for any threatening or unusual activities. In worst-case scenarios, US warships leave their bases and put out to sea and troops are confined to bases. NBC television reported on Friday there had been at least three threats of attacks on US forces in the Gulf on June 25, the fifth anniversary of the 1996 bombing of the Khobar towers bombing, which killed 19 US servicemen. (REUTERS) |
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Trade issues to figure at Indo-Pak summit ISLAMABAD, June 24: Apart from Kashmir, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would be discussing scores of other issues at the coming India-Pakistan summit to pave the way for better ties between the two countries. Among the number of vital issues likely to be discussed are according of MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status to India in trade, the Iran gas pipeline to be laid through Pakistan to India and transit trade facilities sought by India through Pakistan for trade with central Asian countries. Release of prisoners between the two countries, expansion of trade including import of Indian machinery and auto parts and reopening of consulate offices at Bombay and Karachi for the convenience of the people of the two countries may also figure in the talks. Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan V K Nambiar, who returned here from Delhi after consultations, met Commerce Minister Razzak Dawood here yesterday. Mr Nambiar was briefed by the Commerce Ministry on the trade related issues which may be discussed at the India-Pakistan summit. On laying of the Iran gas pipeline through Pakistan, Pakistani authorities, including the president and the Interior Minister, have assured all protection. It is now left to India to avail of the facility. During this meeting, Mr Nambiar impressed upon the Pakistani minister that the two countries should take up trade related issues jointly at the coming WTO conference in Doha in September. He said it was in the interest of both countries to sit together and take up all the issues and problems being faced by them in the international trade regime. The July 14-16 summit, in all probability, will not be the final one. Depending on the progress, the two leaders will hold another round of talks, this time in Pakistan. The venue and date will be decided before the conclusion of the Delhi summit. (UNI) |
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US using "India card" to contain China: Media BEIJING, June 24: With improvement in Indo-US ties, China’s official media has launched a sustained barrage against US charging it with using India to ‘contain’ China at a time when Sino-US relations have nose-dived in the aftermath of the recent American spy plane incident. "It is noticeable that the abrupt warming in Indo-US relations occurred just as a series of difficulties, including human rights conflicts and US arms sales to Taiwan, emerged in Sino-US relations," the official `Outlook’ magazine commented. The Chinese official media has taken note of the fact that US President George W Bush went out of the way to meet with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh at the White House in April, when Washington’s ties with Beijing were severely strained over the US spy plane issue. "It is more than coincidental that the `unexpected meeting’ President Bush initiated with Singh at the White House occurred not long after the mid-air plane collision off Hainan island, and at a time when China has protesting against the rude and unreasonable US attitude," the outlook said. It said while the US announced resumption of military exchanges with India, the Pentagon has declared it would examine US-China military exchanges on a case-by-case basis. Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, said the growing Indo-US ties would be conducive to regional peace and stabilty. "We hope that the development of US-India bilateral relations would be conducive for peace, stability and development in the region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhang Qiyue said when asked to comment on Beijing’s stance on the improvement in relations between New Delhi and Washington. He did not react when asked to comment on the views expressed by the official Chinese media. "It is the United States that has been actively promoting Indo-US ties," a recent article in the `Outlook’ said adding "the carrot the us is offering to India is attractive, so no wonder India is tempted to move closer and closer to the us." In order to rope in India, the US first catered to India’s "psychological desire to be seen as a world power rather than a second-rate country," it said. The magazine said the US "sacrificed" relations with Pakistan to Pander India, despite breaking the strategic balance in South Asia. Referring to the Bush administration not sending its emissary to Islamabad to consult on the national missile defence system while US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visited India, it said "this was something the Bush administration’s predecessors, including the Clinton administration, had not and would not have done." Further, the article said that the Bush administration has no desire to get involved in the Kashmir conflict, and regards the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) as "waste paper" because of its desire to develop NMD. Thus, the two obstacles - india refusing to sign the ctbt and the Kashmir conflict - which blocked the development of Indo-US relations have been preliminarily cleared by the Bush administration, it said. It also noted that US Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary and Defence Secretary have once again proposed lifting economic sanctions against India which were imposed after the 1998 nuclear tests. Another ‘device’ to induce India to side with the US is the resumption of US-Indian military exchanges, which had been suspended since 1998. Referring to India welcoming Bush’s proposed security framework, the article says that New Delhi’s favourable reaction was timely, saving the NMD plan from embarrassment. The article ends by quoting Indian media reports which urged the Government "not to fall into a trap set by the United States" and that "Indo-US relations should not come at the expense of Sino-Indian relations." (PTI) |
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Zing returns to Nepal’s nightlife KATHMANDU, June 24: The zing has returned to nightlife and the entertainment industry is back with a bang in Nepal as the Himalayan Kingdom opens a new chapter in its history after a fortnight of mourning and monetary losses. The spark in the capital’s upmarket areas such as Durbar Marg and Thamel, which had vanished in the wake of the June one palace massacre and subsequent violence, is visible again as couples dance away through the night at the gaily decorated discos and cars whizz past blaring hard rock. The lively restaurants, joints, discos and pubs remain open till the wee hours and parking lots are filled to capacity. Cigarette vendors, who used to down their shutters by 1930 hours fearing violence, now keep their shops open till late in the night. "The crowds, which had thinned considerably during the crisis, are returning," said Iros Bajracharya of the popular nanglo pub and cafe on kingsway (Durbar Marg). The casinos, which wore a deserted look till last week, too have reported good business, though there is a visible decline in the number of Indian tourists. Serpentine queues can be seen outside cinema halls screening Hindi and Nepali films and casette shops too are filled with music lovers. The popular Gopi Krishna hall alone faced a loss of nearly Rs two milliion during the mourning period. The half-a-dozen odd private fm stations in Kathmandu, which had been broadcasting devotional music and patriotic songs during the state mourning till last Saturday, too have begun to air melodious popular numbers. A ban was imposed on the entertainment sector for 13 days after the massacre of King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and other royals. The private radio stations, which are engaged in cut throat competition and are solely dependent on advertisements for their income, not only lost much of their audiences during the mourning but also lakhs of rupees in revenue. Some popular stations, according to media reports, lost as much as Rs one million over the two-week period. "We had to face loss of lakhs of rupees," said Bharat Shakya of Kath 97.9. He, however, added, "at a time when the entire country is deep in sorrow, money does not matter." Cable operators, who had suspended telecast of popular entertainment channels, mostly Indian, now air all channels, providing relief to the millions, who had only news and devotional music to watch and hear for a fortnight. "For a few days it was okay, but then the boredom was too much," said Krishna Thapa, who runs a cyber cafe in Thamel. However, as they turn a new chapter in national life, nepalese have little time to rue over their monetary losses. "We lost our king and other royals who were much greater, but then life has to move on," said Nabin Gurung, an usherer in a movie theatre. (PTI) |
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Pakistani migrants resurrect from nature’s quake fury SODHA CAMP (BHUJ), June 24: Whenever their existence was threatened, they re-emerged like the phoenix. These 300 families of Pakistani Hindus of the Sodha Rajput community, who migrated to India after the 1972 war and settled in Sodha camp at Jura village, about 30 km from Bhuj, have almost resurrected themselves since the massive earthquake that devastated Kutch district of Gujarat on January 26 this year. The disaster had left them in a similar predicament as in 1972 when they were brought here by Brigadier Bhavani Singh as refugees as a quid pro quo for their help to the Indian Army. These Rajpts had sheltered the soldiers and supplied them with food before the actual war broke out. The earthquake had razed their houses to the ground, forcing them out of their modern dwellings, making them return to their traditional houses, "Bhoongas", says Daduji Halaji Sodha, a local community leader. Mr Sodha said the camp at Jura was now being reconstructed by making one bhoonga for each family at a cost of Rs 2,500 each with the help of Vibhas Trust, headed by Ms Urvashi Devi, a Congress MLA and former princess of the erstwhile state of Baria. These families were mainly earning their livelihood through their traditional, well known Kutchchi arts of embroidery, crafts and farming. Recalling the 1972 scenario, Mr Sodha said, his community had expected that the Tharparkar district of Sindh province of Pakistan would merge with India. The "Simla agreement" between the two countries, however, left no choice for about 105 families of the Sodha Rajputs but to migrate to India with the help of the then Brigadier Bhavani Singh." He said, between 1972 and 1974, they camped here under tight security of local police with no outside contact. However, they were later allowed to move anywhere within Indian territory. In 1979, they were given Indian citizenship and 10 acre of land per family by the Government as compensation. Originally their ancestors had migrated from Ujjain to Sindh about 400 years ago, he added. (UNI) |
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Musharraf may reshuffle cabinet after summit ISLAMABAD, June 24: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may reshuffle his cabinet and bring about important changes in the administrative machinery of the country after he returns from the New Delhi summit. According to a reoport, the President will appoint four corps commanders in the country as the Governors of the provinces. These Governors may also become the members of the National Security Council. The Council will also include the President, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Force and Navy. The other members of the National Security Council will include Finance Minister, Defence Minister, and Minister of Interior. (UNI) |
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Premji, Tejpal, Mittal are Businessweek’s ‘Stars of Asia’ NEW YORK, June 24: Five Indians, including software giant Wipro’s chief Azim Premji and Editor-in-Chief of tehelka.Com Tarun Tejpal, are among 50 ‘Stars of Asia’ chosen by the Asian edition of prestigious magazine ‘Businessweek’. Also among the stars who made differences in their respective countries, are Chief Executive Officer of Cipla, Yusuf Hamid, Chief Executive Officer of Bharati Enterprises, Sunil Mittal, and Anil Gupta, Professor at the Indian Institute of Management. Premji, Hamid and Mittal find spot among entrepreneurs, and Tejpal and Gupta in the opinion shapers category. No Indian makes to innovators, managers, financiers and policy makers categories. The pack in policy makers category is led by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Overall, Japan accounts for the maximum stars, 15. South Korea has seven, China six, Taiwan four, Hong Kong and Thailand three each, Singapore and Indonesia two each and the Philippines, Bangladesh and Malaysia one each. From Bangladesh, Managing Director of Grameen Trust H I Latifee finds the coveted place among financiers and Editor-in-Chief of Malaysiakini Steve Gan is the opinion maker from Malaysia to get the spot. (PTI) |
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Britain to recruit 1,000 Indian teachers LONDON, June 24: In order to meet an acute shortage of teachers, Britain plans to recruit about 1,000 teachers from India for the classes commencing in September next. Besides India, Britain is also targeting teachers from China for the first time. According to the national association of head teachers, the number of vacant posts could soon reach 40,000. Unless vacancies are filled in the coming weeks, some schools could be forced to move to a four-day week when the term starts in September. "This is going to be a very big market" Alijan Rajan, vice president of Vira International, a recruitment agency in India told the Sunday Times. The agency has already received more than 1,000 applications after advertising vacancies for British schools. "There are 600 vacancies that need to be filled immediately, particularly for maths and science teachers. We have excellent teachers in those fields and they are very keen to move abroad," a spokesman of the agency said. Lisa Gilbert of New Choice Education, a London recruitment agency that plans to bring in 200 teachers from India, said recruits would be fully briefed about "low disciplinary standards of many British classrooms" before being accepted to fill positions. They know things are different compared with India and we will be completely honest about this and tell them they will have to adapt," she said. "These teachers are very talented and experienced and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be offering them opportunities to come and work in Britain," said Paul Regan, head teacher of Kingsford Community Schoold in East London, which has already recruited one Indian science teacher and hopes to bring over others. In April, the Government doubled the time limit that foreign teachers could work in British schools to four years, and removed a rule preventing them from working in the same school for more than four months at a time. China is also being targeted, with the first of 23 Chinese teachers due to arrive at an East London school this week. (PTI) |
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