|
|
| Indian Parliamentarians’ impression has to change: Somnath LONDON, Dec 26: Asserting that Indian Parliamentarians’ impression of being unruly has......more Crucial
talks on Kashmir ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will begin two-day ‘crucial’ talks on Kashmir, peace....more 100
injured after BANGKOK, Dec 26: At last 100 people were injured after a Tsunami triggered by an earthquake....more Death toll
hits COLOMBO, Dec 26: At least 150 people were killed after a Tsunamai triggered by an earthquake off the Andaman...more |
|
Nine killed in flash flood after quake hit Indonesia BANGKOK, Dec 26: At least nine people were killed today in a flash flood in Indonesia’s northwestern province of...more Nepal
mourns KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Nepal mourned the death of former Indian Prime Minister P V Narsimha Rao by placing the...more Iran
mourns anniversary BAN, IRAN, Dec 26: Mourning Iranians have flocked to the southeastern city of Bam in recent days to mark the first....more Strong
quake hits CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH, Dec 26: An earthquake, measuring 7.36 on the richter scale, shook Bangladesh’s.......more |
 |
||
|
Indian Parliamentarians’
impression has LONDON, Dec 26: Asserting that Indian Parliamentarians’ impression of being unruly has to change, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has said he would not hesitate to take action against the erring members. "Let me make it clear that if MPs think the Speaker is not taking any harsh measures, they would get away with anything, this can’t go on," the Speaker said in an interview to BBC last night. "Today look at the impression about us, the Parliamentarians- the main criticism we face is that, despite so much of public money being spent on us, we fight, create unruly scenes and do not work. This is not good, and does not send a positive signal for the people of the country," he said. "Why I am saying this is because the enlightened citizens of the country, who want to see meaningful debate in the highest forum of our Parliamentary democracy feel disappointed, when they see the unruly scenes in Parliament and are losing interest in politics altogether." Asked whether he planned to bring about a Model Code of Conduct in the House in consultation with all parties, the Speaker said there were already a lot of Code of Conducts and it was all about adhering to the existing codes. "If one thinks that by bringing a fresh Model of Code of Conduct for the MPs, the Parliament would start functioning, it would not be so," he added. Citing an example, the Speaker said fresh rules were made in recent past which said that if a member rushed to the well of the House, there would be automatic suspension but such rules could never be implemented in real practice. "At the same time, let me make it clear, that if MPs think the Speaker is not taking any harsh measures, they would get away with anything, this also can’t go on," he cautioned. Chatterjee wanted all members, including himself, to spend time together. "We should ourselves decide what is the best way to run the House properly." "I have been sitting with leaders of all political parties on this. I say please advice me on how to run Parliament, in which people of the country have reposed so much faith." Asked whether his "misunderstanding" with the opposition alliance, the NDA during the winter session, had been sorted out, Chatterjee, who has 34 years of Parliamentary experience, said, "I have no differences with them. I have not said anything against anyone. When I am sitting on the chair, I do not differentiate between party A and B." "I really value and respect the opposition benches of the House. In fact they are the most important component of the House. It is their right to raise important issues concerning the people of the country, and they are given proper chance to raise the issues in the House." To a specific question whether a Speaker belonging to a particular political party could be impartial, Chatterjee said he had never seen during his tenure in Parliament any Speaker functioning in a partisan manner. (PTI) |
|
Crucial talks on Kashmir and security begin today ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will begin two-day ‘crucial’ talks on Kashmir, peace and security and Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) here tomorrow along with a thorough review of the year-long peace process and finalisation of the calendar of meetings on the issues of composite dialogue agenda. Foreign Secretary Sharan will lead the Indian delegation and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokar will lead his country’s delegation in what is termed as the "most important phase" of formal talks between New Delhi and Islamabad. The Indian Foreign Secrertary arrived in Lahore yesterday from where he went to Peshawar for an overnight stay and daylong meetings with local leaders today. He will reach here this evening to participate in the talks beginning tomorrow morning. On the first day of talks, both sides would deliberate upon the main agenda items, Kashmir as well as peace and security and the CBMs. They would also have a thorough review of the recently concluded round of expert level meetings on nuclear cbms, the proposed bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad across the LoC and the Khokrapar-Monabao rail service. These meetings earlier remained inconclusive due to certain differences of opinions on the part of both sides. Official sourcess said the two Foreign Secretaries would endeavour to remove these differences such as those on travel documents for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and formal agreement on pre-notification of missile tests by the two sides. Another important issue likely to be discussed by the two foreign secretaries is the issue of hundreds of detained fishermen. New Delhi and Islamabad had held talks between their maritime agencies early this month to sign an MoU of cooperation that includes the creation of a hotline and steps to release fishermen who stray into each others’ waters. However, an MoU could not be finalised. Another issue that would come up for discussion would be the reopening of Karachi and Mumbai consulates. India on its part had shown some five properties in Mumbai to Pakistani authorities to select one for the consulate building. Once Pakistan indicates its choice of site, things could move well, a senior offcial said. On the second day of talks, Mr Saran and Mr Khokar will try to fix a schedule for the second round of meetings on six other main items on the composite dialogue agenda, including Siachen, Wullar Barrage, Sir Creek, narcotics and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation, and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields. The first round of talks on all these issues and the Kashmir problem, held in the middle of this year, have been inconclusive. Diplomatic circles pointed out that some more ‘flexibility’ was needed from both the sides and otherwise no concrete progress was likey. The Indian Foreign Secretary on arrival at Lahore yesterday has already indicated that both sides would have to demonstrate flexibility for getting positive results and would have to make more efforts in building mutual confidence. Dismissing suggestions that no tangible progress had been made in the peace talks during the last year, Mr Saran said, "considerable progress on many issues has been made." "Kashmir is a complicate issue and building of confidence measures is a must. And therefore, both the countries will have to show flexibility in order to solve all the disputes, including Kashmir", he said. As far as India is concerned, he said, "we have shown much flexibility. Recently, India reduced troops in Kashmir and besides, we are also making efforts to bring Kashmiris on both sides close to each other." (UNI) |
|
100 injured after Tsunami hits Thai island BANGKOK, Dec 26: At last 100 people were injured after a Tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean struck the Thai tourist island of Phuket today, a Government official said. "There was a very large ocean wave after the earthquake and about 100 people were injured," Suparerk Tansriratanawong, Director General of Thailand’s Meteorological Department, told . (AGENCIES) |
|
Death toll hits 150 after Tsunami floods Sri Lanka COLOMBO, Dec 26: At least 150 people were killed after a Tsunamai triggered by an earthquake off the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean struck Sri Lanka today, district oficials said. The worst-hit area appeared to be the tourist region of the south and east and the Chairman of the John Keells Hotel chain said five of his hotels had been badly flooded. No communications were available with the low-lying Maldive islands to the south. Further details were not immediately available. (AGENCIES) |
|
Nine killed in flash flood after quake hit Indonesia BANGKOK, Dec 26: At least nine people were killed today in a flash flood in Indonesia’s northwestern province of Aceh after a powerful 8.5 magnitude earthquake shook the country’s Sumatra island and also hit parts of Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The quake which occurred at around 0058 gmt (0628 ist) was centered 40 kms below the seabed, the US geological survey’s website reported. In Jakarta, the intensity of quake was put at 6.4 by seismologists. According to residents in Indonesia’s aceh provincial capital Banda aceh, floods hit parts of the city before receding, leaving at least nine people dead, reports reaching here said. The massive earthquake caused dozens of buildings to collapse and triggered large tidal waves along the northern coast, the reports said. The quake was also felt in neighboring Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, is located on the margins of tectonic plates that make up the so-called the "ring of fire" around the Pacific Ocean basin. Many parts of peninsular Malaysia also experienced tremors. In Thailand the tremors were felt across country, especially in tall buildings in Bangkok, the southern provinces of Songkhla and Phuket, and northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the meteorology department here said. There have been no reports of damage in these two countries. (PTI) |
|
Nepal mourns Narsimha Rao’s death KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Nepal mourned the death of former Indian Prime Minister P V Narsimha Rao by placing the national flag at half-mast at all Government offices and at Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad. The Indian embassy in Kathmandu said a book of condolence would also be kept for three days from tomorrow. King Gyanendra, who had cancelled his official visit to India due to the death of Mr Rao, sent a condolence message to Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam, saying the people of Nepal would remember Rao for his contribution to strengthening Nepal-India relations. Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in a condolence message to his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh said, in Rao’s death India had lost a statesman of stature and Nepal "a sincere and trusted friend". Leaders of various political parties have also condoled the death of the former Prime Minister. (UNI) |
|
Iran mourns anniversary of devastating earthquake BAN, IRAN, Dec 26: Mourning Iranians have flocked to the southeastern city of Bam in recent days to mark the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake which killed tens of thousands and left the ancient silk road city in ruins. Bam, a date palm oasis in Iran’s southern deserts built around an ancient Citadel, was flattened by an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the richter scale before dawn on December 26 last year. More than 31,000 people were killed. Scores of bereaved relatives, clad in black, arrived from neighbouring towns, heading straight to the city’s cemetery to pay their respects to the dead. "I now live in Kerman, I have come back after a year to be with my loved-ones for a day," said middle-aged man Ebrahim Faramarzpour. "I have lost 28 family members." Men, women in all-enveloping chadors, the young and the old spent the day sitting amid tombs decorated with flowers and black candles, praying for the dead. Readings from the Koran echoed from loudspeakers through the cemetery and mixed with the cries of mourners. "My hassan, my Hossein, where are you? ... My heart is burning, won’t you come back my children? It’s already a year" wailed Masoumeh Ebrahimpour, 50, as she looked over the nine tombs of her family members. Most of Bam remains in ruins and the slow pace of reconstruction has angered survivors and some officials. "Overcoming a disaster in such a scale is not easy ... There might have been some shortcomings," President Mohammad Khatami, who visited Bam this week, was quoted as saying by the state-run Iran newspaper. "Bam will stand again before the end of this Government," he said. Khatami will leave office in August. But survivors, some still living in tents, are sceptical. "Once there were houses here, there was life here, now it is a ruin. Who has helped these people? no-one" a middle-aged woman complained. The mass collapse of Bam’s buildings has been blamed for the high death toll. Quakes of similar force in other countries have caused far fewer deaths. (AGENCIES) |
|
Strong quake hits Bangladesh port city CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH, Dec 26: An earthquake, measuring 7.36 on the richter scale, shook Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong port city and neighbouring areas early today, the city’s geophysical observatory said. It said the quake lasted one minute 42 seconds, rattling buildings and sending panicked people onto the streets, but no injuries were reported. It came minutes after a quake measuring 6.4 on the richter scale shook Indonesia’s Sumatra island. The US Geological survey measured the Bangladesh tremor at a magnitude of 6.1 and placed the epicentre in the Andaman islands at a depth of some 10 km (six miles) (AGENCIES) Pakistan to release all Indian fishermen ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: Pakistan has decided to release all the detained Indian fishermen who strayed into its territorial waters but not their boats. Pakistan is expected to formally convey this decision to India at the Foreign-Secretary level talks starting here tomorrow, the Dawn reported today. "Cansular access to 266 Indian fishermen detained in various jails in Sindh has been completed and they will be released soon via the Wagah border," the paper quoted sourecs as saying, adding that the remaining fishermen would also be released after the due process. Pakistan’s maritime security agency arrested some 900 Indian fishermen for intrusion into Pakistani territorial waters in the last two to three months. Indian fishermen’s delegation was informed of the Pakistani decision to confiscate boats at a recent meeting in Karachi. However, the Indian delegation was unhappy with the decision as it seemed more interested in the release of their boats, the sources claimed. One fishing boat costs slightly over a million rupees, it is learnt. (UNI) Naked Germans jump in ice-cold lake for good health BERLIN, Dec 26: About 30 Germans wearing nothing more than red Santa Claus caps leapt into a Berlin lake for their annual Christmas day swim yesterday, a dip in the ice-cold water they believe is good for their health. The naked men and women, between the ages of 25 and 73, spent up to about five minutes in Berlin’s Oranke lake, where temperatures were 1 degree celsius (34 degrees fahrenheit). Several complained there was no ice on the lake as in past years. "It’s still pretty cold in here," swimmer Andreas Beyer told . Members of the club known as the "Berlin seals" train year-round for the cold water Christmas swim and they believe the dips help them avoid illnesses. The tradition dates back to at least 1980. The swimmers —outnumbered by media photographers drawn to the annual event —built up their courage for the dip by singing Christmas carols and sipping mulled wine. (AGENCIES) Man tries to hijack Chinese plane to Taiwan BEIJING, Dec 26: A man who tried to hijack a Chinese airliner, threatening to commit suicide if the pilot did not divert the flight to Taiwan, was subdued and the plane lande safely, state media said today. Passengers had thought the man was drunk, but the Xinhua news ageniy said it was later determined that he was not. No one was hurt when the man tried to hijack the Xiamen airlines flight mf8066 bound for coastal Xiamen from the northeastern city of Harbin yesterday, Xinhua reported on its web site, www.Xinhuanet.Nom. The plane landed as scheduled in Fujian province, opposite the island of Taiwan, after the man was subdued, it said. China saw a rash of hijackings in the early 1990s, mostly by people demanding to go to Taiwan and air safety was tiohtened. It adopted additional security measuresnafter the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, including putting air marshals on flights. Fujian lies directly arross the Taiwan Strait from the self-ruled, democratic island of 23 million that Beijing considers part of Chinese territory. Xiamen Airlines Co is 60 percent owned by China Southern Airlines Co Ltd. (AGENCIES) Tsunami kills six in Malaysia:Bernama KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26: A Tsunami triggered by an earthquake struck Malaysia’s Penang island today, killing six people, the official Bernama news agency said. The wave hit the popular Batu Ferringhi beach, Bernama said, quoting the search and rescue team. The island is popular with westerners and local visitors, and hotels in the area are normally packed during the peak of the holiday season. (AGENCIES) |
|
|
