Explorers rediscover Inca city near Machu Picchu

LONDON, Nov 7: An Anglo-American team of explorers have found an Inca city lost for centuries in the Peruvian jungles despite being within sight of the key religious centre at Machu Picchu.

Using infra-red aerial photography to penetrate the forest Canopy, the team led by Briton Hugh Thomson and American Gary Zeigler located the ruins at Llactapata 80 Km northwest of the ancient Inca capital Cusco.

"This is a very important discovery. It is very close to Machu Picchu and aligned with it. This adds significantly to our knowledge about Machu Picchu," Thomson told yesterday. "Llactapata adds to its significance."

The site was first mentioned by explorer Hiram Bingham, the discoverer of Machu Picchu, in 1912. But he was very vague about its location, and the ruins have lain undisturbed ever since.

After locating the city from the air the expedition, which only last year found another lost Inca town at Cota Coca some 60 miles west of Cusco, used machetes to hack through the jungle to reach it, 9,000 feet up the side of a mountain.

They found stone buildings including a solar temple and houses covering several square kilometres in the same alignment with the Pleiades and the June Solstice sunrise as Machu Picchu, which was a sacred centre.

"This gives the site great ritual importance," Thomson said.

Not only was Llactapata probably a ceremonial site in its own right, excavations suggested that it might also have acted as a granary and dormitory for its sacred neighbour, he added.

The Incas abandoned their towns and cities and retreated from the treasure-hunting Spanish invaders after the conquistadors captured and executed the last Inca leader Tupac Amaru in 1572.

Some of the cities have since been rediscovered, but many more are believed to lie hidden in the dense jungle, almost impossible to detect without new technology or a chance encounter.

"The fact that we have found two in two years means there could be many more out there," Thomson said.

He said the use for the first time of an infra-red camera to locate a set of ruins from the air had been a breakthrough, but one that did not make the humble Machete redundant.

"It makes wielding the machete slightly more purposeful — at least you know where you are going and that there is something definitely in front of you — but it certainly won’t put it out of business," Thomson said. (AGENCIES)

Uzbekistan keen on close defence ties with India

TASHKENT, Nov 7: Uzbekistan is keen on close defence cooperation with India in combating the common threat of terrorism faced by the two nations, Uzbek Defence Minister Kodir Gulomov told visiting External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha during their meeting today.

Gulomov has expressed Tashkent’s ‘Keen Desire’ to expand a defence relationship with New Delhi, sources said adding he told Sinha that due to a common terror-threat, defence relationship between the two countries ‘must’ be expanded to include joint wargames and counter-terror exercises to induct new techniques and technologies.

Uzbekistan is also for closer R&D in defence related projects.

In the course of his three-day visit Sinha visited the local aircraft plant currently completing Indian Air Force’s order for the supply of 6 Ilyushin mid-air refuellers for the Russian made Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighter jets.

Tashkent aircraft plant, a major producer of Ilyushin designed heavy transport aircraft is also likely to supply Il-76 aircraft for mounting phalcon awacs systems being acquired by India from Israel.

Sinha arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day official visit and had hectic parleys on a wide range of bilateral and international issues including global anti-terror campaign and Afghanistan with Uzbek Prime Minister Utkyr Sultanov and Foreign Minister Sadiq Safayev.

Uzbek leaders reiterated their desire to develop strategic partnership with India covering all the spheres of human activities.

Later today Sinha is calling on President Islam Karimov and address a joint press conference with his Uzbek counterpart. (PTI)

Pak trying to "vilify and denigrate" institutions of democracy

UNITED NATION, Nov 7: India has told Pakistan that Islamabad cannot hope to pursue the policy of "enlightened moderation" without first demonstrating that a polity where the armed forces control civilians, rather than vice versa as in a democracy, is capable of even "moderate enlightenment" when dealing with serious social and human rights issues.

Sharply criticising Pakistan for trying to "vilify and denigrate" the institutions of democratic governance in India, its delegate Mukta D Tomar told a UN committee that no different behaviour could have been expected from those whose "experience and tradition" are so alien to democratic spirit and who have been making every effort to "disparage and defame" democracy, democratic traditions and institutions, "particularly of a successful democracy."

"After all, the generic make-up of military regimes with its characteristic whimsicality and lack of accountability and bent on self perpetuation would admit nothing better," said Tomar, counselor at the Indian Mission to the United Nations.

Those who observe and study society in Pakistan would have much to tell about sectarian violence and constitutional sanction for discrimination against minorities which even extend many Muslim sects, Tomar said.

Participating in the discussion on "elimination of racism and racial discrimination" and "rights of people to self-determination," tomar rejected the statement of the special rapporteur expressing concern at the "adoption by some countries of legislation which violate human rights on the pretext of combating terrorism."

In some countries where thousands of lives have been lost because of terrorist attacks, combating the scourge is not "pretext" but a reality of life, she said.

"It is a prerequisite necessary for protecting human rights, principally right to life, of its entire people," she told the delegates.

At a time when global technological advancements provide terrorists an edge, and the international nature of terrorism is amply evident, special care must be taken to ensure that the global efforts at combating terrorism are not undermined by those who seek to protect the human rights of only the terrorists, and not of the victims of their heinous crimes," she asserted. (PTI)

Louisiana Governorship race tight; Jindal likely to win, polls

WASHINGTON, Nov 7: Polls have indicated that the two Louisiana Gubernatorial candidates, including Indian American republican candidate Bobby Jindal are in a neck-and-neck battle for the November 15 elections but democrat Kathleen Blanco was fast losing ground to Jindal.

Jindal and Blanco are in a tight race, a new orleans newspaper times-Picayune reported quoting surveys.

Jindal leads with 44 per cent to Blanco’s 40 per cent among likely voters polled by the survey research center at the University of New Orleans (UNO), but those numbers represent a statistical tie considering the possible margin of error in the poll.

Blanco leads with 39 percent to Jindal’s 38 per cent among registered voters in a poll by Loyola university political scientist Ed Renwick for WWL-TV. That measure includes how voters are "leaning" in the race in the new Orleans area. Jindal leads with 41 per cent to Blanco’s 32 per cent.

"It’s going to be a battle, right down to election night and I think Jindal’s vote is more likely to turn out," Renwick said.

"This race is going to be a close race, like we’ve always said," Jindal’s spokesman Trey Williams said. "In the last days of this race the undecided is going to come our way, because we are rady for a change in Louisiana.

The UNO poll surveyed 731 registered voters from October 25 to November 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 points. It showed Jindal with 44 per cent and Blanco with 42 per cent and 15 per cent undecided. The Renwick poll surveyed 800 registered voters from October 29 to November 3 and has an error of margin of 4.1 per cent.

In the new Orleans area, Jindal leads with 41 per cent to Blanco’s 32 per cent. But for a republican Jindal polled better that normal among black voters, with 17 per cent, Howell was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"When both candidates are conservative, voters have to make a decision on something else, such as who is the more aggressive reformer," she said.

Also, if the turnout is low like in the primary, "I don’t see how she can win," Howell said, indicating that Jindal would have an easier time if the turnout is low. (PTI)

S Lanka emergency never in place: President Aide

COLOMBO, Nov 7: A state of emergency that Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared this week was never legally put in place and therefore was never in force, an Aide to the President said today.

"The emergency was never gazetted and was never put in place," Eerice Fernando, a Presidential Media Adviser, told .

But the President has issued a separate order giving the Army, Navy and Air Force greater powers, according to a Government notice.

Kumaratunga called "on all members of the armed forces...For the maintenance of public order," said an official gazette notice seen . (AGENCIES)

S Lanka President to speak on state of emergency

COLOMBO, Nov 7: Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga was expected to speak about a state of emergency in a nationwide address today, her Aides said, adding to confusion over whether the emergency would be lifted.

"We don’t know," Janadasa Peiris, the Director-General of the President’s Media Division, said when asked if the emergency had been lifted.

"The President will make a statement at noon," he said.

The confusion arose after the state printer said the state of emergency, which was declared on Wednesday, would not be gazetted, or published.

"They have withdrawn the gazette. There is no emergency," said Government printer Neville Nanayakkara. (AGENCIES)

Father accused of making daughter lick the floor of flat

SINGAPORE, Nov 7: A father accused of making his teenage daughter repeatedly lick the floor of their Singapore flat faces 21 counts of child abuse, news reports said today.

The other charges include beating the girl with a plastic pipe, thrashing her with a belt, punching her in the face and arm and banging her head against a door, the Straits Times said.

The 50-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, denied yesterday the charge of making her lick the floor, but pleaded guilty to physically abusing her.

A pretrial conference was scheduled for November 26.

He faces seven charges under the children and young persons act, each of which carries a five-year jail term. Another 14 charges of voluntarily causing hurt carry a one-year term.

It is understood the girl reported her father to the police. (DPA)

US Court halts release of the definitive elvis

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 7: A US appeals Court brought down the curtain on a film documentary about singer Elvis Presley, saying it made improper use of copyrighted film, photo and musical material.

"The king is dead," 9th circuit Court of appeals judge Richard Tallman wrote in the decision yesterday. "His legacy, and those who wish to profit from it, remain very much alive."

The case centered on a video called "the definitive elvis" a 16-hour documentary that retailed for 99 dollars after costing passport video more than 2 million dollars to make.

Elvis Presley enterprises, entities that owned the rights to various Presley television appearances and Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who wrote the hits "Jailhouse rock" and "Hound Dog", objected to the documentary’s use of their material.

The 9th circuit upheld a lower Court decision blocking the further distribution of the video.

"It would be impossible to produce a biography of Elvis without showing some of his most famous television appearances for reference purposes," the Court wrote.

"But some of the clips are played without much interruption, if any. The purpose of showing these clips likely goes beyond merely making a reference for a biography, but instead serves the same intrinsic entertainment value that is protected by plaintiff’s copyrights."

In a dissent from the three-Judge ruling, Judge John Noonan wrote the Court did not properly take into account the public interest in the Presley Biography and called the decision "a miscarriage of justice." (AGENCIES)

Israeli troops kill 2 Palestinians - witnesses

GAZA, Nov 7: Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the Gaza strip today, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.

One Palestinian was killed when Israeli troops battled Palestinian gunmen on the outskirts of the Maghazi refugee camp, the witnesses said.

The second was killed near Israel’s boundary with Gaza after five mortar shells were fired at Jewish settlements in the strip. No one was hurt in the mortar attack.

In the incident near Israel’s boundary with Gaza, a military source said soldiers fired at a group of Palestinians acting suspiciously in an off-limits area. Palestinian medics said eight Palestinians, some of them gunmen, were wounded and one was killed.

In the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, Mosque loudspeakers called on militants living in the area to face the Israeli troops, witnesses said. They said the Israeli soldiers called in tanks and helicopters.

Military sources said soldiers opened fire on two gunmen leaving the refugee camp who they suspected of planning an attack on a nearby Jewish settlement.

Last month, a Palestinian gunman infiltrated a Jewish settlement in the Gaza strip and shot and killed three soldiers. (AGENCIES)

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