China Plans to break India by 2015? India to open new uranium mines, boost nuclear power.Border talks on track, China sees bigger global role for India. BSF on alert over Bangladesh 'Long March' against dam project.Pakistan blocks advance in disarmament talks
Troubled galaxy Destroyed dreams, Chapter 330
Palash Biswas
India-China ties fundamentally healthy: TharoorHindu - Aug 11, 2009 “While boundary talks are important, China has become India's single largest trade partner [overtaking the United States] exclusive of IT (information ... India, China to set up hotlineHindu - - Aug 8, 2009 NEW DELHI: India and China have decided to set up a hotline between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. ... NSA gets charge of ties with China Times of India Ties with China not clouded: KrishnaHindu - Aug 10, 2009 Speaking to The Hindu during a brief stop-over, while on his way home from Australia, he called for a continued “focus” by both India and China on staying ... Ties with China go beyond boundary question: Tharoor Press Trust of India Comment: Seal The DealTimes of India - Aug 12, 2009 While trade ties between India and China have been burgeoning, forward movement in case of the 13th round of border talks between the two countries, ... Ties with China goes beyond the border question: Tharoor Press Trust of India Ex-Nepal PM urges anti-US unityBBC News - - Aug 11, 2009 In an interview with the BBC, he said India, China and Nepal should work together to counter American power. The Maoist, who was a rebel leader before ... India lost warmth towards Maoists: Prachanda Central Chronicle Prachanda says India wrong to think he is closer to China Hindustan Times India thought I was pro-China, I wasn't: Prachanda Thaindian.com Iron Ore Prices Jump 10% to $111 a Ton for India-China CargoesBloomberg - Aug 10, 2009 10 (Bloomberg) -- Cash prices for iron ore delivered to China from India surged 10 percent, the biggest gain in two months, because of increasing demand ... Monsoon hits exports of lower-grade iron ore Hindu Business Line Spot iron ore prices in China hit record high this year Steel Business Briefing (subscription) Climate talks: US, others refuse to discuss IPR changes to help ...Times of India - - 14 hours ago The G77 and China grouping, which includes India, has long asked that the rich nations should buy out the intellectual property rights of the private ... China says rich up pressure on poor over climate Reuters India India to have maximum number of obese people by 2020NDTV.com - 7 hours ago Quoting WHO statistics, he said apart from India and China, there were 42 million obese people living in the US, while in England it stood at 8.8 million. ... While their glaciers melt and rivers dry, China and India only add ...Merced Sun-Star - - 6 hours ago Those glaciers supply most of the water used in India, China and the Asian nations in between. So you would think that fact would be lying heavy on the mind ... |
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Indian defense minister says boundary talks with China "fruitful" |
www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-10 19:42:54 |   Print |
NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian Defense Minister A. K. Antony said on Monday that the 13th China-Indian Boundary Talks are "fruitful" and India would continue communicating with China to resolve the boundary issue.
"The Indo-China talks ended on a positive note. It was very fruitful and the whole atmosphere was also very cordial. India will continue talking to China to find an amicable solution to its long pending border dispute with Beijing," said Antony in a meeting with local media in the national capital. Claiming the Indo-China talks assume significance, the minister said: "The dialogues are continuing and we have decided that through it, we must try to sort out all issues with China regarding our border dispute and it will continue." China and India held its 13th Boundary Talks in New Delhi on Aug. 7 and 8, joined by the Special Representatives of the two countries, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan. |
| Editor: Deng Shasha |
China should break up India: Chinese strategist
Interestingly, it has been reproduced in several other strategic and military Web sites of the country and by all means, targets the domestic audience. The authoritative host site is located in Beijing [ Images ] and is the new edition of one, which so far represented the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (www.chinaiiss.org).
Claiming that Beijing's 'China-Centric' Asian strategy, provides for splitting India, the writer of the article, Zhan Lue (strategy), has found that New Delhi's corresponding 'India-Centric' policy in Asia, is in reality a 'Hindustan centric' one. Stating that on the other hand 'local centres' exist in several of the country's provinces (excepting for the UP and certain northern regions), Zhan Lue has felt that in the face of such local characteristics, the 'so-called' Indian nation cannot be considered as one having existed in history.
According to the article, if India today relies on any thing for unity, it is the Hindu religion. The partition of the country was based on religion. Stating that today nation states are the main current in the world, it has said that India could only be termed now as a 'Hindu religious state'. Adding that Hinduism is a decadent religion as it allows caste exploitation and is unhelpful to the country's modernisation, it described the Indian government as one in a dilemma with regard to eradication of the caste system as it realises that the process to do away with castes may shake the foundation of the consciousness of the Indian nation.
The writer has argued that in view of the above, China in its own interest and the progress of Asia, should join forces with different nationalities like the Assamese, Tamils, and Kashmiris and support the latter in establishing independent nation-States of their own, out of India. In particular, the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) in Assam, a territory neighboring China, can be helped by China so that Assam realises its national independence.
The article has also felt that for Bangladesh, the biggest threat is from India, which wants to develop a great Indian Federation extending from Afghanistan to Myanmar. India is also targeting China with support to Vietnam's efforts to occupy Nansha (Spratly) group of islands in South China Sea.
Hence the need for China's consolidation of its alliance with Bangladesh, a country with which the US and Japan [ Images ] are also improving their relations to counter China.
It has pointed out that China can give political support to Bangladesh enabling the latter to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India to get rid of Indian control and unite with Bangladesh as one Bengali nation; if the same is not possible, creation of at least another free Bengali nation state as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh, would be desirable, for the purpose of weakening India's expansion and threat aimed at forming a 'unified South Asia'.
The punch line in the article has been that to split India, China can bring into its fold countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, support ULFA in attaining its goal for Assam's independence, back aspirations of Indian nationalities like the Tamils and Nagas, encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal [ Images ] and lastly recover the 90,000 sq km territory in southern Tibet [ Images ].
Wishing for India's break-up into 20 to 30 nation-States like in Europe, the article has concluded by saying that if the consciousness of nationalities in India could be aroused, social reforms in South Asia can be achieved, the caste system can be eradicated and the region can march along the road of prosperity.
The Chinese article in question will certainly outrage readers in India. Its suggestion that China can follow a strategy to dismember India, a country always with a tradition of unity in diversity, is atrocious, to say the least. The write-up could not have been published without the permission of the Chinese authorities, but it is sure that Beijing will wash its hands out of this if the matter is taken up with it by New Delhi.
It has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices -- its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding during their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its selected media is pouring venom on India in their reporting. Which one to believe is a question confronting the public opinion and even policy makers in India.
In any case, an approach of panic towards such outbursts will be a mistake, but also ignoring them will prove to be costly for India.
D S Rajan, is Director, Chennai Centre for China Studies.
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Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday dismissed an article by a Chinese think tank analyst recommending the Balkanisation of India as “hallucinations” of an individual, which should not be given too much attention.
Responding to questions during the party’s routine briefing, spokesman Manish Tewari said: “As a confident democracy which has found its rightful place in the comity of nations, we shouldn’t get paranoid about an opinion aired by one individual.”
Mr. Tewari contested the charge that India and the ruling party were displaying the same kind of complacency displayed by the then government ahead of the 1962 Indo-China war.
Vinay Kumar
| Prime Minister chairs first meeting of Unique Identification Authority council |
NEW BEGINNING: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with Nandan M. Nilekani, chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India, at the UIDAI Council meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: Reiterating his government’s high priority to the Unique Identification project, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said lack of identity proof resulted in harassment and denial of services to the poor, and led to leakages in various government programmes.
Chairing the first meeting of the 11-member council formed to advise the newly created Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Dr. Singh said the project would specifically improve delivery of the flagship schemes of the Centre.
The Authority is being headed by the co-founder of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani.
Dr. Singh said providing identities to the poor and the marginalised would enhance access to government services, both in the State and at the Centre, and would enable delivery of benefits to the poor and the under-served.
“Active participation”He emphasised the need for the “active participation” of all government departments for the success of the project.
The council endorsed “in principle” the draft strategy of implementation and resolved to provide a legal framework to the UIDAI in course of time.
It decided to make it the apex authority to set standards in demographic and biometric data in order to ensure inter-operability.
Eliminate duplicationA single, universal identity number will help eliminate fraud and duplicate identities, resulting in significant savings to the State exchequer. The government undertook an effort to provide a clear identity to residents first in 1993, with the issue of photo identity cards by the Election Commission.
Government sources said the UID number would only
guarantee identity, not rights, benefits or entitlements. It was proof of identity and did not confer citizenship.
The Registrars that the Authority plans to partner with in its first phase — the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and the Public Distribution System — will help bring large numbers into the system.
The Authority will ensure that the Know Your Resident standards do not become a barrier for enrolling the poor, and will devise suitable procedures to ensure their inclusion without compromising the integrity of the data.
The UIDAI approach leverages existing infrastructure and private agencies across India. It will be the regulatory authority, managing a Central ID Data Repository, which will issue UID numbers, update resident information and authenticate the identity of residents as required.
Number, not a cardThe UIDAI will issue a number, not a card. The number will not contain intelligence, as loading intelligence into identity numbers makes it susceptible to fraud and theft.
The UID will be a random number, the sources indicated, and the single source of identity verification.
The Authority will collect only basic information on the resident. Once residents enrol, they can use the number as identification proof to open a bank account, to obtain a passport, driving license, and so on.
Eliminating duplication under various schemes is expected to save the exchequer upwards of Rs. 20,000 crores a year.
The Authority is likely to start issuing the numbers in 12-18 months. It plans to cover 600 million people within four years from the start of the project.
The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Veerappa Moily, C.P. Joshi, Kapil Sibal and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, among others.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/13/stories/2009081361501100.htm
In its latest report titled 'Year in Review 2008', the International Atomic Energy Agency said while no new reactors came online anywhere last year, construction started on 10 new sites. Six of the 10 construction sites were in China.
This is the largest number in any one year since 1985, bringing the total number being built to 44. At the end of last year, 438 nuclear power reactors were supplying roughly 14 per cent of the world's electricity.
Expansion prospects continue to be centred in Asia, with over half of the reactors under construction in the region, especially in China and India, Vienna-based IAEA said.
"India's planned 15-fold expansion of its civilian nuclear power programme over the next two decades is expected to be facilitated by the removal by suppliers in 2008 of restrictions on the supply of nuclear technology that were previously imposed on it," the report said.
The report will be discussed by member states at the IAEA's annual General Conference this September.
"While every country has the right to use nuclear power as an energy source, it also has the responsibility to ensure that this energy source is employed in a safe and secure manner," it said, adding that it received a large number of requests last year from countries considering the nuclear energy option for assistance in analysing energy options.
The issue figured during the talks between Special Representatives- national security adviser M K Narayanan and Chinese state councillor Dai Bingguo- here last Friday and Saturday.
"We have shared with China the necessary information and our assessment about Masood Azhar," a source said but refused to specify whether the material was provided during the talks.
"India and China have similar concerns with regard to terrorism and we hope China will support the move to proscribe Azhar by the UN Security Council," the source added.
India is making efforts to get Azhar along with LeT terrorists Azam Cheema and Abdur Rahman Makki banned by the Security Council in December last year.
Azhar, founder of JeM outfit, is one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange for hostages of Air India plane IC-814 which was hijacked in December 1999.
China has been blocking the effort, arguing that it did not have the necessary information about Azhar's involvement in terrorism.
Britain had earlier joined China in blocking the move but agreed to support after India provided information.
India now hopes that China will support the move, particularly in view of the recent unrest in Xinjiang province whose source is believed to have been in Pakistan.
The UNSC Resolution had put a ban on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, declaring it as a front for LeT which was held responsible for the Mumbai terror attack.
Afterwards, an effort was made to get Saeed proscribed by the UNSC but it was blocked by Britain and China, which wanted it to be put on hold.
"India, a country of 1.1 billion people, is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society......Abberrations, if any, are dealt with promptly within our legal framework under the watchful eye of an independent judiciary and a vigilant media," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.
It is ""regrettable", he said while responding to a question about USCIRF's action.
USCIRF said India earned the "watch list" designation due to the "disturbing increase" in communal violence against religious minorities--specifically Christians in Orissa in 2008 and Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and the "largely inadequate" response from the Indian government to protect the rights of religious minorities.
"We held talks with senior police and district officials on how to conduct the Lalgarh operation in the coming days. We discussed the modus operandi of the joint forces and how to resolve the security problem in this Maoist-affected region," state Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters after emerging out of the meeting in West Midnapore district.
He said the state government would also appeal to the centre not to withdraw the central paramilitary forces from Lalgarh after Sep 4.
"We've taken some specific decisions today (Thursday)," Sen added, but did not divulge the details.
Lalgarh, about 200 km west of Kolkata, has been on the boil since November last year when a landmine exploded on the route of the convoy of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then central ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada.
Alleging police atrocities after the blast, Maoists along with the People's Committee against Police Atrocity (PCAPA) launched an agitation and made the area a virtual "free zone" by torching police camps and offices of the ruling CPI-M and driving out the civil administration.
Once upon a time, 'India' was a tag that secured his release from a Bulgarian prison. But the 72 hour sentence was just destiny's foil for the perfect sunrise - one that saw Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy's transformation from an inexperienced leftist to the posterboy of the Indian entrepreneurial spirit.
Once upon a time, 'India' was a tag that secured his release from a Bulgarian prison. But the 72 hour sentence was just destiny's foil for the perfect sunrise - one that saw Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy's transformation from an inexperienced leftist to the posterboy of the Indian entrepreneurial spirit.
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57 pc economists feel US recession is over: WSJ
Washington: US economists are generally agreed that America's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is over, but an average American is unlikely to feel things are significantly better anytime soon.
The Wall Street Journal's survey of top economists, published Wednesday, found that 57 percent believe the recession is already over, while another 23 percent believe that the economy will turn in the next month or two.
Most economists now expect growth in the gross domestic product, the broad measure of the nation's economic activity, of about three percent or more in the period of July through September.
But the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the body of economists charged with officially setting the start and the end of each recession, won't pronounce a start of the recovery until next year at the earliest, CNNMoney.com said.
Its statement that the 2001 recession ended in November of that year didn't come until 18 months later, it noted. Its pronouncement that the current recession had started in December 2007 didn't come until 12 months after the start. So by the time the NBER says anything about a recovery, it will already be well established.
The closest to an official pronouncement of the end of the recession came in the statement from the Federal Reserve Wednesday that it sees the economy as "levelling out" following its long decline.
But the Fed still cautioned that economic activity would remain weak in the near term. However, Lakshman Achuthan, managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, which forecast in April the recession would end this summer, believes there is now a growing consensus about that turnaround.
"But if you've waited until today to consider the idea that the recession is ending this summer, you're already behind the curve," he was quoted as saying by CNNMoney.com.
Achuthan said it is very difficult to forecast a turn in the economy in real time, and that to try to make the distinction now between whether the economy turned higher in June or July is "a false sense of precision".
Economists say that the other reason that the start of the recovery is not a cause for celebration is it's not yet clear how strong this recovery will be.
And even some of the economists who believe the recovery has already started say this one will be more painful than a lot of recoveries in the past.
Source: Agencies
Pranab heads panel to deal with drought in India
New Delhi: India Thursday constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to tackle drought situation in nearly one-fourth of the country.
The term of reference for the EGoM includes assessment and monitoring of the situation arising out of drought and deficient rainfall.
EGoM would take decisions and approve new and innovative schemes, besides examining the existing schemes for suitable modification.
As many as 161 districts out of over 600 have been declared as hit by drought.
India's Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Power Minister Sushil Shinde are part of the EGoM.
Other members include Rural Development Minister C P Joshi, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy.
Source: PTI
Foreign investment up 5-fold in April-June
Mumbai: Signs of India's economic recovery appear to have lifted confidence among foreign investors as the flow of foreign investment has surged five times in the April-June quarter to $15 billion.
As against the flow of nearly $3 billion in the preceding quarter of Jan-March, the direct and portfolio investments flow together rose sharply to $15 billion during April-June quarter this year, data released by RBI revealed.
Of the total investment flows during the quarter, portfolio investments accounted for $8.270 billion, while direct inflows contributed $7.016 billion to the total flows, Reserve Bank data showed.
In the three months ended March, 2009, total inflow into the domestic market was a mere $3.589 billion.
Foreign fund inflows had sharply declined in FY'09 after the global financial turmoil triggered panic among foreign institutional investors, prompting them to pull out money from emerging markets.
While the country received a total investment of $61.633 billion in 2007-08, for the full financial year ended March 31, 2009, total investments dropped to $21.313 billion.
Of the total fund flows that reached the country in 2008-09, direct investment contributed $35.168 billion while portfolio investments posted a negative flow of $13.855 billion.
Source: Business Standard
CHINA Plans to Break India, Screaming Headlines try to CREATE BLIND Nationalism Fascist to repeat another KARGIL!
Noting that India is a "dominant power" in South Asia, the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrook today said the Obama administration is keeping New Delhi informed about its policies in Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
"The Indians are a major factor in the region. They are a dominant power," Holbrook said at a meeting on Af-Pak region organised by the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based think tank.
"Improving US-India relations has been a continual goal of the last three administrations, all of whom have been successful in that regard I think starting with President Clinton's term in 2000," he said.
Responding to a question, Holbrook said India was outside the portfolio of his job.
"On the other hand, I am in constant touch with the embassy. I met with the Indians continually, the New Delhi's Ambassador in Washington and I have had dinner recently. She and I are in close touch," he said.
"I will go to India whenever the schedule permits," Holbrook said.
French energy giant Total was at the centre of controversy Wednesday over its lucrative dealings in Myanmar as Europe weighed up fresh sanctions against the junta after Aung San Suu Kyi's latest conviction.
Reinforcing the Pakistan link to the Mumbai terror attack, the FBI on Wednesday told a special court their probe had established that terrorists had come from Karachi to this city and the Global Positioning systems (GPS) recovered from them also indicated their plan to return to Pakistan.
In a crucial testimony at the trial of the lone surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab, an official of the U.S.' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is giving evidence for the first time in India in terror cases said the terorists had used the GPS, a satellite navigation system to locate targets.
Deposing in person before Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani, a forensic expert of the U.S.' Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose identity has been kept secret, said one of the GPS devices allegedly recovered by Mumbai Police from slain terrorists also indicated that they had planned return journey from Mumbai to Rawalpindi.
Two other GPS devices indicated plans for return journey from Mumbai to Karachi but one indicated from Mumbai to Rawalpindi, the expert said.
Kasab, a Pakistani national, sat smiling all through while the FBI official gave the evidence.
The planned return journey from Mumbai to Rawalpindi showed that the terrorists were given practical training in Pakistan to use GPS, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told PTI.
The forensic expert said that "Way Point" data retrieved from the GPS devices pointed to the route from Karachi to Mumbai and also positions between these two cities.
The FBI official said he had examined five GPS devices and a satellite phone which Mumbai police had recovered from the terrorists.
Mr. Nikam further said the police are still investigating the numbers from where the calls were made to the recovered satellite phone.
It is the case of prosecution that terrorists were in touch with their handlers in Pakistan while committing terror attacks in Mumbai.
Kasab's lawyer Abbas Kazmi dubbed the evidence of FBI witness as "manipulated" and claimed that the investigating agency wanted to help Mumbai police.
Mr. Kazmi alleged that the software used by FBI to conduct forensic tests on GPS devices and satellite phone was not authenticated and anyone could have manipulated the tests.
Mumbai police had recovered five GPS devices and a satellite phone from the slain terrorists. These were sent to FBI laboratory in USA for forensic tests and the report submitted by an expert was placed before the court on Wednesday.
The forensic expert told prosecutor Nikam that he had examined the GPS devices and satellite phone.
The witness said out of the five GPS devises, two were not functioning as their batteries were discharged and hence the data could not be retrieved from them. However, other GPS devices had clearly showed the route between these two cities.
The witness handed over hard and soft copies of the data report submitted by him to Mumbai police earlier.
The expert told prosecutor Nikam that he had examined these devices on February 11 and completed the examination by February 18.
Ensuring justice in last November's Mumbai attack is a "high priority" for President Obama and the United States will keep pressing The comments by Timothy Roemer, the new US ambassador to India, are the strongest remark from the United States in recent months as India complains of slow progress by Pakistan in punishing those behind the attack. India blames Pakistan-based militants for the raid that killed 166 people and renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. New Delhi said it was halting a 2004 peace process until Pakistan closed down "terrorist networks" on its soil. "The al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba ... we have a common enemy with India. And we are pressing Pakistan hard on the Mumbai suspects," said Roemer, who served on the commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. "So this is a high priority for the president (Obama) and a high priority for the government to work with India on these efforts and to bring the perpetrators of this brutal attack, this blood-thirsty attack on Mumbai to justice." India and Pakistan have shown signs of moving forward, opening an official level dialogue, partly pushed by Washington which wants the two countries to reduce tensions so that Islamabad can concentrate on fighting Islamist militants on its Afghan border. But their formal peace process remains suspended. Pakistan says it is committed to fighting terrorism and has arrested five people India blamed for the attack. The list does not, however, include Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the militant group India has said was behind the attack, with Pakistan saying the evidence given by India failed to build a case for the arrest of Saeed. Saeed was detained in the wake of the November attacks after a U.N. Security Council resolution put him on a list of people and organisations supporting al Qaeda. But in June, a Pakistani court released him on grounds of insufficient evidence, prompting the Pakistan government to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court for his re-arrest. The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing without fixing a new date. Asked if India's evidence against Saeed was credible, Roemer said he had told his government about the need to bring all the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice. "Wherever they are I have communicated to my government several times ... that the people held in Pakistan for Mumbai attacks need to be brought to justice and that includes everybody that you mentioned," he said to a question about the evidence on Saeed. | |
China Plans to break India by 2015? It seems like India is caught by some bad eyes. One by one problem is entering in India to harass India and Indian people. Earlier swine flu then shriveled and now the latest one China makes plan to break India by 2015. According to a Chinese strategist, India should break up into 20-30 states. China should take help of its friendly countries like Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. This is publicized in an article which is coincided with 13th round of India-China border. The caption is like Indian federation can be broken up, if China takes a little action only which directly proves the purpose of China and China make such plans by targeting the domestic people of India.
China published article on a website: China publically published this news in a new edition of website of CIISS. It is clear from this step that the aim of China is to target the domestic audience. The website is located in Beijing and this article is published in the new edition of one. The Chinese author Zhan Lue argues that India is not an India-centric country but it is Hindustan-centric. It primarily relies on Hindu religion community. India is only Hindu-religious state and due to which India is not becoming modern, it is coming in the way of Indian modernization. He also added that for the progress of Asia, it should necessary that join the forces from different nationalities like Assamese, Tamils etc. China will support them to make their independent nations of their own.
China supports other neighboring country: It is also mentioned in the article that China is going to support other neighbor countries to make their independent nations like it can help Bangladesh to encourage ethnic Bengali in India and join in Bangladesh and make a new independent state. In the article, he also argues that if it seems difficult then it can do at least one thing make Bengalis nation as separate state nation in India.
India should break up in states: In the article he also suggests that India should break up in 20-30 states to unified and strong Asia. With all these, it is very clear what the aim of China is? The intention of China is to break the India by creating misunderstanding and use the religion issue in India. Publish the article on website will definitely outrage Indians. It is nothing but a plan to dismember India which is a unified country. It is also clear that any author can not make such dare to write such bold words without taking permission of China authorities. But Indian association is also taking guarantee that if it is asked by China then it simply wash out its hands in this matter.
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BRUSSELS — Germany and France led a surprise rebound out of recession on Thursday, helping drag the 16-nation eurozone back towards positive territory in a further sign a global economic recovery is taking hold.
Official figures also showed Portugal and Sweden had exited recession in the second quarter of the year although analysts warned that a painful legacy, namely in the form of rising unemployment, would not be shaken off so easily.
"These results are not the end of the crisis but the beginning of the end of the crisis," said Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates after his country's economy grew 0.3 percent in the three months to June.
Germany and France, the two largest economies in the 16-nation eurozone, also enjoyed growth of 0.3 percent in the second quarter -- snapping a period of negative growth dating back to early 2008.
Sweden's economy neither grew nor contracted in the second quarter, officially ending its shrinkage according to the most popular definition of a recession as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction.
The news was particularly welcome for German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of polls next month as Europe's biggest economy has not seen positive growth since the first quarter of 2008. Analysts had forecast a 0.2 percent drop.
The figures from France were equally unexpected as the national statistics office INSEE had forecast a 0.6-percent contraction.
"We have come back to positive growth," said Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, welcoming what she described as "extremely surprising" figures.
But Lagarde warned the outlook for unemployment would "remain difficult," with her ministry saying private sector job losses could reach 591,000 in 2009.
Also on Thursday, Brussels second-quarter growth figures for the eurozone showed a contraction of 0.1 percent -- far better than the expected 0.4-percent drop and compared with a 2.5 percent downturn in the first quarter.
European Central Bank chief economist Juergen Stark said that growth in the eurozone could return sooner than expected.
But he too warned against premature optimism.
"What we are seeing is based primarily on stimulus measures by governments and the re-stocking of warehouses. Seen in that light, we cannot count on a durable return to a growth course."
Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg said last week that his country's results showed "clear signs of a stabilisation" but warned that the economy still faced "a long, drawn-out road to recovery."
Marc Touati, a Paris-based analyst for Global Equities, warned there could be more "negative" surprises ahead as the euro strengthens, interest rates creep back up and the impact of stimulus measures wears off.
"The really good news in this lies in the fact that, contrary to consensus forecasts going back a few weeks, a catastrophe along the lines of the 1930s Great Depression has been avoided," he said.
Figures elsewhere in Europe showed many countries still firmly in the grip of recession, such as Slovakia, whose economy contracted by 5.3 percent on a 12-month basis, or the Netherlands, now in its longest-ever recession.
"The (eurozone) economy is still contracting (but) the situation is much better than we expected in the spring," European Commission spokesman Ton Van Lierop told reporters in Bussels.
"The sharpest contractions in activity seem to be behind us," he added.
Britain, which is outside the eurozone, released figures on Wednesday showing its economy shrank 0.8 percent while unemployment hit a 14-year high.
But Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, a former EU trade commissioner, said that recovery on the continent was also "good news for us here in Britain" as it would boost export markets for British manufacturers.
Europe's main stock markets all rose following the upbeat results.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index closed up 0.82 percent while Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.95 percent and in Paris the CAC 40 added 0.49 percent.
The rises followed a rally in US stocks, after a Fed statement said that the US economy was "levelling out."
India wants tax pact with China to cover Hong Kong
he Income-Tax department is seeking the assistance of the Chinese authorities in collecting tax from Hutch for the $11.1-billion Vodafone deal.
The move is in addition to the engagement with Vodafone, which was served with a showcause notice after the Supreme Court allowed income-tax authorities to pursue the demand. The move also comes close on the heels of a provision made in the budget to conclude tax pacts with non-sovereign entities like Hong Kong.
“HTIL (Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd) so far has been able to get out of the tax net on grounds that the sale is not taxable in India. Now that we are allowed to sign taxation treaty with non-sovereign entities, we are pursuing a tax pact with China to cover Hong Kong too,” said a senior finance ministry official, who did not wish to be named. HTIL is a Hong Kong-based company and sold its 52% stake held through Cayman Island-based CGP Investments Holdings.
The government may also seek assistance from the ministry of external affairs to allay any political misgivings which may arise during the negotiations. In the 2009 budget, the government has made new provisions to ink tax pacts with non-sovereign entities too.
The provision will help in the Hutch-Vodafone case since India does not have a tax treaty with Hong Kong. Though Hong Kong is now controlled by China, the earlier tax provisions continue to prevail and there is no scope for Indian tax authorities to mount pressure on Hutch unless the Chinese tax authorities lend support.
Earlier in January this year, the Supreme Court declined to intervene in Vodafone tax plea, and said in its verdict that the question of jurisdiction of the authorities to assess the tax related to contracts between foreign entities could be raised before the tax authorities. If the company was dissatisfied with the order of the authorities, it could approach the high court again, the appellate court observed.
The I-T department is already in touch with Vodafone after issuing showcause notices for not deducting tax at source (TDS) before paying Hutch and now wants HTIL also in loop.
“There is no capital gains tax in Hong Kong and HTIL has managed to evade taxes in India as well. We’re sure with the signing of a taxation treaty with Hong Kong, we’ll be able to put pressure on Hutch to pay the due amount,” the finance ministry official said.
HTIL in its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already filed that there may be possible tax and other obligatory payments in connection with the deal.
Pakistan to restructure ISI
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to restructure its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, which is often accused of functioning as a state
"The effort that is already underway would bring energetic and more dedicated personnel into the fold of the agency who could live up to the challenges of the modern age," The News said on Wednesday.
As part of the effort, 32 officers of the rank of brigadier and colonel have been retired "and it is expected that other officers who have not proved their utility would be shown the door further down the line in the months to come", the newspaper said.
The agency is also being trimmed in the manner the army was restructured three years ago without compromising its operational capabilities.
Well placed sources in the defence ministry told The News that the ISI had expanded in recent years out of proportion, especially because officers who on the verge of superannuation joined the agency and subsequently managed to stay on.
"The practice expanded the agency in terms of numbers without enhancing its tangible capacity," the sources said.
Thus various departments of the agency were asked for a status report on officers who had attained the age of superannuation but were still working with it but without putting in anything useful. Since such officers were a burden on the organisation, it was decided they should be asked to immediately leave, the sources added.
The retrenchment process will continue for at least two more years.
China's India policy: Murder with borrowed knives
NEW DELHI: Fears that China could employ a strategy of “murdering with borrowed knives” against India does not seem totally unfounded. A
The article, written by Zhan Lue and titled “If China takes a little action , the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,” has aroused strong sentiments in India where many see this as a reflection of the hardline thinking in Beijing.
Published on the website of a think tank that advises Beijing on global and strategic issues, the article makes a series of preposterous suggestions saying that a fragmented India would be in China’s interests and also lead to prosperity in the region. Responding to the inflammatory nature of the suggestions, India issued a warning and a word of caution.
“We continue to maintain that opinions and assessment on the state of India-China relations should be expressed after careful judgment based on the long-term interests of building a stable relationship between the two countries,’’ MEA official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.
Giving the benefit of doubt to Beijing, MEA said the article “appears to be the expression of individual opinion and does not accord with the officially stated position of China on India-China relations” , conveyed to India on several occasions most recently by the State Councilor Dai Bingguo during border talks last week.
Nevertheless, the reaction suggests that the article is not being taken lightly by New Delhi. China watchers point out that an article of this nature would have been vetted by the Chinese government. The article, which is published on the website of the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS), suggests that China should work towards breaking up India into 20-30 nation-states like Europe so that social reforms in South Asia can be achieved, the caste system can be eradicated and the region can march towards prosperity.
Asking the Communist party to exploit regional sentiments in India, the article says that China can seek support of friendly countries including Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan to further this strategy. The article terms India as “Hindu religious state” that is based on caste exploitation which is coming in the way of modernisation.
It further argues that China in its own interest and the progress of whole of Asia should join forces with “different nationalities” like Assamese, Tamils and Kashmiris and support them in establishing independent nation states of their own. The article further said Beijing should support the United Liberation Front of Asom to help achieve independence for Assam from India.
Yet another suggestion is that China give political support to Bangladesh to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India get rid of “Indian control” and join Bangladesh as one Bengali nation. The strategist contends that if that is not possible then China should encourage the creation of a Bengali nation state for the aim of weakening India’s expansion and then recover the 90,000 sq km territory in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own.
The publication of the article has coincided with the 13th round of India-China border talks, which both sides have termed as positive. But pressure points have remained in Sino-Indian ties which have continued to flare up at regular intervals.
This includes the recent attempt by China to block an ADB loan to Arunachal Pradesh. Strategic experts here see it as a reflection of the growing hardline approach in China towards India. `This is part and parcel of hardline approach of think tanks (in China). They are trying to take advantage of India’s pliability,’’ said Mr Brahma Chellaney.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | AMARTYA SEN
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Amartya Sen Interview: Nobel laureate on terrorism
Published on Sat, Aug 08, 2009 at 08:38, Updated on Sat, Aug 08, 2009 at 23:21 in Books section
Tags: The Idea Of Justice, Amartya Sen
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Nobel Laureate, economist and philosopher, Professor Amartya Sen has just published a new book The Idea Of Justice. In the book he argues that central to the pursuit of justice is public reasonable discussion. Professor Amartya Sen spoke to CNN-IBN's senior editor Sagarika Ghose in an exclusive interview.
Sagarika Ghose: Professor Amartya Sen, we are living in times of terrorism and the ideologies that spawn terrorism. India is a victim of that. How does your theory of justice, the theory of public reasonableness deliver justice to a terrorist?
Amartya Sen: Well, it is not so much about delivering justice to a particular person. That's a legal matter. That language would be legal language. But how do you ensure that we enhance justice rather than reduce it in context of dealing with terrorism.
You know, obviously in so far as terrorism gives some reasonable grounds for restrictions on free speech that would be very serious conflict one has to look at. In so far as according to some, it gives reason to torture and other ways for extraction of information, those are some other kinds of issues.
The position that I have argued for is that there is no case for torture in any circumstances, even in those of terrorism. That is partly because it is a very bad way of pursuing information; secondly you also do not get much information that way. It is ineffective.
Studies of torture across the world over the centuries have shown that people under torture would give any answer that they thought would be pleasing to the interrogator. So you do not get very much information. I know that there have been things like of water-boarding and other issues that have come up in public discussions.
There I take a position similar to that of US President Obama rather than that of the previous administration. The previous administration, especially Cheney said that certain things have to be done because they are necessary.
I think it is counter productive, unjust and ultimately stupid. But, the other issue is the big issue. Obviously, in some ways we would like to see to what extent public reasoning can actually prevent cases of terrorism. That's a long run engagement.
India is embarking on opening new uranium mines and boosting nuclear power generation capacity as fuel supplies are expected to get a major push from domestic and international sources, a top scientist said. Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar said here that the first consignment of 120 tonnes of uranium pellets had already landed in India, and the government was engaged in a dialogue with international vendorcountries to get more such supplies.
Kakodkar said the uranium had been delivered under a kind of a long-term contract (with Russia). "They (Russia) will keep delivering and we will use it in the reactors, which we are putting under safeguards," he said.
"We also had a contract with Areva (of France) and uranium has come from there too," said Kakodkar, also Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy. The scientist said India was talking to a number countries, but did not name them saying that the discussions with some countries were "in very fluid stages". Prospective vendor companies are currently in discussion mode and have to go through a lot of understanding about the reactors and their design, among other things, he said.
Expressing “satisfaction” at the progress made after two days of border talks, India and China on Saturday said that “peace and tranquility should be maintained” in the India-China border areas. A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday evening said, “On the Boundary Question, both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress being made through the Special Representatives mechanism and reiterated that pending the settlement of the boundary issue, peace and tranquility should be maintained in our border areas.” Moreover, the statement quoted Dai Bingguo, Beijing’s Special Representative, as saying, “China takes a positive view of India’s development and progress, and also supports a bigger role for India in international affairs.”
Bingguo, who is China’s state councillor, met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and held extensive border talks with his Indian counterpart National Security Advisor M K Narayanan over the last two days in New Delhi. Narayanan was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao among other officials from MEA and PMO, whereas Dai was accompanied by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Da Wei and Director General for Boundary and Ocean Affairs Ning Fu Qui.
British authorities are cracking down on the many ‘tantriks’, ‘babas’ and psychics who prey on the fears and desires of the Asian community by promising them remedies, everlasting love and good fortune.
Most newspapers published in Indian languages here carry hundreds of advertisements from such individuals, promising ‘100 per cent guarantee’ of love and riches, or promising to cure cancer and lift curses.
The soothsayers industry is said to be worth 40 million pounds every year.
Now, authorities in the east Midlands town of Leicester, better known as ‘Little India’, have announced a campaign against such ‘babas’ and ‘tantriks’, most of whom have origins in the Indian sub-continent.
Deputy mayor Manjula Sood said: “I have heard of people being asked for 500 pounds and more for prayers or talismans. They think a curse will be placed on them if they refuse. One recently came to Leicester and took a room at a hotel where she charged clients 500 pounds for 10-minute sessions.”
India regretted England's pullout from the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad describing the move as an ‘over-reaction’ saying there was no cause for concern since adequate protective measures were taken.
"This is unfortunate and an over-reaction," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told PTI in New Delhi.
"The security arrangements in Hyderabad are good and the Government of India is committed to ensure the complete security of all competitors and the championship," he added.
Minister of state for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said, "we do regret the way one feels that they (England) cannot be safe in India. Our strong view is that all the foreign players should feel welcome and feel safe," he said.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said "All precautions have been taken. All necessary and adequate security measures are in place. There is no cause for concern."
Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor on Monday said there was "heightened activity" to push in maximum number of militants into Kashmir before winter and maintained that support of Pakistani Army in the infiltration bids by terrorists cannot be ruled out.
"Pakistan will use any and every opportunity to raise Kashmir (issue), whenever they get a chance. So, I see the increase in infiltration in that context," he told reporters when asked about spurt in terrorist activities in Kashmir.
"They (Pakistan) find things have gone far too peaceful. Amarnath Yatra has passed off peacefully...perhaps they don't wish for this prolonged peace and stability," he said.
"Hence you see heightened activity, heightened attempts to try to get as many people in before the winters come, snow falls and passes close," he added.
BSF on alert over Bangladesh 'Long March' against dam project
Dawki (PTI): The Border Security Force (BSF) have been put on alert as 12,000 agitators from Bangladesh advanced towards the country's borders for a 'Long March' protesting the Tipaimukh dam project at the trijunction of Assam-Manipur-Mizoram.
The 'Long March' was kicked off in Dhaka on Saturday.
The marchers are heading to Sylhet, 272 km northeast of Dhaka, where they would reach on Tuesday and then proceed to the Indian border. Sylhet district borders Assam and Meghalaya, official sources said.
"We will ensure that no untoward situation arises," a BSF spokesman said, adding that the troops were also prepared to thwart any possible infiltration attempt taking advantage of the gathering of massive crowd at the borders.
Bangladesh is protesting against the proposed Tipaimukh dam as it fears catastrophic destruction in the greater Sylhet area as it would block the flow of Barak river, the main river flowing through the plains of Bangladesh to Bay of Bengal.
Several leading NGOs and main Opposition party of Bangladesh - Bangladesh National Party (BNP), are participating in the 'Long March'.
Three more Australian attacks on Indians in past fortnight
NEW DELHI: Mohit Mangal, an Indian student from Indore, was beaten up in a Sydney suburb with beer bottles and baseball bats last Friday barely On August 3, attackers sprayed Gaurav Kakkar of Melbourne's Sheila Baxter Institute with capsicum spray, stuffed chilli flakes into his mouth and eyes and beat him with a rod. On July 27, Paramjeet Singh of Melbourne's Cambridge College was brutally assaulted in Glenroy railway platform. The attacks continue for the third month running. Kakkar and Singh spoke to TOI on phone on the attacks' details that has shaken them. Says Kakkar, "I was attacked by 4-5 Australians with capsicum spray and chilli flakes when I went out in North Carlton, Melbourne at 12:45 am to call my parents in Ferozpur, Punjab. They took my wallet." His friend Vikas Sharma adds, "They also hit his leg with a rod." Kakkar, a hairdressing and management student, called the police from his cell. "The police station is a five-minute drive but they arrived 55 minutes later. I just lay there bleeding. I couldn't move and could barely see with chilli in my eyes," says Kakkar, still in pain. The police took Kakkar to Royal Victorian Eye and Ears hospital where the doctor administered eye drops and took the X-rays of his legs. "I told the doctor I can't see with my right eye. But he said don't play games with me," says Kakkar. It's been a week but Kakkar says he still cannot see with his right eye. Kakkar is set to complete his course shortly with four assessments to clear before he can apply for permanent residency. But now, with all his troubles, he's unable to attend college. "His visa is about to expire and he doesn't even have enough money to pay hospital bills," says Sharma. On July 27, Paramjeet Singh, a 23-year-old student of printing and graphics, was returning home by local train from Ascendant to Glenroy around 4:15 pm local time when 5-6 young men seated behind him began teasing two girls on board. "One of the girls was Indian. When I went to defend her, threatening to press the button that activates the camera on the train, the guys stepped back." But the group beat him black and blue when he got off at Glenroy. "My pagdi came off and hair fell loose. One White person tried to help me, but the group assaulted him also. They chased me as I raced from one platform to another. They were not afraid of the platforms' CCTV cameras," says Singh, who hails from Amritsar. "Later, the police came with a para-medical van which gave me first aid. They lodged an FIR. I'm told investigations are going on," says Singh | |||
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Pakistan blocks advance in disarmament talks
By Robert Evans
GENEVA (Reuters) - Pakistan is blocking a seemingly agreed relaunch of long-stalled international disarmament talks, throwing doubt on prospects for a key accord to curb production of nuclear weapons, diplomats said on Monday.
Envoys from the European Union and Japan voiced concern over Islamabad's stance, but Pakistan told a session of the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament that it was simply aiming to protect its national security interests.
"The signs are not good for getting out of this situation any time soon," said one Western envoy, who asked not to be identified. "We seem to be sliding back towards the log-jam of the past 12 years."
And Sweden, speaking for the 27-nation European Union, suggested that Pakistan was resorting to "procedural manoeuvres" over the new negotiations so as to ensure that no real agreement on cutting nuclear weaponry could be reached.
During its current six-week session, the conference had been expected to finalise details of new talks by formalising a work programme and appointing officers -- thus clearing the way for negotiations on banning fissile material production.
Fissile material is vital for the building of nuclear bombs and halting its creation through a so-called cut-off pact has long been seen as the next major step towards reducing the threat of nuclear war.
At the end of May delegations reached a consensus agreement to start talks, spurred by the decision of the administration of Barack Obama to drop the objections made by previous U.S. president George W. Bush to fissile material inspections.
During the stand-off years, which paralysed the forum in which major disarmament pacts of the 1980s and 1990s were forged, other countries not keen for nuclear weapon curbs had hidden behind the U.S. stance. Continued...
Bangladesh seeks help to repatriate Myanmar migrants
DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh has sought help from the U.N. refugee agency to repatriate thousands of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar and stop the flow of illegal immigrants, officials said on Monday.
Dhaka says there are about 28,000 living in camps near the Myanmar border, and another 400,000 scattered outside.
"The continuous flow of illegal entrants was causing huge damage to our scarce land, forest and other resources," Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said after a meeting with Raymond Hall, regional representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Rohingyas, not recognised as an ethnic minority by Myanmar, allege human rights abuse by its authorities, saying they deprive Rohingya of free movement, education and rightful employment.
Moni urged the Myanmar authorities to take back the Rohingyas in the interest of good neighbourly relations.
"We hope the authorities in Myanmar would soon resume repatriation of their citizens ending their miseries of living away from home," she said.
Rohingyas have been leaving Myanmar and heading mainly into impoverished Bangladesh since the late 1970s. The biggest influx occurred in 1992.
Rohingya refugees have created problems for several other countries in the region in recent months, with reports of Thailand putting those who come by boat back to sea, and others reaching Malaysia and Indonesia and trying to work illegally.
U.S. operation in Afghan south destabilises west
By Golnar Motevalli
FARAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S. attempts to secure Afghanistan's most violent province have squeezed the insurgency into neighbouring areas, worsening security ahead of elections, U.S. officers and Afghan officials say.
A major operation which saw thousands of U.S. Marines fan out into parts of Helmand province has worsened security in neighbouring Farah to the west, they said.
The Helmand operation was one of the biggest ever undertaken by U.S. Marines, but raised questions about whether insecurity had just been shifted to neighbouring areas.
"There has definitely been a spillage," U.S. Navy Captain Larry Vasquez, commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Farah province told Reuters.
The teams are charged with helping improve infrastructure and services in remote parts of Afghanistan in order to win over locals and undermine support for the Taliban.
The governor of Farah, Ruhol Amin, said he had also seen an increase of Taliban fighters into his province as a result of Operation Khanjar, or "Strike of the Sword", which started on July 1 and involved some 4,000 Marines.
He said the insurgents had even managed to set up check points in some areas.
"But as we work with foreign and coalition forces we hope to be able to fight this and put and end to it," Amin said. Continued...
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5 more army camps closed in CHT
Meanwhile, Bengali settlers staged a sit-in demo in front of Digalchhari camp last morning in protest against the army pullout, citing their security concerns.
Later, they withdrew their protest programme following the assurances of the Barkal UNO and the OC of Barkal thana of ensuring their "security".
In Khagrachhari, 38 army, police and ansar personnel from the Pobangpara camp in Dighinala upazila were brought to the Dighinala Sadar Zone in the morning, a security source told the UNB district correspondent.
So far, four army camps have been withdrawn from this hill district (Khagrachhari), most troubled by protracted tribal insurgency until the truce was struck on December 2, 1997.
In Rangamati, army personnel from four camps were withdrawn yesterday for the first time since the pullout began Friday.
Sources concerned told the news agency that the army personnel from Digalchhari camp in Barkal upazila and Hamidtila camp in Sadar upazila were brought to the Sadar Zone while troops from Amitpara camp in Rajsthali upazila and Sitapahar camp in Kaptai closed to Kaptai Brigade.
The government, as per its decision, would pull out 21 camps from Rangamati, 12 from Khagrachhari and two from Bandarban districts.
According to sources concerned, the government has already sent in letters to the deputy commissioners of the three hill districts with the pullout direction.
The UNOs of all the upazilas of the hill districts have been given directives to remain "alert" in maintaining law and order.
The new government started withdrawing the army camps from the district Friday as per terms of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
The present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 29 announced its decision to withdraw one brigade of troops and 35 temporary security camps from the CHT region by next month (September). On Friday, the formal pullout started with the closedown of camps in the backwoods of the hill districts.
On December 2, 1997, the government of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the peace accord with PCJSS leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriaya Larma alias Shantu Larma, putting an end to over a two-decade bloodletting bush war for self-rule. The accord also brought back refugees from camps in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura.
In the meantime, a petition was filed with the High Court Sunday seeking injunction against the army pullout from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Receiving the application, a division bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury fixed August 16 for hearing.
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Some politicians helped Lashkar put down roots
They are now working to gather more about them, said sources in the intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Officials involved in the ongoing crackdown on militants said they have information that some politicians might have been sheltering LeT cadres as per secret deals with the terrorist group.
Though law enforcers had detained several LeT operatives in the past, they formally admitted the outfit's existence here only last month after the Detective Branch of police arrested Obaidullah and Mansur.
Before that, they had been denying reports about foreign militants ensconced in the country.
A former investigator of the Rapid Action Battalion told these correspondents earlier that they had come to know about the existence of LeT and at least seven of its political patrons in Bangladesh during the last BNP-Jamaat-led government rule.
But they could not carry the investigation through as they had limitations with the four-party alliance in power.
Sources said investigators are confirmed that banned Islamist outfit Harkatul-Jihad-al Islami, Bangladesh, has all along been backing LeT operations here.
The local political links became a focus of the investigation after names of some political leaders came up during interrogations of the detained Lashkar men.
DB Deputy Commissioner Monirul Islam who leads the agency's drive against militancy said, “We are now verifying the information and names we've got from the detained Lashkar leaders."
He, however, would not say anything about identity of the political leaders suspected of aiding and abetting LeT in Bangladesh.
Sources close to DB say some of the suspects are local level leaders of a political party and some are quite prominent at national level.
Investigators would also examine if any of the political patrons of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh are involved in any foreign militant organisation like LeT.
The law enforcers hope they will be able to make headway towards unearthing the LeT's political patrons once they capture some other Lashkar men in the country.
Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Mansur meantime disclosed that their organisation has been active in Bangladesh for the last 14 years.
They also said local LeT operatives have links to the network of absconding Indian underworld don Daud Ibrahim and Huji Bangladesh leaders.
Both the detainees had been teaching at local madrasas since their illegal entrance to Bangladesh in 1995.
"Obaidullah had been organising Bangladeshi youths for jihad on instructions from Ameer Reza, an Indian holed up in Pakistan," DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque told newsmen after Obaidullah's arrest.
Talking to reporters while being paraded before the media, Obaidullah said four other most wanted Indians are also hiding in Bangladesh.
Following up information obtained from him, DB police arrested LeT leader Mansur Ali from Dakkhin Khan area in the capital on July 22.
Mansur told reporters at the DMP headquarters that he had close relations with local Huji top brass including Mufti Hannan, Abdur Rouf, Abu Taher and Sheikh Abdus Salam.
Tipaimukh Dam
Govt serving purpose of India
Intellectuals allege while inaugurating signature collection
DU Correspondent
Intellectuals at a programme in the city on Monday alleged that the present Awami League government is serving the purpose of India on Tipaimukh dam issue to perpetuate its power ignoring the national interest of Bangladesh.
"The government which got huge support of the mass people is unfortunately favouring India instead of forming national unity on this issue," said Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Chowdhury while inaugurating a signature collection campaign on Tipaimukh dam issue in front of National Museum at Shahbagh.
Ganosanghati Andolon launched the countrywide campaign yesterday aiming to make people aware of the possible effects of the proposed dam.
Prof Chowdhury said it is shocking that some representatives of the government are echoing the Indian voice through declining the possibility of any bad effect on Bangladesh without having any knowledge on the dam. Besides the government is oppressing the people who have raised their voice against the dam, he alleged.
Ahmed Kamal, Chairman of DU History Department, said, while India says that the dam will not harm us, we can not believe them as they used to tell the same thing during the construction of Farakka barrage.
"Now one need not be a specialist to realize the devastation caused by Farakka. This barrage had destroyed the western and northern parts of the country and if the Tipaimukh dam is implemented, the rest of Bangladesh will become a barren place," he said.
He said the project at the highly earthquake-prone area will put the lives of crores of people in 12 districts in the north-east region of Bangladesh and areas in Indian states of Assam and Manipur under great risk.
Engineer M Inamul Haque said, the project would cause a disastrous situation for the Meghna basin, especially the greater Sylhet region, during the dry season due to large-scale withdrawal of water of the Barak River in the upper stream.
Besides it will cause immense harm to ecology and environment in a large area of both Bangladesh and India, he said.
Coordinator of the organization Zonayed Saki called upon the people to raise their voice against the looming crisis. He said, initially they will collect five lakh signatures from across the country and submit it to foreign ministry and international forums including the United Nations.
Remittance gives confidence to economic prosperity: Muhith
UNB, Dhaka
Overwhelmed by the contribution of foreign remittance by around 7.5 million non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Monday said no one can resist Bangladesh' s economic progress. "No one can resist our development as we've agents of change (NRBs)," he said while addressing the concluding session of a daylong Remittance Utsab (festival) at Bangabandhu Int’l Confce Centre (BICC).
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) of Dhaka University organized the festival to honour the "unsung heroes" for their contributions to the national economy and sensitize the policymakers to solve the problems being faced by them. During the last fiscal year, NRBs remitted US$ 9.6 billion, which is 12 percent of the total yearly national income, nine times of the net inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) and double the net export earnings from readymade garments.
The Finance Minister assured the NRBs of solving their problems and advised not to lose courage in the face of any difficulties at home and the workplaces abroad. "We understand your worries, which we cannot solve overnight," he said. He requested the NRBs to let the policymakers know their complaints. "We might be inefficient in solving problems… that does not mean we ignore you." The awards titled 'Sonar Manush Shonmanona - 2009' (awarding the golden people) were conferred to three people from migrants rights activists, 11 bankers, three recruiting agencies, two individuals, who came back and utilized the remittance in profitable projects and three remittance-receiving families.
Speaking on the occasion, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman congratulated the remitters who contributed towards maintaining a surplus balance for the last few years in the country's Balance of Payment (BoP) position.He stressed the need for reducing the costs of migration and the remittance sending at the shortest possible time, and called upon the commercial banks to play their part in these regards.
Expatriate Welfare Minister Engr Mosharraf Hossain called upon recruiting agencies to reduce the migration costs and assured them of all necessary support from the government. "Don't kill the gooses that lay golden eggs," he said.Earlier at the opening session of the festival, noted economist Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud said the government or the Bangladesh Bank always mentions about the economic contributions of the expatriate workers, but no one think about their problems. He stressed the need for collecting detailed data of the workers on their working environment abroad, sufferings they endure while returning home, and on how they spend the hard-earned foreign currencies.
"The government keeps only the records of the number of people went abroad and the amount of foreign currencies they sent back home," he said, expressing dissatisfaction as the authorities considering the sector as a mere informal one.
5 army camps withdrawn from CHT under troop pull-out plan
UNB, Dhaka
Five more army camps were withdrawn from Chittagong Hill Tracts today (Monday) following the government decision to pull out troops from the region in implementation of the CHT peace treaty.
Of the five camps, one was dismantled in Khagrachhari while four in Rangamati, UNB correspondents quoting security sources reported from the two hill districts.
Meanwhile, Bengali settlers staged a sit-in demo in front of Digalchhari camp this morning in protest against the army pullout, citing their security concerns.
Later, they withdrew their protest programme following the assurances of the Barkal UNO and the OC of Barkal thana of ensuring their "security".
In Khagrachhari, 38 army, police and ansar personnel from the Pobangpara camp in Dighinala upazila were brought to the Dighinala Sadar Zone in the morning, a security source told the UNB district correspondent.
So far, four army camps have been withdrawn from this hill district (Khagrachhari), most troubled by protracted tribal insurgency until the truce was struck on December 2, 1997.
In Rangamati, army personnel from four camps were withdrawn today for the first time since the pullout began Friday.
Sources concerned told the UNB correspondent that the army personnel from Digalchhari camp in Barkal upazila and Hamidtila camp in Sadar upazila were brought to the Sadar Zone while troops from Amitpara camp in Rajsthali upazila and Sitapahar camp in Kaptai closed to Kaptai Brigade.
The government, as per its decision, would pull out 21 camps from Rangamti, 12 from Khagrachhari and two from Bandarban districts.
According to sources concerned, the government has already sent in letters to the deputy commissioners of the three hill districts with the pullout direction. The UNOs of all the upazilas of the hill districts have been given directives to remain "alert" in maintaining law and order.
The new government started withdrawing the army camps from the district Friday as per terms of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
Traffic jam
Influx of new vehicles fuelling the crisis in city
Staff Correspondent
Traffic jam in the capital city has been increasing seriously as scores of new vehicles including passenger buses, private cars and rickshaws are coming to the streets daily adding fuel to the fire of the crisis.
Besides, ahead of the month of holy Ramadan, hawkers and vendors have already started carrying on business occupying the footpath illegally which is one of the main reasons for the traffic jam in the capital. The city dwellers observed that increase of private cars and random parking on different streets violation of traffic rules are other causes of traffic jam.
According to a recent research report conducted by a private organisation, around 150 different types of vehicles are coming to the city streets daily which are creating traffic jam and polluting air severely.
Most of the head offices of government and non-government organisation are located in the capital. On the other hand, a huge number of shopping complexes, business centres, educational institutions and hospitals have been built-up in residential areas without arrangement of car parking spaces. That is why, a large number of cars gather in front of different shopping complexes, business centres, and government and private organisation blocking roads under the very nose of authority.
During a visit yesterday, this correspondent found an acute traffic jam at different parts of the city including Mohakhali, Farm Gate, Karwan Bazaar, New Market, Shahbagh, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Saydabad bus stand and Maghbazaar crossing.
Moreover, in the commercial areas like New Market, Matijheel, Palton, Gulshan, Banani, Bari-dhara, Dhanmondi and Mirpur areas the same traffic jams were witnessed due to haphazard car parking system in the areas.
If the authority wants to reduce the traffic jam, it should construct separate lane for car along side the road, more parking space. It should increase the number of passenger buses and reduce that of private car on the streets.
Hasina names 26 members of AL Working Committee
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina named 26 members of her party's central working committee and the Information and Research Secretary today (Monday), in exercise of her authority delegated by the AL council session.
"As per section 18 of the party constitution, the party chief has chosen the 26 members in consultation with the party presidium," says an announcement from the ruling party.
The members of the central committee are-Md Nasim, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Altaf Hossain(Magura), Principal Motiur Rahman MP(Mymensingh), Eng Mosharraf Hossain MP(Chittagong), Sheikh Harun-ur-Rashid (Khulna), Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, AKM Rahmatullah MP, Syada Jebunnasa(Sylhet), Begum Munnujan Sufiyan MP, Khairuzzaman Liton, Adv Fazle Rabbi MP, Sree Bipul Ghosh, Abdur Rahman MP, Aktheruzzaman, Bir Bahadur MP, Tipu Munshi MP(Rangpur), Mostafa Faruq MP(Jessore), M A Mannan MP(Sunamganj), Majibur Rahman Majnu(Bogra), Mirza Azam MP, Adv Momtajuddin Mehedi, Akther Jahan(Rajshahi), Dr Shirin Sharmeen Chowdhury MP, Sree Sujit Roy Nandi and Aminul Islam Amin.
The ruling Awami League on July 31 announced its new central committee, leaving out veterans like Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzaq, Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, and bringing in many fresh faces.
The 13-member presidium, the highest policymaking body of the party, had six new recruits-Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Raziuddin Ahmed Razu, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Satish Chandra Roy, Sahara Khatun and Obaidul Quader.
Apparently, the exclusions marked an end to their long dominance in the country's largest political party, especially against the backdrop of the post-1/11 episodes.
According to the AL constitution, 47 of the 73 members of the working committee shall be elected by the councillors, and the party chief will choose 26 others in consultation with the presidium within 21 days since the national council.
Govt N-power team to visit Russia
bdnews24.com, Dhaka
A government delegation is awaiting the final nod from the prime minister's office to visit a Russian nuclear power plant, an official of the science ministry told bdnews24.com on Monday.
"Russia has invited a Bangladeshi delegation to visit their nuclear power plants," said the official, who asked not to be named but was closely involved with the negotiations. A nine-member delegation is slated to visit in October, he said. He said a proposal had been sent to the prime minister for approval regarding the visit, which is likely to be headed by state minister for science and ICT Yafes Osman.
Bangladesh and Russian signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Dhaka in May this year, on the peaceful use of nuclear power, which was seen as a first-step towards construction of a Bangladeshi nuclear power plant. Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Mosharaf Hossain, and deputy-director general of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), NN Spasskiy, signed the deal. The MOU covers the design, licensing, construction, operation and maintenance of nuclear power and research reactors. It also provided guidelines for joint initiatives in exploration and extraction of uranium deposits and radiation waste management.
‘One Stop Pension Service Cell’ for police
UNB, Dhaka
A 'One Stop Pension Service Cell' was launched for police at Rajarbagh police line Monday to ensure receiving of pension without any hassle after their retirement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque inaugurated the service cell.
After opening the One Stop Pension Service cell, the Commissioner said a government employee has to face much hassle to get his pension benefit after his retirement. DMP has taken the initiative to stop the harassment of police members, he said.
Terming the initiative as epoch-making, the Commissioner said, "No retired police officer or employee needs to go to other places for pension. They need only to contact with One Stop Pension Service Cell."
Finance, record and welfare sections would work unitedly in this regard, he said.
Additional Commissioner Md Abul Kashem, Joint Commissioner (DB) Amollya Bhusun Barua, and other senior officers were present at the function.
http://www.thebangladeshtoday.com/leading%20news.htm
Israeli jets strike Gaza tunnel
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Israel says the tunnels are used to smuggle weapons
Israeli planes have bombed a smuggling tunnel into Gaza after Palestinian mortars fell near the main crossing from Gaza into Israel.
The Israeli military said two mortar shells landed a few hundred metres from Erez crossing as urgent Palestinian medical cases were being transferred.
It was the first such airstrike since mid-June, with Palestinian rocket attacks much reduced in recent months.
No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
The Israeli military said the air strike early on Monday morning was in response to "continued" rocket and mortar fire.
In addition to the mortar attack on Sunday afternoon, a rocket was fired into Israel on Sunday morning, the military said.
The Israeli military has often targeted the tunnels through which are goods are smuggled from Egypt into Gaza, bypassing Israel's crippling economic blockade of the territory.
Israel says weapons are also transferred through the tunnels.
Attacks by Gaza-based Palestinian militants have dropped in recent months, with two rockets and a mortar falling in Israel in July, and two rockets in June.
The Israeli military says about 700 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel since the start of the year - which includes most of Israel's 22-day military offensive in December and January.
Israel says the operation and the blockade are aimed at ending rocket fire and weakening the Hamas movement which controls Gaza.
Military voices A report by Israeli ex-military activists lends credibility to war crimes claims in Gaza
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8193194.stm
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