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Rice to arrive in New Delhi for talks with Indian leadership

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:43:00 +0530

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday morning for an overnight visit.

She has been asked by President George W Bush to meet both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and discuss the fallout of the terror strikes in Mumbai, and will probably caution India not to take on an aggressive posture against Pakistan.

The Indian Government is expected to share with Rice details of the evidence it has gathered so far against Pakistan, including intercepts like records of satellite phones used by the terrorists.

Rice is also expected to visit Pakistan on Thursday in a bid to reduce tensions between the two countries in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

However, there was no official word on that visit as yet. (ANI)

India concerned over Israel blocking aid to Gaza Strip

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:43:00 +0530

India on Tuesday evening expressed concern over reported moves by Israel to block humanitarian aid to the Palestine-held Gaza Strip.

"We remain concerned at the adverse effects of the closure of access points into the Strip (and) on the prevailing humanitarian situation," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a meeting of the India-Arab Forum hosted by the Indian Council of World Affairs.

Mukherjee also said peace and stability in West Asia is of paramount importance to India.

"India has constantly supported the quest of the Palestinian people for a homeland in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions," Mukherjee said.

Observing that the dialogue process to find a solution to the Palestinian issue should continue, he called for an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Later addressing a round-table on ''India-Arab Historical Linkages and Civilisational Dialogue'', Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said: "The Arab world has always figured very high in India''s foreign policy priorities. In modern times, traditional bonds have further strengthened and diversified as our ties have steadily developed," Ahamed said.

"In recent decades, the Arab world has has become our primary source of energy, a growing market for our goods, an important destination for our investment, and a region that provides livelihood to millions of Indians working in the region," Ahamed said.

"We wish to work together to enable and ensure a framework for future generations to consolidate our ties in emerging sectors of the economy," Ahamed said.

India has strong economic ties with the Arab world as the nation''s trade with countries in the region has nearly quadrupled from eight billion dollars in 2000 to 30 billion dollars in 2007-08.

Earlier on Tuesday, India and Arab League today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of a joint forum for cooperation to enhance their ties in various fields, including trade and commerce, culture and communication technology.

The Arab League also extended support to New Delhi in its fight against terrorism saying there was a need to "stand firm" in tackling the menace.

Visiting Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa said every body should join hands to root out terrorism and piracy.

"This is a responsibility on our shoulders. All of us should stand firm against terrorism and against piracy," Moussa told a news agency in New Delhi.

On the economic front, Moussa said both countries should enhance economic ties as it was "very important" to negate the effects of global economic slowdown.

"We are now quadrupling the economic exchange in trade, investment and other avenues of economic activities," he said.

India''s trade with Arab League nations is witnessing rapid growth and could top USD 100 billion in the next four years, he said. (ANI)

Mob lynches soldier on train near Bhubaneswar

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:42:00 +0530

An Army jawan was lynched by irate train commuters after he tried to stop them from entering the reserved coach of a train at the Lingaraj Railway Station on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on Monday night.

Anish Kumar A, a cook with the Gorkha Rifles, was beaten to death by passengers trying to board the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express.

Kumar was first admitted to the divisional railway hospital at the Khurda Road station and later shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where the doctors declared him dead.

Nobody has been arrested so far, the railway police said. (ANI)

Lobbying for next Maharashtra CM begins

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:41:00 +0530

Even as the Congress party remains undecided about who will take over the reins of power in Maharashtra in the wake of incumbent Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh submitting his resignation twice to party president Sonia Gandhi, factions within the Congress have started lobbying for their respective candidates.

The Congress has for the time being deferred its decision on the Maharashtra leadership issue, as it is still trying to recover from the public backlash on its ineffectiveness in preventing last week''s terror attack in Mumbai.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Deshmukh, Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee met last night to discuss the issue.

There is an outside chance of Deshmukh staying on, but his opponents seem quite determined to ensure his exit from Mantralaya.

The frontrunners for the Chief Minister''s job are Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil, Ashok Chavan, Narayan Rane and Prithviraj Chavan.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday after a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Antony, who looks after party affairs in Maharashtra, said:``The CM (Deshmukh) has again offered to resign and will abide by the decision of Sonia Gandhi.''''

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar''s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is likely to decide who will be the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the wake of the resignation of the incumbent R.R.Patil.

The NCP has said that an experienced hand will be needed at this critical time with elections are only three months away.

NCP sources said Patil''s replacement would only be announced after the Congress decides on Deshmukh''s fate.

The names of Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, however, are doing the rounds for the Deputy Chief Minister''s post. (ANI)

India, Russia to ink deal for additional nuke reactors during Medvedev''s visit

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:41:00 +0530

India and Russia are likely to sign a deal for the construction of four additional nuclear reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, as well as a pact for expanding activities at other sites during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev''s three-day visit to New Delhi beginning Wednesday.

The RIA Novosti news agency reporting from Moscow, quoted Russian Nuclear Energy Corporation (RosAtom) CEO Sergei Kiriyenko as saying: "We plan to sign on Friday an inter-governmental agreement with India to build another four reactors for the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, and envisaging cooperation at new sites."

Russia and India could also sign an agreement to supply Russian nuclear fuel to Indian nuclear power plant as per an agreement signed in February this year. (ANI)

Deshmukh meets Sonia Gandhi

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:41:00 +0530

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh held talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders here this evening at her residence following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Senior party leaders Pranab Mukehrjee, Ahamed Patel and A. K.Antony who is also in-charge of Maharashtra attended the meeting.

The meeting comes in the wake of Deshmukh''s offer of resignation following Mumbai terror attacks.

Deshmukh is under pressure from the opposition to resign after last week''s terror attacks.

Prithviraj Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde are believed to be frontrunners for the post of Chief Minister in Maharashtra.

The Congress high command is particularly upset over Deshmukh’s ‘Terror Tour ‘of the damaged Taj Heritage Hotel on Sunday, with his actor son Riteish Deshmukh and famous film producer Ram Gopal Varma. (ANI)

Indian Navy joins the nation, calls off Navy day celebrations

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:40:00 +0530

Indian Navy''s Southern Naval Command, in the wake of recent terror attacks in Mumbai cancelled all its glamorous programmes associated with Navy day celebrations.

The Naval Command in Kochi, which is famous for its variety of entertainment activities including the Navy ball fashion show, calls off to somber national mood in the wake of the terror attacks all over the country.

According to a senior navy official in Kochi, it probably would be the first time in the recent era of Indian Navy, particularly in Southern Naval Command the celebrations connected to Navy day has called off in the wake of terror attacks.

Indian Navy celebrates December 04 as the Navy Day.

This day is celebrated as a tribute to the valiant maritime operations of the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

However, the beating the retreat ceremony and the aerobatic display by the Naval Aerobatic team Sagar Pawan would be held on December 04.

The Southern Naval Command has decided to go ahead with this ceremony as homage to all the victims of terror in the country.

The operational demonstration of the Navy''s firepower, display of missile, guns and other equipments used on war ships will not be there during this years Navy week.

The three-day terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which began on Wednesday killed at least 197 people and left nearly 300 wounded. (ANI)

Raman Srivastava takes charge as Special Secretary (Internal Security) MHA

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:40:00 +0530

Raman Srivastava took charge as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday.

He is an IPS officer of the Kerala cadre and belongs to the 1973 batch.

He has replaced M.L. Kumawat who has been appointed as Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). (ANI)

Pressure mounting on Centre to be tough with Pakistan after Mumbai attacks

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:39:00 +0530

Various organizations in the country on Tuesday continued to mount pressure on the Centre to act tough with Pakistan in the wake of reports of alleged involvement of its elements in last weeks Mumbai terror attacks.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists staged a protest in New Delhi today demanding scrapping of all relations with Pakistan.

“We request the government of India that keeping any kind of relations with Pakistan, be it social, political or economical are anti-national. Train and bus service should be immediately stopped. This is in the interest of the nation,” said Mahant Naval Kishire Das, an activist of VHP.

In another protest in the national capital the activists of All India Muslim Unity Front and Students'' Youth Non-aligned Movement jointly urged the Central Government to destroy terror camps in Pakistan.

“India should attack and destroy all the terrorist camps in Pakistan, the same way America has done in Afghanistan,” said Subhash Chaudhary, an activist of Students'' Youth Non-aligned Movement.

India has asked Pakistan to hand over 20 of its most wanted men as a sign of good faith while both sides tried to cool tensions over the Mumbai terror attacks that have threatened to damage improving ties.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said military action was not being considered and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi offered a joint probe to find the militants responsible for a three-day rampage that killed at least 197 people in Mumbai.

“India renewed its demand for men it has hunted for years in a protest note handed to Pakistan''s High Commissioner Shahid Malik in New Delhi on Monday,” Mukherjee told reporters.

Officials said the list included Dawood Ibrahim, a Mumbai underworld don, and Maulana Masood Azhar, a Pakistani Muslim cleric freed from jail in India in exchange for passengers on a hijacked plane.

India has blamed Islamist militants based in Pakistan for the Mumbai terror attacks.

Ibrahim, India''s most wanted man is reported to be living in Pakistan. He is wanted for bomb attacks in Mumbai in 1993 that killed at least 250 people.

Reports have said his henchmen in the city could have also provided some support in the latest strike.

Britain''s top military officer warned the tensions between India and Pakistan could set back Islamabad''s offensive against Islamist Taliban and al-Qaeda militants along the Afghan border.

Indian investigating agencies have said the Mumbai attackers had months of commando training in Pakistan by the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, blamed for a 2001 attack on Indian parliament. Ibrahim is said to be one of its financers. (ANI)

John Mccain makes a stopover visit to New Delhi

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:39:00 +0530

US senator John Mccain met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here on Tuesday, to show solidarity with India in the wake of terror attack in Mumbai.

McCain, a Republican Party leader was on his way from Iraq to Bangladesh and had a stop over in New Delhi.

U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also travel to India on Wednesday at the request of President George W. Bush in the wake of Mumbai attacks, the White House said on Sunday.

On Sunday, Bush called Manmohan Singh to again offer U.S. support and condolences for the victims and the families of those killed in the attacks.

US president elect Barack Obama had earlier said that militants based in South Asia represented the biggest threat to the United States and he was "absolutely committed" to eliminating the threat of terrorism.

The three-day terrorist attack in Mumbai, which began on Wednesday killed at least 183 people and left nearly 300 wounded.

The attack in India''s financial capital is one of the biggest in the history of the country, where a group of terrorists armed with rifles and grenades had fanned out across Mumbai last week to attack sites popular with tourists and businessmen, including the city''s top two luxury hotels.

Elite commandoes on Saturday completed operations to dislodge militants at the Taj Mahal hotel, ending three days of attacks in Mumbai. (ANI)