'Extortion' case: Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra appears before police

NEW DELHI: Zee group chairman Subhash Chandra appeared before police on Saturday for questioning in connection with the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid by two Zee editors from Congress MP Naveen Jindal's company for not airing news damaging to it.

Chandra, who had secured an interim protection from arrest till December 14 by a Delhi court, came to crime branch office in Chanakyapuri along with lawyers where he was questioned.

His questioning came following police sending three notices to him asking him to join investigations in the case in which two of his editors Sudhir Chaudhury and Samir Ahluwalia were arrested late last month following investigations into complaint filed on October two.

Chandra had earlier told police that he could not appear before them as he was out of the country but later on December three he told them he will be ready to appear within 96 hours of notice. Police then asked him to appear before them on December eight.

Investigators have told a local court earlier that they were treating him as an accused as he knew about the dealings between his employees and Congress MP Naveen Jindal's company.

Zee group has denied the allegations and demanded the immediate release of its two senior journalists, alleging the police action was "illegal" and "designed for something else".

In a letter to Delhi Police through his lawyer RK Handoo, the Zee group chairman had claimed "vested interests" have created a public "mis-impression" that he is deliberately not joining investigations.

Terming the campaign as "vicious", "malafide" and "unwarranted", the letter said Chandra had informed the police on November 27 that he went ahead with his "pre-scheduled" meetings and engagements in India and abroad.

While granting interim relief from arrest, the court had directed Chandra and his son to "join and cooperate" with the probe. It had ordered both of them to surrender their passport with the police.

Chandra's son Puneet Goenka, who was also asked to appear before police, also joined the investigations.

Puneet came separately. Chandra was accompanied by his brother Jawahar Goel when he arrived at the Crime Branch office at 2pm.

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Reunification of India and Pakistan only solution to Kashmir: Markandey Katju

NEW DELHI: Press Council of India (PCI) chairperson Justice Markandey Katju today said that the only solution to the Kashmir problem is reunification of India and Pakistan under a strong and "modern-minded" government which will not tolerate bigotry.

"The cause of the Kashmir problem is the partition of India on a totally bogus basis - the two nation theory, that Hindus and Muslims are separate nations....I don't recognize Pakistan as a legitimate country because the whole basis is the two nation theory and I don't accept the two nation theory," he said.

"Therefore the one and only solution to the Kashmir problem or the militancy problem in Pakistan is the reunification of India and Pakistan under a strong, central, secular, modern-minded government which just doesn't tolerate bigotry," he said and added that such a government would deal with fanaticism with an iron hand.

Addressing a seminar organised by the South Asia Media Commission here, he said that the two nation theory was encouraged by the British post 1857 to create rift between Hindus and Muslims.

"Many of my Pakistan friends, they agree now that what nonsense this two nation theory is....the entire ploy was by the English and you people are a bunch of idiots," Katju said.

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Assad could use chemical weapons in Syria, British foreign secretary says

MANAMA: British foreign secretary William Hague said that there is evidence that the Syrian government could use its chemical weapons stocks in its conflict with rebels fighting to oust it.

"We are extremely concerned about the stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and we are also concerned about evidence during the last couple of weeks that the regime could use them," Hague told reporters in Manama on the sidelines of a regional security conference.

He said Britain had joined with the United States in delivering a strong message to President Bashar al-Assad's government.

"We have contingency plans concerning chemical weapons but will not disclose them," he added.

Hague said there were several "dangerous scenarios" for such weapons, including their "use by the regime, or falling in the hand of other people".

He said the option of military intervention in Syria had not been "ruled out" but Britain continued to support a peaceful transition.

He said it was not Britain's policy "to supply arms to any side in the Middle East" but added that the opposition fighters were "receiving arms and making progress on the ground".

"We will continue to give them strong practical assistance - communication equipment and humanitarian assistance," the British minister said.

"I hope that the international community will be giving more support to the (opposition) coalition during the Marrakesh meeting," he said, referring to a meeting of the Friends of Syria group due to be held in the southern Moroccan city on December 12.

Yesterday, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said any use of chemical weapons by President Bashar al-Assad's regime against the rebels would be an "outrageous crime."

Washington has said the use of chemical weapons would be a red line but that it fears battlefield advances by the rebels could prompt the Assad regime to use them, or that stocks could fall into the hands of groups hostile to the United States and its allies.

The Syrian government has insisted it would never resort to the use of chemical weapons in the 21-month conflict, which has killed more than 42,000 people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

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Punjab cop murder: Dismissed SHO to approach seniors for justice

AMRITSAR: Government took no time in suspending and then dismissing SHO Chheharata Ashwani Kumar to assuage public anger and teach police a lesson for dereliction in their duties following killing of ASI Ravinderpal Singh but the SHO claims that he not only reacted on the verbal complaint of Ravinderpal's daughter Robinjot Kaur but he was being meted with injustice as the government didn't give him chance to explain his side of story.

Right after the killing of Ravinderpal Singh allegedly by Ranjit Singh Rana and his accomplice on December 5th , Chheharata police especially the SHO had been accused of negligence of their duties following which DGP Sumedh Singh Sainin announced his dismissal from the force.

While talking to TOI on Saturday, Sharma informed that on December 1st Robinjot had come to Chheharat police station and was crying while informing police of being molested by few aged persons. "As she was about to leave without giving any complaint I called her in my office and listened to her complaint" said he adding that she complained that four aged persons had stopped her and harassed her.

He claimed that he had sent two head constables Jyoti and Baldev Singh along with Robinjot Kaur to the site where she was harassed but they didn't find anyone .

"She even gave me the number of vehicle used by them which I immediately circulated through wireless but didn't get any response" he said . He said the girl said that she didn't know the names of the persons or their addresses. He said that her father as well as her uncle Hardev Singh were in police force and knew that a written complaint was required for police before taking action.

"I still responded to her verbal complaint" claimed he. He said his senior police officers knew the truth and he would approach them for justice.

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Will run for Italian leadership again, Silvio Berlusconi says

ROME: Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Saturday he would run to become the country's leader for a fifth time, confirming his return to politics after months of indecision.

"I'm going to race to win," Berlusconi told reporters at the practice field for AC Milan, the soccer club he controls.

"And again I'm doing it out of a sense of responsibility." The 76-year-old media tycoon resigned in 2011 as prime minister as Italy teetered on the edge of a Greek-style debt crisis and he was dogged by a sex-scandal which included allegations he was involved with an underage prostitute.

The announcement he would run in his sixth national election came just two days after his People of Liberty (PDL) party withdrew support for Mario Monti's government, bringing the country close to a snap election a few months short of the natural end of the legislature.

On Saturday, Berlusconi said PDL would pass legislation proposed by Monti's government, including next year's budget package, and that March 10 was an acceptable date for the parliamentary election, confirming the collapse of Monti's government was not imminent.

Berlusconi has repeatedly changed his mind in the last few months on whether he will stand in the election, but he dropped a strong hint on Wednesday he was about to return to the spotlight.

President Giorgio Napolitano asked the former European commissioner Monti to form a government of technocrats after Berlusconi stepped down, with the support of a right-left coalition that includes the PDL.

Monti imposed austerity measures to bring borrowing costs under control. But the higher taxes have weighed on consumer spending and deepened a recession that began in the second half of last year.

Though the euro zone's third-biggest economy is still struggling, Monti has calmed the financial markets and the spread between Italy and German benchmark bonds this week fell to nearly half the level it was when he took over.

Monti, who is a life-appointed Senator, has said he will not stand in next year's vote, but is willing to step in afterward if the result is not clear.

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Fukushima workers move to safety after tsunami warning: Tepco

TOKYO: Workers at two nuclear plants in Fukushima reached safe positions inside the plants after a tsunami warning was issued after a strong earthquake struck northeastern Japan, a spokesman at Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said on Friday.

Kyodo news agency earlier said that Tepco had ordered workers at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini plants to evacuate.

Tepco earlier said there were no irregularities at the two plants after the quake.

The Tepco spokesman, at its Tokyo head office, said it had not yet confirmed the arrival of the tsunami at the plants.

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Fire breaks out in fuel-laden train in UP, rail traffic disrupted

BAHRAICH: Fifteen wagons of a goods train carrying fuel derailed and burst into flames on December 7 in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district between Jarwal and Saryu railway stations, disrupting traffic on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur route.

"Sixteen wagons of the train derailed and 15 of them caught fire," Public Relation Officer of Northern Railway, Alok Srivastava said. However, there were no casualties.

Vikas Singh, a railway official said, "The train's driver, who was injured while trying to escape, had to be rushed to a hospital in an ambulance." The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. "Railway employees detached 31 other wagons of the train and fire fighters fought to control the blaze for 7 to 8 hours," he said.

"Consequently, the route of 11 trains on the down line and 14 on the up line have been changed. Three others have been cancelled. Also, 150 metres of rail track on the down line and 50 metres on the up line has been destroyed due to the fire," added Srivastava.

General Manager of north-eastern railway B Ramachandran has ordered an enquiry and rail traffic on the route is to be restored by the evening. "The loss was estimated to be in crores of rupees," Srivastava stated.

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Sebi seeks Sahara account details from banks, help from RBI

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 7, 2012, 05.29PM IST

NEW DELHI: Market watchdog Sebi has asked various banks to provide it all account details of the Sahara group as well as their promoters and directors, and is also seeking help from RBI, ED and Financial Intelligence Unit as part of a multi-pronged probe into the entity.

Besides, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has also written to Sahara group to furnish the details of bank accounts and properties held by them so as to enable it to take recourse to appropriate legal remedies as per the Supreme Court directions, the Parliament was informed today.

The details of actions taken by Sebi, which also includes its request to Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh governments to initiate civil and criminal proceedings against two Sahara group companies, were listed by minister of state for finance Namo Narain Meena in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

Sebi has also launched prosecution and adjudication proceedings against Sahara and its promoter/directors, Meena said, adding that the regulator is also regularly submitting to the Supreme Court a case status report approved by Justice B N Aggarwal, as per the court directions.

Meena said Sebi has written to "NABARD, ED, Central Economic Intelligence Committee, RBI and Financial Intelligence requesting them to share with Sebi any material/information in their possession about the Sahara group of Companies, more particularly SIRECL and SHICL".

He added, "They were also requested to examine or inquire any possible violation of the provisions of law falling under their jurisdiction and share with Sebi the outcome of such examination/inquiry."

The Supreme Court on August 31 asked two Sahara group companies (SIRECL and SHCIL) to refund the amount collected through issue of OFCDs (Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures), with annual interest of 15 per cent, within three months to Sebi, which was mandated to facilitate the repayment of the money to the bondholders.

As per the order, the total amount collected by these two companies had an outstanding balance of Rs 24,029.73 crore as on August 31, 2011, the minister said, while adding that the Sahara group was also asked to furnish the documents relating to these investors within 10 days of the order.

As Sahara failed to meet the stipulated time limit, Sebi filed a contempt case before the Supreme Court. The group also filed two appeals before Securities Appellate Tribunal.

The appeal for extension in time for submission of documents to Sebi is listed for hearing on December 20, while the second appeal for allowing deposit of money with the registrar of SAT was dismissed by the tribnual on November 29.

The group then filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the SAT decision, pursuant to which "an amount of Rs 5,120 crore has been refunded to Sebi by the Saharas", the minister said.

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Indo-French satellite SARAL launch postponed to early 2013

BANGALORE: Indo-French satellite SARAL which was to be launched onboard PSLV—C20 from the spaceport of Sriharikota on December 12, by ISRO, will now see the space only early next year.

"The mission has been postponed because we are planning to conduct additional tests to improve the reliability of the space craft," said an official from ISRO.

"The new launch dates haven't been fixed yet, however, we hope to put the vehicle in space by January-February next year," he said.

According to a source, who's associated with the project, sudden technical issues were the main reasons for conducting additional reliability tests

SARAL is a small satellite mission with payloads —— Argos and Altika —— from French space agency CNES. The satellite will study ocean parameters and work towards enhancing the understanding of the ocean state conditions which are otherwise not covered by the in-situ measurements.

Once launched, SARAL will also provide data products to operational and research user communities, in support of marine meteorology and sea state forecasting; operational oceanography; seasonal forecasting; climate monitoring; ocean, earth system and climate research.

The satellite has been built by ISRO. The agency is also in charge of its launch services.

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US, Russia back mediation on Syria, Hillary Clinton says

BELFAST, Northern Ireland: US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton says the United States and Russia have agreed to support mediation efforts with all parties in Syria to bring about a political transition.

But she says Syrian President Bashar Assad must leave power to secure a democratic future for the Arab country.

Washington and Moscow have clashed repeatedly throughout Syria's 21-month civil war over how to stem the violence.

In a new effort, Clinton met with Russia's foreign minister and the UN peace envoy for Syria to try to chart a new path forward.

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NCP tells Prithviraj Chavan not to take unilateral decision on FDI in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has asked Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan not to take any decision regarding implementation of multi-brand FDI in retail in the state without consulting it, even though the party voted in favour of the move in the Lok Sabha.

A letter signed by NCP state president Madhukar Pichad was delivered to Chavan by former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar last night.

The party has said the issue of implementation needs to be discussed in the coordination committee first.

"We have issues which need to be discussed and clarified. There are Mathadi labour unions, market committees and we have to ensure that their interests are not harmed while implementing FDI in retail," Pichad said.

The coalition partner in Maharashtra government has told Chavan that no one-sided decision should be taken.

The UPA government of which NCP is a key constituent at the Centre won approval for FDI in Lok Sabha yesterday after the Opposition motion seeking immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected as the BSP and SP walked out.

218 voted in favour of the Opposition motion, while 253 voted against it in the House where 471 members participated in the voting. The total strength of the House is 545.

Yesterday, soon after the voting, NCP leader Praful Patel said that his party did not support implementation of the decision in Maharashtra.

"In Maharashtra, we have a coalition government (with Congress). We will meet, discuss its merits and demerits and then decide on our party's stand which will be conveyed," he had said.

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No assurance from Delhi Police to Zee boss on his arrest

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Thursday refused to give any assurance in a court here that Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra and his son will not be arrested, if their complicity comes up during probe in connection with the alleged Rs 100 crore extortion bid from Naveen Jindal's firm by two editors of his channel.

"We cannot commit or assure that they (Chandra and his son) will not be arrested. The moment we get a lead of the alleged extortion made on behalf of Zee Group by their two editors, we will arrest them," Rajiv Mohan, special public prosecutor submitted before additional sessions judge Raj Rani Mitra, who reserved the order on their anticipatory bail.

The prosecutor made the submission, while opposing the anticipatory bail plea moved by Chandra and his son Punit Goenka, managing director of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited.

Apprehending their arrest during interrogation by the police, Chandra and Goenka approached the court seeking interim protection.

Senior advocate Geeta Luthra and Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for the father-son, contended that their clients are ready to join the probe, if the police gives them the assurance that the two will not be arrested during the time of interrogation.

"We (Chandra and Goenka) will join the investigation as has been asked by the police for December 8 and even before, if required.

"But, if the police decides to arrest us, then it should give at least five days' time so that we can argue the matter at length on some other day," the counsel argued.

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Indian worker kills self in first Dubai Metro suicide case

DUBAI: A 36-year-old Indian in an inebriated state committed suicide in Dubai Metro, in a first such case, throwing himself under a train after being refused by his employer from returning home.

"On Monday the Indian worker, who has been identified as HUM committed suicide on the track," said Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, deputy chief of Dubai Police.

"The speeding Metro struck the man while he was lying on the track. Man was under the influence of alcohol and used the emergency fire exit to access the track," he said.

Mazeina said H.U.M was working in Dubai since 2010 and had asked his company to cancel his residency visa and send him back home.

The deceased's body was beyond recognition and police took two days to identify him after one of his friends filed a missing report about him.

The man, under the influence of alcohol, used the emergency fire exit to access the track.

The suicide took place on Monday, the first death in the railways' three years of operation.

"The speeding Metro struck the man while he was lying on the track," Mazeina said.

"Despite the fact that all the ways to those exits are closed and very well monitored, the man managed to jump and go inside. The police, Road and Transport Authority are working on investigating the incident," he said.

The friend of HUM reported him missing a day before his death.

"The friend told police HUM was depressed and unhappy because he wanted to go back home but the sponsor, for no clear reasons, was not letting him go so he would put an end to his life," Mazeina was quoted by Gulf News as saying.

"HUM complained to the Ministry of Labour to make his company cancel his visa. The company did cancel his visa but we are investigating why the company delayed sending HUM back home," he said.

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HC tells Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to pay Diwali bonus to 40,000 employees

MUMBAI: The Bombay HC today asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay Rs 11,000 as ex-gratia for Diwali to each of its 40,000 employees who had struck work for two days last year.

Hearing a BMC appeal against the single judge order of the HC asking the civic body to pay ex-gratia amounting to about Rs 50 crore, a bench of Justices A M Khanvilkar and Mridula Bhatkar, however, stayed their order for four weeks to enable the corporation to move the Supreme Court.

The Bench asked the workers to give an undertaking that if the final order was delivered in favour of the civic body, they would return the bonus amount along with interest.

On September 19 and 20, 2011, BMC employees had gone on a strike to protest non-implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. The strike call was given by Municipal Mazdoor Union, Municipal Engineers' Union and Municipal Karmachari Kamgaar Sena.

The municipal employees did so despite an Industrial Tribunal's ruling of September 17 prohibiting them from striking work. Subsequently, BMC decided not to pay Diwali bonus to the employees who had struck work. Aggrieved, the unions moved the Industrial Tribunal which, on April 17, 2012, asked the civic body to pay the bonus.

BMC, India's largest civic body whose annual budget is over Rs 20,000 crore, challenged the Tribunal's order in the HC which confirmed it. The civic body then filed an appeal before a Division Bench which was heard today.

Municipal Mazdoor union, led by NCP leader Sharad Rao, submitted before the HC that the strike was not illegal and workers were only exercising their constitutional right.

The single judge had agreed with the submission and directed the BMC to pay Rs 11,000 Diwali bonus to every worker along with interest of 12 per cent. The court had earlier suggested the corporation and its employees to arrive at a compromise but that did not work out.

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US stocks: Wall Street opens flat, fiscal talks in focus

The author has posted comments on this articleReuters | Dec 6, 2012, 08.14PM IST

NEW YORK: Wall Street opened little changed on Thursday in what could be another choppy session as the progress of fiscal negotiations in Washington continues to determine the market's fate.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 16.05 points, or 0.12%, at 13,050.54.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.42 points, or 0.03%, at 1,409.70.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 1.99 points, or 0.07%, at 2,971.71.

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Two Pakistani soldiers killed as troops foil suicide attack

ISLAMABAD: At least two Pakistani soldiers were killed and four others injured today during an attempt by a pair of suicide bombers in an explosives-laden vehicle to blow up an army camp in the restive South Waziristan tribal region.

Sentries at the Zarai Noor army camp in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan, spotted the two suicide attackers in their vehicle when they were about 100 metres from the camp early this morning, military sources said.

The troops opened fire and both suicide attackers were killed when the vehicle blew up, the sources said, adding two soldiers were also killed and four more injured in the incident.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Such incidents are usually blamed on the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Yesterday, nine people were injured when a suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the gate of a police station in Bannu town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which is located a short distance from North Waziristan.

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Government deliberately disrupting Rajya Sabha: Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: The government and the parties that support it were intentionally disrupting the Rajya Sabha as it lacked the numbers for a vote on the issue of foreign investment in retail, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday.

"Since the very first day, the government doesn't seem to be serious about conduct of business, specially in Rajya Sabha," the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha told reporters after the house was adjourned for the day.

The opposition, he said, doubted if the ruling party and its supporters would allow the debate on foreign direct investment (FDI) to take place Thursday as scheduled.

"I have the suspicion that the government is unsure which way the Rajya Sabha will vote, so it is not letting the house function. We doubt they will allow the debate on FDI tomorrow (Thursday)," he said.

He said a complaint has been made to the chair of the upper house and an explanation sought from Leader of the House, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"The government is deliberately trying to create an atmosphere that the house cannot function. Even when Lok Sabha is functioning normally, Rajya Sabha is being stalled. The whole nation is watching, not a single opposition member has trooped in the well of the house, it is government members and supporting parties that are stalling the house," he said.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned Wednesday first due to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which took up the issue of a memorial for B.R. Ambedkar in Mumbai. At noon, after BSP members were pacified, it was the turn of Samajwadi Party (SP) members to gather near the chairman's podium, shouting slogans against reservations in promotions.

Both parties prop the UPA government from outside.

The debate on FDI in retail is scheduled to start in the upper house on Thursday.

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Stockholm airport paralysed as snow storm strikes Sweden

STOCKHOLM: Sweden's main airport was paralyzed on Wednesday due to a snow storm in the country's capital, just as winners of this year's Nobel prizes were to arrive to receive their awards.

Around 30 cm of snow fell overnight in the Stockholm area between Tuesday and Wednesday and the weather office warned another 20 cm was on the way.

"There are a limited number of flights out of Arlanda (the main airport) but no arrivals. There are no departures or arrivals from Bromma (a smaller airport closer to the city centre)," said a spokeswoman for airport operator Swedavia.

Arlanda's airport's website itself was so busy due to worried travellers trying to check the traffic situation that people were put in a queue to view it.

The foundation which oversees the 8 million crown ($1.21 million) Nobel prizes said several laureates were due to arrive in Stockholm on Wednesday. This week sees a series of news conferences and lectures, in the run up to the formal handing over of the prizes and a gala banquet on Monday.

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Mulayam spoke against FDI, but was absent during vote, Sushma Swaraj says

NEW DELHI: In a dig at Mulayam Singh Yadav, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that while the Samajwadi Party chief during the parliament debate spoke against allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, his presence in the Lok Sabha during voting would have ensured the economic move is defeated.

In her speech concluding the debate in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said: "Mulayam Singh had appealed to Sonia Gandhi (Congress chief) to withdraw FDI in retail. And he told her: 'If Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jai Prakash Narayan were here, FDI would not have come'."

"But I want to say that if Mulayam Singh had been here (in the house), then FDI would not have come," said the BJP leader, referring to the decision of the Samajwadi Party, which has 22 MPs, to walk out of the Lok Sabha ahead of the debate.

The party supports the ruling United Progressive Alliance and had assured it not to cause any "trouble" though it is against FDI in retail.

Taking a dig at Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's decision also to walk out of the Lok Sabha ahead of the vote, Sushma Swaraj wondered if the CBI was closer to the party's interest or FDI.

Sushma Swaraj said all parties, barring the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Rashtriya Lok Dal, were united against allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.

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Illegal mining: Enforce Directorate attaches Janardhan Reddy's assets worth Rs 884 crore

BANGALORE: The Enforcement Directorate has attached shares and assets worth Rs 884 crore belonging to former BJP minister and mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, under money laundering act.

According to reports, Reddy, who owned Obalapuram Mining company (OMC), illegally mined ore from 2007-2010.

This is a great set back to Janaradhan Reddy, who is planning to contest election from jail.

Earlier, a court had extended the judicial remand Gali Janardhan Reddy, his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy and another accused Mehfuz Ali Khan in the illegal mining case involving Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) till December 19.

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Bomb blast in Afghanistan kills 2 Nato troops

KABUL: The international military coalition in Afghanistan says two of its service members have been killed in a bomb attack in the country's south.

The NATO-led alliance said in a statement issued late Monday that the blast occurred earlier that day. It did not provide further details or the nationalities of the dead.

The coalition usually waits for member nations to identify their dead before providing specifics on attacks.

There have been at least 384 international service members killed so far this year, the vast majority of them Americans.

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Maldivian foreign minister speaks to Salman Khurshid on GMR project

NEW DELHI: In a bid to mollify India which is upset over termination of the $500 million GMR project, Maldivian foreign minister Abdul Samad Abdullah spoke to his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid on Tuesday and told him that a detailed communication on it will be sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a telephonic call to Khurshid, Abdullah said he was not aware of India's displeasure over the issue, sources said here.

Interestingly, New Delhi has maintained that they had conveyed their displeasure to Maldives immediately after the termination of the project and asked it to ensure that Indian interest was "fully protected".

During the conversation, Abdullah said that Maldives President Mohamad Waheed will be writing a detailed communication to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh clarifying the country's position on the termination decision.

On Monday, the Singapore high court had stayed the unilateral termination of Indian Infrastructure giant's $500 million Male airport project by the Maldivian government.

After the Maldivian government terminated the contentious project under domestic political pressures, GMR had moved the Singapore high court against the decision. As per the project contract, in case of any differences between parties, the law of either Singapore or UK would apply.

The Maldivian Airport Company Limited (MACL), based on Maldivian government's instructions, had on November 27 terminated the contract, which was given to GMR in 2010 during the previous regime of President Mohamed Nasheed.

Immediately after the Singapore high court verdict, Maldives had made it clear that its termination decision was "non-reversible and non-negotiable" and said no such injunction can be issued against a sovereign state.

"The government's decision is very clear. It is non-reversible and non-negotiable. Our decision was based on legal advice we got from our lawyers in UK and Singapore," Maldives President Mohamed Waheed's press secretary Masood Imad had said.

Upset with Maldives for terminating the project, Khurshid had said it was a major setback in the bilateral relations of the two.

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Nitish govt distributes 6 lakh radios among mahadalits

PATNA: The Bihar government has distributed about six lakh radio sets among mahadalits, a sub-group of poor dalit castes, across the state to make them aware of government welfare schemes, the state Assembly was informed today.

The government has set a target to distribute 21 lakh radio sets among mahadalits by 2014, SC/ST Welfare minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said in reply to a question by JD-U's Manjit Kumar Singh.

The minister said radio distribution was being carried out district-wise with the government choosing two brands - Phillips and Santosh.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had launched the Mahadalit radio scheme under the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas mission on February 25 this year.

Kumar had said radios would make this section aware of popular government schemes like free distribution of uniforms, cycles and mid-day meals started for their socio-economic upliftment.

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Ponty Chadha murder case: 3 days police custody for Namdhari's PSO

NEW DELHI: Sacked Uttarakhand minority panel chief S S Namdhari's PSO Sachin Tyagi, arrested for his alleged role in Ponty Chadha shootout case, was today sent to the Delhi police custody for three days as the police told the court that he also had fired at the liquor baron's brother.

Metropolitan magistrate Neha remanded Tyagi, who was arrested last night, in police custody to unearth the conspiracy and the sequence of the shootout.

"Sustained custodial interrogation is required to unearth the entire sequence and consequences of crime and also for the recovery of weapons used in the crime.

"In view of the submissions made in the application for recovery of other weapons, the accused is remanded to police custody till December 7," the court said.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police submitted that Tyagi's custody is required as he himself disclosed his involvement in the conspiracy of trespass and that he along with Namdhari, who has been booked on charges of murdering Hardeep and is in police custody, had shot at Hardeep as per a plan hatched earlier among him, Namdhari and Ponty.

Crime branch ACP S P Gupta told the court that Tyagi and Namdhari had killed Hardeep and thereafter, the PSO had removed the weapon used in the crime from the spot.

He added that Tyagi, a constable with Uttarakhand Police since 2005 and attached with Namdhari as his Personal Security Officer since January 2012, had allegedly destroyed the evidence which was part of the investigation.

The police told the court that Tyagi had failed to perform his duty as instead of informing the agency about the plot, he took part in the act and also fired at Hardeep.

Tyagi's counsel Ranbir Singh opposed the prosecution plea for his remand for three days saying his client had co-operated with the agency since the day of the shootout and that his custodial interrogation was not required.

Ponty and Hardeep, who had an ongoing property dispute, were killed in a shootout at their Chattarpur farmhouse on November 17 afternoon, after which the police has arrested altogether 10 people including Tyagi and Namdhari in various criminal cases linked to the incident.

All the accused have been charged with offences including criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder, dacoity, assault, destruction of evidence, trespass, illegal confinement and kidnapping.

The police, however, has booked Namdhari on charges of murder.

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Climate talks: Qatar asks countries to bypass negotiations

DOHA: The Qatari hosts, as predicted, have asked select ministers to take over the negotiations and bypass the negotiating process. South Africa and Sweden have been approached by Qatar to lead the negotiations on the trenchant issue of financing climate change action with other ministers. Similarly Norway and Brazil have been asked to soon begin negotiating on the operationalisation of the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol which is to begin by 2013.

TOI had reported earlier that the hosts would, like some others have in the previous few years, try to short-circuit the negotiations as they get log-jammed and ask two ministers each - one from a developed country and one from a developing country - to take over on the key issues of the negotiations and start negotiating word by word in order to have a final decision by the end of the meeting.

Qatar as hosts is also the President of the UN conference and is required to lead the talks to a conclusion. A failure of talks, and Doha already has the history of WTO behind it, is never considered good for the hosts' image.

Usually the negotiators - all diplomats and subject experts - are expected to reach a conclusive agreement and then pass it up to the ministers gathering at the end of the conference to adopt the decisions. But the wide rift among countries on previous several years has led the hosts to put the official negotiations which are open to all countries regardless of economic or delegation size. It has led to ministers, even heads of (almost always the most influential) states being put into closed rooms to argue and quibble over each and every word.

The short-circuiting has always led to bad blood as it lacks transparency and the negotiating texts that had come out of the open UN process (in diplomatic jargon what is called a party-driven process) often being junked and new formulations being brought out of the blue forcing countries to limit their options. This has been the case in last three years at Copenhagen, then Cancun and last at Durban. The Copenhagen episode ended up being the most acrimonious of the three, when the hosts tried to bring the decisions taken in a small group back to the formal forum of all the 190 plus countries. The decisions could not be agreed upon by consensus then in 2009.

Mexico and South Africa resorted to variants of the same green room process which also left several countries bruised with the results and a push back after the conferences ended though the talks did not fail.

It remained when the hosts would ask the specific countries to begin these green room processes and how transparent they would remain. But sources said previous experience shows it always lead to the balance in negotiations go for a toss as the ministers leading the talks take over-riding decisions even when consensus has not developed even within the smaller group they consult.

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What will Nitish Kumar do if Narendra Modi is PM candidate? Lalu asks

PATNA: In the wake of senior BJP leaders backing Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the job of Prime Minister, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Monday threw a challenge at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, asking him to make clear his stance.

Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde had earlier made statements that Narendra Modi was a fit candidate for prime ministership.

Lalu Prasad reminded the Bihar chief minister of a statement he made a few months ago, that he would end his alliance with the BJP if that party projected the Gujarat chief minister as Prime Minister in the 2014 general elections.

"What will Nitish Kumar do if the BJP goes ahead and projects Modi as Prime Minister candidate for the 2014 parliamentary polls, as top BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Gopinath Munde have already supported Modi. That indicates the mood in the BJP," Lalu told newspersons at Madhepura during his "parivartan yatra" (journey for change).

Lalu said it was high time that Nitish Kumar made clear his stand on the issue.

"Going by the statements of BJP leaders supporting Narendra Modi for Prime Minister, Nitish Kumar should make it clear whether he will endorse their stand or oppose it," Lalu Prasad said.

However, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said no formal announcement of a prime ministerial candidate had been made by the BJP, and that the opinions so far expressed were only of individuals.

"Lalu Prasad's remarks are related to the statements of BJP leaders in their individual capacity. We have to wait till the party makes a formal announcement," he said.

The JD-U has been vocal in its opposition to Narendra Modi coming to the state.

Modi evokes strong reactions in Bihar, particularly from the minorities, for his alleged involvement in the Gujarat riots in which almost 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.

Tensions continue in Bihar over those riots, even though it is now a decade since the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Nitish Kumar had earlier objected to his photographs with Narendra Modi in newspaper advertisements during the BJP national executive meeting in Patna in June 2010.

Several JD-U leaders had demanded that the Gujarat chief minister should not be allowed to campaign during the Bihar assembly polls.

Nitish Kumar has claimed earlier that it would not take a minute for his party to break ties with the BJP if the latter projected Modi as its prime ministerial candidate.

Lalu also hit out at Narendra Modi during the 'parivartan yatra' meeting, describing him as a communal leader responsible for butchering hundreds of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002.

Earlier, Arun Jaitley had said that the Gujarat chief minister is "very successful and popular and we will obviously praise him".

Sushma Swaraj had Saturday told reporters in Vadodara that Modi is "definitely fit for the job (of Prime Minister), and there is no doubt about it".

"Narendra Modi is capable of becoming Prime Minister and I am satisfied with Sushma Swaraj's opinion... He has potential," Munde had said in Ahmedabad.

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India will protects its interests in disputed South China Sea: Navy Chief

NEW DELHI: Viewing the rapid modernization of Chinese Navy as a "major concern", navy chief Admiral D K Joshi on Monday made it clear that India will protect its interests in the disputed South China Sea, even if it means sending forces there.

"Yes you are right. The modernization (of Chinese Navy) is truly impressive... It is a actually a major major cause of concern for us, which we continuously evaluate and work out our options and our strategies," he told a press conference.

The Navy Chief was replying to a question on contingencies in South China Sea to protect Indian interests there and impression about the Chinese Navy's modernization.

Answering a volley of questions about South China Sea over which India had a tiff with China last year, he said although India's presence in that maritime region was not on "very very frequent" basis, it had interests like free navigation and exploitation of natural resources there.

"Not that we expect to be in those waters very very frequently, but when the requirement is there for situations where country's interests are involved, for example ONGC Videsh, we will be required to go there and we are prepared for that. Are we holding exercises for that nature, the short answer is yes," Joshi said.

Talking about Indian interests in the South China Sea, he said the first of it included freedom of navigation.

"Not only us, but everyone is of the view that they have to be resolved by the parties concerned, aligned with the international regime, which is outlined in UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), that is our first requirement," he said.

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Cash transfer scheme: Govt says no poll code violation

NEW DELHI: Government on Monday said it had not violated any election code of conduct in connection with its ambitious direct cash transfer scheme as it was announced in the budget speech by the then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"This (direct cash transfer) is only an implementation of an announcement that has already been made," telecom minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

He said the government believed that it has neither directly or indirectly violated the election code because the policy announcement was made way back in the budget speech by the then finance minister.

Sibal said the government would file a detailed reply on the questions raised by the Election Commission on the issue.

The Commission's notice was among the issues discussed by the Group of Ministers on media today.

The Commission had yesterday conveyed its unhappiness to the government over announcement of its direct cash transfer scheme when the Model Code was in force in poll-bound Gujarat.

In a strongly-worded letter to Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, the poll authority had said the announcement could have been avoided in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections later this month.

Last week, finance minister P Chidamabaram and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh had launched the Aadhar- based direct cash transfer scheme at the Congress headquarters here and dubbed it as a "game changer".

CONGRESS, BJP TRADE BARBS
Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP today traded barbs over the government's direct cash transfer scheme after the Election Commission sought a reply from the Centre on the timing of the announcement.

Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said the government would provide information to the EC and asked the BJP to make clear its stance on the scheme.

"The BJP should make its position clear on cash transfers. Are they for cash transfers or are they against it. Do they want that the money of the people should go directly into the hands of the people or they do not want the money of the people to go to the people, this is the germane issue," Tewari told reporters here.

"If the Election Commission has asked the government for a clarification or for some sort of an explanation, I am sure that the appropriate part of the government would provide that information to the Election Commission," Tewari said.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back by questioning the Congress' seriousness on the issue.

"Is the Congress serious about it? Have they done their homework well?" Prasad asked and said that his party had formed a committee to study the entire matter and would revert on the matter after that.

He, however, said that BJP was not for abolition of the Public Distribution System and also questioned why the pilot project for direct cash transfer scheme in Rajasthan did not succeed.

"But one thing is very clear and categorical. If this means the abolition of Public Distribution System, BJP is opposed to it because states like Madhya Pradesh, states like Chattisgarh....Bihar and others have done so well. By the way let Manish Tewari respond to one thing, the fanfare with which it (cash transfer scheme) was inaugurated in Rajasthan, why it has come a cropper," Prasad asked.

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu sought to know whether the direct cash transfer scheme is of the government or the Congress party.

"The Congress is asking BJP about its stand on the cash transfer scheme. Before answering that question I would like the Congress to explain to the people of the country what is it the way to deal with a government scheme and public money?" Naidu told reporters outside Parliament.

After the government's decision on cash transfer scheme on November 26, two senior ministers spelled out the details of the scheme from the party forum next day.

"Ministers go to the Congress party office and make announcement there and also say that the scheme would be supervised by Congress general secretary. So we want to know whether it is a Congress party scheme or government of India scheme," he said, adding when Parliament session is on, government should take Parliament into confidence.

Objecting to the minister's "aap ka paise aap ke haath" statement, BJP leader said if it is a government scheme then how is the Congress trying to politicise it. They have also called the district party presidents to Delhi and told them how to take advantage of the scheme."

He said, "Even the pilot project in a Rajasthan district is not working. The District Magistrate is saying cash has not been transferred."

On his party's stand, he said, "We do not oppose the scheme. But we want to know the rules and regulations of the implementation scheme and about the preparedness and logistic support of the scheme. We are studying the scheme and then make our stand known"

Naidu said Adhaar card is not ready in half of the country.

"The distribution of Adhaar card in not complete in the 51 target districts where the scheme would be implemented," he said.

Quoting a World Bank study, Naidu said, "Only 32 per cent people here have bank accounts. Then how do you transfer the cash in their accounts when there are no accounts at all. In India most villages do not have banks. So, government should first open banks and facilitate opening of accounts before doing anything."

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Arvind Kejriwal's party joins protest by Bhopal gas tragedy victims

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party today joined a protest by Bhopal gas tragedy victims near the Prime Minister's office and alleged the government's agenda of wooing foreign investments is acting as a deterrent in ensuring justice for those affected.

The party's chief spokesperson Manish Sisodia took part in the protest on the 28th anniversary of the gas tragedy and said if voted to power, the party will make a law which will put guilty corporations and their officials responsible for the tragedy behind the bars.

"I think the push for attracting foreign investments is acting as a deterrent in taking strong action against the accused company and the politicians," Sisodia told reporters.

The Bhopal gas tragedy in December 1984, the world's worst industrial disaster, killed thousands of people, with several lakhs still suffering from the lethal consequences of the gas leak.

The protesters demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to punish the guilty corporations and their officials and adequately compensate all victims.

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Pregnant women who are ill entitled to second opinion: Irish govt

LONDON: Amid the row over the death of an Indian dentist in Ireland, the Irish government has told the Council of Europe that any seriously ill woman who is pregnant and her request for a termination is refused, is entitled to a second medical opinion.

The woman would also have the right to apply to the High Court for orders directing the "necessary treatment" to be provided, it said.

Savita Halappanavar, 31, died on October 28 at Galway University Hospital. She had been 17-week pregnant and was found to be miscarrying.

Her husband Praveen has said she asked repeatedly for a termination of the pregnancy but was refused and was told the foetal heartbeat was still present and "this is a Catholic country".

According to the Irish Times, the interim scenarios which apply pending full implementation of the ABC judgment of the European Court of Human Rights are laid out in an action plan submitted by the Government to the council last Friday.

The A,B and C cases are a landmark cases of the European Court of Human Rights on the right to privacy. It held there is no right for women to an abortion, although it found that Ireland had violated the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to provide an accessible and effective procedure by which a woman can have established whether she qualifies for a legal abortion under current Irish law.

The plan lists the actions already taken to fulfil the judgment and outlines the options available to a woman who found herself in the same circumstances as Ms C in the judgment.

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Japan tunnel collapse: Several charred bodies found

KOSHU (JAPAN): Japanese rescuers found several charred bodies in a highway tunnel that collapsed on today, crushing cars and triggering a blaze, and sparking fears of another cave-in.

At least seven people were missing inside the nearly 5km-long tunnel. Witnesses spoke of terrifying scenes as one vehicle burst into flames, sending out clouds of blinding, acrid smoke.

Rescuers were forced to suspend for several hours their efforts to reach those believed trapped under thick concrete ceiling panels that crashed from the roof of the tunnel, as engineers warned more debris could fall.

Emergency crews who rushed to the Sasago tunnel on the Chuo Expressway, 80 km west of the capital, were hampered by thick smoke billowing from the entrance.

Dozens of people abandoned their vehicles on the Tokyo-bound section of carriageway, and ran for one of the emergency exits or for the mouth, where they huddled in bitter winter weather.

Emergency crews equipped with breathing apparatus battled around a third of the way into the tunnel, where they found up to 70 metres of concrete panels had come crashing down, crushing at least two vehicles.

Hours after the collapse, engineers warned the structure could be unstable, forcing resucers to suspend their work as a team of experts assessed the danger.

It was during this inspection that accompanying police officers confirmed the first deaths.

"What we found resembled bodies inside a vehicle, they were blackened. We have visually confirmed them but have yet to take them out for closer examination," an official told AFP.

The rescue operation resumed several hours later, an AFP reporter witnessed.

Cameras inside the tunnel earlier showed an ambulance and several firefighters wearing protective gear, working in a section where cars sat with their lights flashing, shrouded in smoke.

"According to information from local fire authorities, seven people are missing but the number has not been confirmed," an official at the government's Fire and Disaster Management Agency told AFP.

At least three people were taken to hospital, including one 28-year-old woman who emerged from the smoke-darkened tunnel by herself.

The woman told the fire rescue unit she had been travelling in a rented van with five other people, fire department official Kazuya Tezuka told AFP by telephone.

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Three killed as vehicle falls into gorge in Jammu and Kashmir

JAMMU: Three persons, including a special police officer, were killed when their vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The accident occurred late on Saturday night when the car carrying three persons skidded off the road and rolled down into the gorge in Mahore tehsil, police said.

The victims Chain Singh (24), a special police officer, Satvir Singh (25) and Arjun Singh (20) were returning from a marriage party when the accident took place, they said.

Their bodies were recovered during the search operation.

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Car bomb kills 15 in Syria's central Homs

BEIRUT: A car bomb exploded in Syria's central city of Homs on Sunday, killing at least 15 people, Syria's state news agency SANA said.

At least 24 others were wounded, with some of them in critical condition, and many nearby residential buildings were damaged in the blast, it added.

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4,000 kg of explosives seized from a Pak bus going from Noshki to Quetta

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani law enforcement personnel said they had seized 4,000 kg of explosives from a bus and arrested five suspects on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Quetta today.

Official said the explosives were found when security personnel searched the bus going from Noshki to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

The five arrested persons were allegedly involved in smuggling the explosive materials, they said.

A bomb disposal squad was called in to check and defuse the explosives, officials said.

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Regional divide in Saudi Arabia's Indian embassy, writes Azam to PM

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party's Muslim face and minister for minority welfare, Mohd Azam Khan has alleged that there was a regional divide inside the Indian Embassy at Saudi Arabia. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Azam Khan said the time had come to end the dominance of Keralites in the Indian embassy at Saudi Arabia. "The embassy officials only run after political leaders of their own state and take care of people from South India. They hardly care for the people of other states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh," Khan told the press.

Khan had himself gone for Haj this year and said that he had seen the neglect of North Indians by the embassy officials from his own eyes. He had issued many statements regarding the poor arrangements made by the Indian officials in Saudi Arabia but it is the first time that he has written a letter to Prime Minister on this issue. In his letter, Khan said the Prime Minister should talk to the Central Haj Committee members and officials of Saudi Arabia about the mismanagement, and sends only that number of Haj pilgrims which can be given a decent treatment during the pilgrimage.

"As the number of pilgrims is much more than the desired limit, basic facilities are provided to many Indian Haj pilgrims, particularly those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on commercial basis. This money is paid by pilgrims, though it is against the tenet of Islam," Khan said.

Khan added that sometimes Indian embassy employs foreign nationals as drivers and menial workers who hate Indians. "People from Pakistan and Bangladesh are employed in Indian embassy as drivers and they misbehave with Indian pilgrims," the minister said adding that only polite and courteous officials and employees should be engaged in Haj pilgrimage work and duties.

Stating that UP gets the step motherly treatment despite sending the highest number of pilgrims, he has written, demanding appropriate representation of all states in the management of Haj pilgrimage. He said in view of disrespect shown to UP Haj pilgrims, the Uttar Pradesh State Haj Committee would organize a national-level seminar to discuss these problems. Khan has invited PM Manmohan Singh for a national-level convention proposed for February-March in Lucknow to hold talks on the hardships faced by Haj pilgrims from UP and Bihar.

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