Pak safe havens requires more than military solution: Obama

WASHINGTON: Concerned over the extremist safe haven in Pakistan, US President Barack Obama has said that the issue requires more than simply military actions.

"With respect to Pakistan and safe havens there, Afghanistan and the United States and Pakistan all have an interest in reducing the threat of extremism in some of these border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that's going to require more than simply military actions," Obama told reporters at a joint press conference with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday.

That's really going to require political and diplomatic work between Afghanistan and Pakistan, he said in response to a question from a visiting Afghan journalist when he asked the question of continued safe havens inside Afghanistan.

The United States, obviously, will have an interest in facilitating and participating in cooperation between the two sovereign countries, he noted.

"But as President Karzai, I think, has indicated, it's very hard to imagine a stability and peace in the region if Pakistan and Afghanistan don't come to some basic agreement and understanding about the threat of extremism to both countries and both governments and both capitals.

"I think you're starting to see a greater awareness of that on the part of the Pakistani government," Obama said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Obama welcomed the recent steps taken by Pakistan towards reconciliation process. He was apparently referring to the recent release of Taliban prisoners by Pakistan.

"Reconciliation requires constructive support from across the region, including Pakistan. We welcome recent steps that have been taken in that regard, and we'll look for more tangible steps because a stable and secure Afghanistan is in the interest not only of the Afghan people and the United States but of the entire region," Obama said.

Earlier, the two leaders had three round of meetings in separate settings at the White House including one-o-one in the Oval Office, one with the two delegations and finally luncheon. Both the leaders expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the meeting.

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Four stamps released on Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary

JAMMU: (PTI) The Department of Posts (DoP) here today released four special postage stamps and the First Day Cover on Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary.

Chief postmaster general Jammu and Kashmir John Samuel today released the stamps and cover on Vivekananda at a simple but impressive function held at Gandhi Nagar Head Post Office here today.

These stamps have been brought out by India Post to commemorate the 150th Birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda whom the world acknowledges as great visionary, philosopher and thinker.

The stamps and the first day cover were presented to Swami Girijashananda, Secretary Swami Rama Krishna Mission by CPMG.

Speaking on the occasion John Samuel said the relevance of Vivekananda's philosophy has been accepted by the entire world and release of postage on Swami is the best way to communicate his teachings among the common masses.

The department has already released two stamps on Vivekananda in 1963 and 1993. Further special stamp has also been released on Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamilnadu in 1996.

Sri Lanka post has also issued a special stamp on Vivekananda in 1997.

Department is bringing out number of stamps every year on popular themes and during the last year it has brought stamps on festival of lights Deepawali, Lighthouses of India, London Olympics, Shekawati Painintings, 800th Urs of Dargah Sharif, Ajmer, Civil Aviation Centenary, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, he said.

Chief Postmaster General also informed Department will be bringing out stamps on the Basilica of Vailankanni ( Tamil Nadu) during the January-2013.

The new stamps and first day cover released are available at Philatelic Bureau, Gandhi Nagar Head Post Office in Jammu and Srinagar GPO in Srinagar, he said.

Philatelists and others who are interested in getting stamps on regular basis may deposit rupees 200 towards philately deposit account and the stamps will be sent to them every month through registered post and the postage will be free, he said.

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Congress slams Uttarakhand CM for saying women shouldn't venture out after 6pm

NEW DELHI/ DEHRADUN: Vijay Bahuguna-led Uttarakhand government's bizarre decision to prohibit women from going out after 6pm in order to order to stop crimes has invited criticism both from the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Reacting to the state government's decision here on Saturday, Union waters resources minister and Congress leader from Uttarakhand Harish Rawat said: "Issuing such guidelines that when should they (women) go out and till what time they should work is not a fair step. It is not going to work."

"I think stricter laws should be made and enforcement agencies should be held accountable to ensure swift and harsh punishment for the culprits. We will have to change the mentality. We will have to come up with a broader social campaign to change the mentality of society to stop such crimes," added Rawat.

Former chief minister of Uttarakhand and BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari said the Congress is not capable of running a government.

"It shows that the state government is incapable of providing security to women. Tomorrow, the government will stop them from going out of their homes. Instead of passing such laws, criminals should be scared of committing crimes. The government is prohibiting women," claimed Koshiyari.

"If the authorities work properly, such incidents don't take place. We will have to spread awareness and teach ethics and values to young people. People in authority should also be alert and work properly," he added.

Meanwhile, chief minister Vijay Bahuguna has denied issuing such guidelines that restrict women from going out, and said: " It is the responsibility of the management of the organisation where they work, to take care of the women employees and they should drop them at door steps if they get late."

"There is no restriction on women and children, but the organization they are working at should drop them at their doorsteps if they get late while coming home. We will provide every possible security, but it is not our responsibility to drop them home," said Bahuguna.

However, the state government is being severly criticised for this regressive approach prohibits women from working beyond 6pm in private and government jobs.

The step is being seen as too extreme to curb crimes against women in the wake of the gang rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi late last month. The reports have prompted several state governments and the central government to fine-tune the laws of the country regarding rape and other sexual crimes against women.

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Fresh elections only way out in Jharkhand, state BJP chief says

JAMSHEDPUR: BJP's state president Dineshanand Goswami feels fresh elections are the best and only option to prevent formation of a government based on horse-trading in Jharkhand.

Reacting to the meetings of the JMM, Congress and RJD with Jharkhand governor Syed Ahmed in Raj Bhawan on Saturday to stake claim for formation a government, Goswami said no political party or alliance has the majority to form an alternative government in the prevailing political scenario.

Goswami said if any new government is formed it will be based on horse-trading and will have to take the support of some tainted MLAs including those who were recently released on bail.

"Majority of the masses are in support of fresh elections to elect a popular, stable and development-oriented government," the BJP leader claimed.

Altogether 38 MLAs of different political parties including BJP are strongly in favour of fresh election, Goswami told a press conference here.

He demanded that the governor should not wait for a moment and dissolve the assembly to recommend fresh elections.

Referring to the recent recovery of explosives implanted in the body of a jawan killed in an ambush recently in Latehar district, and the killing of two Indian soldiers at the LoC, Goswami said the government has to deal with terrorists and extremists with an iron hand.

He cautioned that the nexus between terrorists groups from across the border and Maoists is dangerous and not a good indication for the country.

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India denies visa to British journalist Yvonne Ridley

HYDERABAD: India has denied award-winning British journalist Yvonne Ridley a visa. She was scheduled to address the Spring of Islam conference being held here by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

The London-based journalist, who was captured by the Taliban on an undercover assignment in Afghanistan in 2001 and converted to Islam after her release in 2003, was to address various sessions at the three-day conference, which began Friday.

"The Indian Government is refusing to give me a conference visa to address 50,000 women in Hyderabad about women's rights ... I would have thought after the catastrophic handling of the Dehli rape case, politicians would be more sensitive, but it seems not. We women continue to be sidelined and treated as second class citizens," she said in her post on Facebook.

Ridley, through video conference, addressed three sessions of girls, women and journalists.

"The Indian government knows how powerful words are. That is why I am sitting in the UK today talking to you instead of being with you to deliver this speech in person," she said, addressing the session of journalists Saturday.

Khalid Mubashir-ul-Zafar, president of Jamaat-e-Islami's Hyderabad unit, said Ridely was given all necessary clearances by the external affairs ministry, but was denied visa in the last minute because of the tense situation in Hyderabad.

There was tension in the city Friday after a group of people staged protests in the old city over the arrest of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader and legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi for his alleged hate speech.

Ridley was also denied a visa when she planned a trip to Kerala in 2010 to address a Muslim women's conference organised by the Jamaat.

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Black flag shown to Canadian minister in Amritsar

AMRITSAR: Canadian Backloggers Pre-2008 Association showed black flags to the Jason Kenny,Canada's minister of citizenship Immigration and multiculturalism during his visit to Amritsar on Friday.

About 150 protesters including women were stopped by police from getting closer to the visiting Canadian minister but they managed to show black flags to him near Golden Temple. President of Moga unit of Association Jagmander Singh told TOI that there were more than 3 lakh applications pending with Canadian government .

"About 65000 applications are of Punjabi's only who had applied for migration under skilled category" He said adding that Canadian government treats them as files forgetting that future of thousands of men , women and children were at stake.

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Crack in windscreen cockpit hits Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Japan

TOKYO/WASHINGTON: Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jet suffered a cracked cockpit window and an oil leak on separate flights in Japan on Friday - the latest in a series of incidents testing confidence in the sophisticated new aircraft.

All Nippon Airways Co said a domestic flight from Tokyo landed safely at Matsuyama airport in western Japan after a crack developed on the cockpit windscreen, and the plane's return to Tokyo was cancelled.

The same airline later said oil was found leaking from an engine of a 787 Dreamliner after the plane landed at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan. An airline spokeswoman said it later returned to Tokyo after some delay. No one was injured in either incident.

The world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of $207 million, has been beset by problems this week. Some analysts say these are normal teething issues as a new plane enters service under close scrutiny. Others say the incidents could erode public confidence in the mould-breaking aircraft.

US transportation officials will hold a press conference in Washington at 0930 EDT (1430 GMT) to discuss issues related to recent electrical problems on the new plane, one person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Bloomberg News said the US Federal Aviation Administration would announce a review into the jet's power system.

US regulators have raised questions about the plane's reliability on long transocean routes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late-2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule. By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49.

Earlier this week, a battery fire caused damage to an empty 787 jet operated by Japan Airlines while it was on the ground at Boston airport. The next day, another JAL 787 spilled 40 gallons of fuel onto the taxiway at the same airport after a problem that caused a valve to open, forcing the plane to delay its departure. On Wednesday, ANA cancelled a domestic Dreamliner flight due to a brake-control computer glitch.

Boeing's top Dreamliner engineer, Mike Sinnett, was rolled out midweek to defend the 787, saying the plane's problem rates were no higher than with Boeing's successful 777 jet.

Spider web crack

ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination.

"Cracks appear a few times every year in other planes. We don't see this as a sign of a fundamental problem" with Boeing aircraft, a spokesman for the airline said.

On the later flight, the ANA spokeswoman said she could not specify how much oil leaked from the engine.

Later on Friday, ANA - which, with JAL flies 24 of the 49 Dreamliners delivered to end-December - launched its maiden service between Tokyo's Narita Airport and San Jose, California with the Dreamliner.

Jun Akiyama, a plane enthusiast who was taking photos at the airport ahead of the San Jose departure, said: "It's worrying. If there was a major accident lives would be at stake, and these defects are only increasing fears."

But Yasushi Uesaka, a systems engineer from Osaka who was also taking pictures nearby, played down the incidents. "When new things come out, there will naturally be defects. That a lot of these defects didn't occur during flight means they're not too critical, I think."

In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliner jets and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of Dreamliner glitches. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has not ordered any Dreamliner checks for now, but is waiting for a safety report from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the official said.

Air India spokesman K Swaminathan said the airline's debut Dreamliner flight to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch.

Fuel savings

One of Boeing's chief innovations with the 787 is its use of electrical power to run on-board functions such as hydraulics and air conditioning, instead of relying on heavier pneumatic systems used on other planes. The weight savings make the 787 more fuel efficient, a big advantage for airlines battling high jet fuel costs.

To power the electrical system, the 787 uses generators attached to the plane's engines, which produce about 1.5 megawatts of power, enough to power about 300 hot water heaters. The system uses high-voltage distribution panels and powerful batteries, such as the one that caught fire in Boston on Monday.

Makoto Yoda, president of Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp, which makes the Dreamliner batteries, said his company was looking into Monday's fire, and was sending a team of engineers to cooperate with the US investigation.

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Prospect of Iran nuke probe uncertain: IAEA chief Yukiya Amano

TOKYO: The UN nuclear agency chief said on Friday he was not optimistic about talks with Iran next week on getting access to a military base Western powers suspect has been used for atom bomb-related work.

The comments by Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), contrasted with a more upbeat assessment given by the Vienna-based UN agency after a meeting with Iranian officials last month.

The IAEA, whose mission it is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in the world, has been trying for a year to negotiate a so-called structured approach with Iran that would give it access to sites, officials and documents.

The IAEA's priority is to visit the Parchin military facility southeast of Tehran, where the agency suspects explosives tests relevant for nuclear weapons may have taken place, perhaps a decade ago. Tehran denies this.

"The outlook is not bright," Amano said in Tokyo, referring to the negotiations to be held in Tehran on Wednesday on the framework accord the IAEA hopes will enable it to quickly resume its stalled investigation into suspected atom bomb research.

The talks between the IAEA and Iran are separate from, but linked to, broader diplomacy by six world powers to resolve the nuclear row with Iran before it leads to a Middle East war, feared because of Israeli threats to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.

Western powers say Iran is trying to develop the capability to make atomic weapons, a charge the Islamic Republic rejects.

Both the IAEA and Tehran have said progress was achieved at the December meeting, without giving details.

However, Amano said in Japanese comments translated into English: "Talks with Iran don't proceed in a linear way. It's one step forward, two or three steps back ... So we can't say we have an optimistic outlook" for the January 16 meeting.

Window of opportunity?

Western diplomats say Iran has worked for the past year to cleanse Parchin of any evidence of illicit activities, but Amano said late last year an IAEA visit would still be useful.

The IAEA said after last month's talks in Tehran it expected a deal could be completed in January and swiftly implemented.

But Western diplomats in Vienna later said stumbling blocks remained, including Iran's demand for access to intelligence documents that form part of the basis for the IAEA's concerns.

Even if a deal is reached, the diplomats said, it remained to be seen how it would be carried out. Western officials have often accused Iran of stonewalling IAEA investigations.

"An agreement is a good first step, but implementation is the most important part," one Western envoy said on Friday.

Iran's refusal to curb nuclear activity with dual civilian and military applications, and its lack of openness with the IAEA, have drawn tough Western punitive measures and a threat of pre-emptive military strikes by its arch-adversary Israel.

Analysts and diplomats say there is a window of opportunity for world powers to make a renewed diplomatic push to find a broader negotiated solution to the dispute after US President Barack Obama won re-election in November.

The six powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - want Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment programme and cooperate fully with the IAEA. Iran wants the West to lift sanctions hurting its economy.

Both sides say they want to resume talks this month, but have yet to agree on a date and venue.

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Crack in windscreen cockpit hits Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Japan

TOKYO/WASHINGTON: Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jet suffered a cracked cockpit window and an oil leak on separate flights in Japan on Friday - the latest in a series of incidents testing confidence in the sophisticated new aircraft.

All Nippon Airways Co said a domestic flight from Tokyo landed safely at Matsuyama airport in western Japan after a crack developed on the cockpit windscreen, and the plane's return to Tokyo was cancelled.

The same airline later said oil was found leaking from an engine of a 787 Dreamliner after the plane landed at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan. An airline spokeswoman said it later returned to Tokyo after some delay. No one was injured in either incident.

The world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of $207 million, has been beset by problems this week. Some analysts say these are normal teething issues as a new plane enters service under close scrutiny. Others say the incidents could erode public confidence in the mould-breaking aircraft.

US transportation officials will hold a press conference in Washington at 0930 EDT (1430 GMT) to discuss issues related to recent electrical problems on the new plane, one person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Bloomberg News said the US Federal Aviation Administration would announce a review into the jet's power system.

US regulators have raised questions about the plane's reliability on long transocean routes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late-2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule. By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49.

Earlier this week, a battery fire caused damage to an empty 787 jet operated by Japan Airlines while it was on the ground at Boston airport. The next day, another JAL 787 spilled 40 gallons of fuel onto the taxiway at the same airport after a problem that caused a valve to open, forcing the plane to delay its departure. On Wednesday, ANA cancelled a domestic Dreamliner flight due to a brake-control computer glitch.

Boeing's top Dreamliner engineer, Mike Sinnett, was rolled out midweek to defend the 787, saying the plane's problem rates were no higher than with Boeing's successful 777 jet.

Spider web crack

ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination.

"Cracks appear a few times every year in other planes. We don't see this as a sign of a fundamental problem" with Boeing aircraft, a spokesman for the airline said.

On the later flight, the ANA spokeswoman said she could not specify how much oil leaked from the engine.

Later on Friday, ANA - which, with JAL flies 24 of the 49 Dreamliners delivered to end-December - launched its maiden service between Tokyo's Narita Airport and San Jose, California with the Dreamliner.

Jun Akiyama, a plane enthusiast who was taking photos at the airport ahead of the San Jose departure, said: "It's worrying. If there was a major accident lives would be at stake, and these defects are only increasing fears."

But Yasushi Uesaka, a systems engineer from Osaka who was also taking pictures nearby, played down the incidents. "When new things come out, there will naturally be defects. That a lot of these defects didn't occur during flight means they're not too critical, I think."

In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliner jets and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of Dreamliner glitches. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has not ordered any Dreamliner checks for now, but is waiting for a safety report from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the official said.

Air India spokesman K Swaminathan said the airline's debut Dreamliner flight to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch.

Fuel savings

One of Boeing's chief innovations with the 787 is its use of electrical power to run on-board functions such as hydraulics and air conditioning, instead of relying on heavier pneumatic systems used on other planes. The weight savings make the 787 more fuel efficient, a big advantage for airlines battling high jet fuel costs.

To power the electrical system, the 787 uses generators attached to the plane's engines, which produce about 1.5 megawatts of power, enough to power about 300 hot water heaters. The system uses high-voltage distribution panels and powerful batteries, such as the one that caught fire in Boston on Monday.

Makoto Yoda, president of Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa Corp, which makes the Dreamliner batteries, said his company was looking into Monday's fire, and was sending a team of engineers to cooperate with the US investigation.

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A dozen Iraqi inmates seize weapons, escape from prison

BAGHDAD: A dozen prisoners including al-Qaida-linked death row inmates escaped from a prison near Baghdad on Friday, the latest sign that Iraq still struggles with basic law and order more than a year after American troops withdrew, officials said.

The brazen prison break happened hours before thousands of overwhelmingly Sunni protesters rallied in the capital and other parts of the country, keeping pressure on an Iraqi government. Among the demands of the three-week wave of protests are the release of detainees held in Iraqi jails and changes to a tough counterterrorism law that Sunnis believe unfairly targets their sect.

The prisoners managed to escape through windows in their cells early in the morning and then seized the weapons of guards manning two observation towers, according to a police official. He said all of the prisoners had been convicted on terrorism charges and that some were awaiting execution, but did not provide further details of the crimes they were alleged to commit nor give a specific number for how many escaped.

A guard chief in Taji prison confirmed the account. He said a number of guards were arrested and are being questioned to see if they helped the prisoners escape. Security forces launched a manhunt to arrest the escapees. He and the police official agreed to discuss the incident on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media.

Jailbreaks are not uncommon in Iraq. In September, scores of inmates escaped following clashes at a prison in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit that left 12 people, including 10 guards, dead. The government acknowledged the inmates in that escape had help from the inside.

Meanwhile, several thousand demonstrators took to the streets for the third Friday in a row in the western province of Anbar and in other predominantly Sunni parts of the country.

The protests began last month following the arrests of bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, one of the central government's most senior Sunni officials. He has since become a rallying point for the demonstrators, who are angry over perceived second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.

Al-Issawi roused a crowd of several hundred people gathered at a Baghdad mosque after midday prayers Friday, saying the demonstrations "will be able to shake any throne."

Without naming Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki or other officials directly, he warned that anyone who threatens the protesters could face the same downfall as Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president who was pushed from power by the Arab Spring protests in 2011.

"If you want to stay out of prison after your term ends, do not stain yourselves with protesters' blood," he said. The rallies have for the most part been peaceful, and government forces have not tried to break them up.

His address was frequently interrupted by chants from the crowd demanding the toppling of the government.

The rallies have grown into the largest and most sustained demonstration of Sunni discontent since the 2003 US-led invasion. They are raising fresh concerns that Iraq may be heading for new conflict between the country's Sunnis and the Shiite majority.

Sectarian tensions are a major driver of the violence that continues to plague Iraq, with Sunni extremists carrying out attacks mainly against Shiite targets in an effort to undermine the government's authority.

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Rape of grown-up girls may be understandable but assault on children unimaginable: BJP MP

RAIPUR: A BJP MP on Thursday said the rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but if someone does this to an infant, he should be hanged.

He said rape of minor is a heinous crime and those who commits such crime should be hanged.

"The rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but if someone does this to an infant, it is a heinous crime and the offenders should be hanged (barabari ya bade logo ke sath balatkar samajh me ata hai, lekin nabalig bachhiyo ke sath is tarah ka jaghanya apradh karma. Inko to fasi par latka dena chahiye)", MP Ramesh Bais, who was also a Union minister from 1998 to 2004 during the NDA rule, told reporters referring to the rape case involving minor inmates of a government-run residential school in Kanker district of the state.

Asked about the MP's remarks, the state's main opposition Congress said assault on women, whether she is a child or a grown-up, is a heinous crime.

Congress spokesman Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said "assault on anyone is a heinous crime. The statement (of Bais) is objectionable and we condemn this".

Bais said the incident like the one in Kanker happened in several places but they were not reported.

"Just terminating the employees will not bring back the honour of the victims. The accused in the case should be given stringent punishment", Bais said.

"The incident of Delhi gang-rape has rocked everyone to think over such crimes. The incident of Chhattisgarh is a matter of shame," the MP said.

The MP also suspected the involvement of senior officials and claimed that for the past several months the girls were being sexually assaulted and the concerned officials were unaware of it.

The incident of sexual assault on minor inmates of the government-run residential school for tribal girls in Jhaliyamari village of Kanker district came to light last Sunday.

So far six people, including two teachers, have been arrested in connection with the crime.

According to police, the medical examination has confirmed rape on nine inmates out of 40 who are living in a hostel.

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India wastes 21 million tonnes of wheat every year: Report

LONDON: India stands out for its glaring lack of infrastructure and food storage facilities, in a new study that says 21 million tonnes of wheat -- equivalent to the entire production of Australia -- goes waste in the country.

The report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) on global food wastage found that as much as 50 per cent of all food produced around the world never reaches a human mouth.

"Considerably greater levels of tonnage loss exist in larger developing nations, such as India for example, where about 21 million tonnes of wheat annually perishes due to inadequate storage and distribution, equivalent to the entire production of Australia," said the 'Global Food Waste Not Want Not' report, released here on Thursday.

"In neighbouring Pakistan, losses amount to about 16 per cent of production, or 3.2 million tonnes annually, where inadequate storage infrastructure leads to widespread rodent infestation problems," it said.

Overall, wastage rates in vegetables and fruit are even higher than for grains.

At least 40 per cent of all fruit and vegetable is lost in India between the grower and consumer due to lack of refrigerated transport, poor roads, inclement weather and corruption.

According to the latest survey, wastage tends to move up the distribution chain as the standard of development improves and regional and national transport, storage and distribution facilities fail to match the improvements made at the farm level.

This is a particular issue in India, which requires massive investments in the food logistics chain.

"Controlling and reducing the level of wastage is frequently beyond the capability of the individual farmer, distributor or consumer, since it depends on market philosophies, security of power supply, quality of roads and the presence or absence of transport hubs.

"These are all related more to societal, political and economic norms, as well as engineered infrastructure, rather than to agriculture," the authors of the report said, calling on governments in the developing world to introduce better technology and food storage facilities.

The Indian government has maintained that the recent reforms in the retail sector approved by Parliament, allowing 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and 100 per cent FDI in the single-brand segment, will lead to increased investments in infrastructure and improve the logistics chain.

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Increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2012: India

NEW DELHI: Ceasefire violations by Pakistan increased during the past year, national security advisor Shivshankar Menon said here on Thursday, a day after India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the killing of two of its soldiers by Pakistani troops.

"There has been an increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan and in infiltration attempts in 2012 over 2011," Menon said at a media briefing, adding that they have taken it up with Pakistani authorities.

Two Indian soldiers were killed and beheaded by Pakistani soldiers on Tuesday in Poonch district — in the worst violation of the ceasefire that is in place since 2003 on the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan high commissioner Salman Bashir was summoned by foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai on Wednesday and a strong protest lodged.

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Asaram's camp vandalised, visit to Kumbh Mela opposed

ALLAHABAD: A camp set up at Kumbh Mela ground for Asaram Bapu's discourse was vandalised while several outfits have opposed the proposed visit of the self-styled godman, who has drawn flak for his remarks on the Delhi gang-rape victim, at the religious congregation here.

The gateway to the grandiose camp, where the godman is likely to stay and deliver "pravachans" for three days, was vandalised and set afire yesterday.

However, police claim that it was not clear who were responsible for the incident.

The godman is scheduled to visit the city on January 14 to take part in the Maha Kumbh congregation.

A number of religious organisations like Sannyasi Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Sant Mahasabha and Akhil Bharat Purohit Mahasabha have issued statements asserting that they will oppose the visit of Asaram.

His recent statements that the rape victim could have saved her honour by having begged for mercy before the perpetrators have sparked a furore. However, he chose to stick to his views and invidiously dismissed the critics as "dogs who bark while an elephant goes his way".

His stance has not gone well with spiritual gurus like Swami Chidananda.

"It is true that not just our environment, but also our society has become polluted. Cleansing is necessary to bring about order and harmony.

"Nevertheless, what Bapu said was in no way appropriate. Religious gurus are supposed to propagate Dharma, thereby guiding the society, and not to offend anybody," Chidananda told reporters here.

Meanwhile, a number of other groups including political outfit Apna Dal and social organisations Nari Sashaktikaran Abhiyan and Jan Sangharsh Morcha have declared that they will show black flags to Asaram on his visit to the city and may even seek legal action against him unless he tendered an "unconditional apology".

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Rare snowstorm paralyses Jerusalem area, North Israel

JERUSALEM: The worst snowstorm in 20 years shut government offices, public transport and schools in Jerusalem and along the northern Israeli region bordering on Lebanon on Thursday.

Many Palestinians in the hilly occupied West Bank were also snowed in and dozens were forced to flee flooded homes.

Elisha Peleg, an official in charge of emergencies with Israel's municipality for Jerusalem, urged residents to remain at home and stay off the streets, telling Israel Army Radio the area had overnight seen its greatest snowfall since 1992.

He said 10 to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 inches) of snow had piled up in the city centre and more than that in outlying areas. "The downtown area is bathed in white," Peleg said.

"The elders of Jerusalem don't remember such a snowstorm in years," Peleg also said.

Public transport ground to a halt for several hours. Many vehicles that ventured onto roads were stuck and citizens were urged to remain at home. Government offices also remained closed for the day.

"Make it a family day. In the afternoon, the temperatures are supposed to rise and you will be able to head out for some shopping," Peleg said.

Israel Radio said a highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was blocked, and much of the northern Galilee region was paralysed by heavy snowfalls.

Some traffic arteries opened later in the afternoon as temperatures rose and some snow melted. Public bus services partially resumed and were free of charge in Jerusalem, as an incentive to keep private vehicles off the slushy roads.

In the occupied West Bank, city streets were largely abandoned, with few residents chancing the hilly and widely rutted roads and schools kept shut because of the weather.

A general strike by government employees also kept Palestinians in their homes, as the Palestinian Authority has been unable to fully pay salaries following Israeli economic sanctions announced last month in anger at a campaign that won de facto United Nations recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian meteorological institute said that snow levels in the Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem areas had reached 10-20cm and as much as 30cm in Hebron.

Flooding was reported in the northern West Bank, where water "inundated dozens of houses and widely damaged agricultural areas local farmers depend on for their livelihoods," Jenin governor Talal Dweikat told Palestinian Radio.

"Dozens of families have been forced to flee their homes, but thank God there have been no deaths, and the Authority is dealing with the problem aggressively despite its financial problems," Dweikat said.

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India test-fires manoeuvrable version of BrahMos missile

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday successfully test-fired a highly manoeuvrable version of the 290-km range supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a naval warship off the coast of Vishakhapatnam in Bay of Bengal.

"At 9.30 am, the missile blasted off in a pre-designated war scenario taking a 'double-manoeuvre in S-form' hitting the designated target ship just one meter above water line. The sheer velocity and power of hit made the missile rip through the ship's hull," BrahMos Aerospace CEO A Sivathanu Pillai said on Wednesday.

This is the 34th launch of BrahMos after the successful October launch from INS Teg in the Arabian Sea.

The BrahMos missile system was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 when it began arming the Rajput-class guided missile destroyers and inducted subsequently in many warships.

BrahMos is capable of acquiring data not only from the American GPS but also from Russian GLONASS satellite systems also, which ensures double redundancy.

In the last stage, the seeker takes over and the target is located with accuracy of a few meters which ensures no chances of survival for the target.

"This has been proved once again today and with bulls eye accuracy," officials said.

Defence minister A K Antony congratulated the warship commander and Indian Navy and BrahMos team for the demonstration of capabilities, they said.

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Govt will ensure common man benefits from banking: Chidambaram

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Jan 9, 2013, 06.08PM IST

CHHINDWARA (MP): Finance minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the government is making all-out efforts to ensure that benefits of banking facilities are made available to common people.

"There is no doubt that efforts are being made on a large scale to ensure that benefits of banking facilities are made available to the people", he said.

The minister was speaking on the occasion of inaugurating headquarters of Central Madhya Pradesh Rural Bank here.

He said the processes for disbursing loans in education, home and agriculture sectors have been simplified so that anyone can avail these credit facilities.

On subsidised gas cylinders, the finance minister said, "Congress-run states have made arrangements to provide nine gas cylinders instead of six as stipulated by the Centre... Non-Congress governments should also take steps to provide such relief to people."

Chidambaram praised urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath, who was accompanying him, for carrying out development in his parliamentary constituency of Chhindwara.

"The manner in which he (Kamal Nath) had nursed his constituency is an example that can be followed by any public representative. The works done by Kamal Nath have led to the development of Chhindwara constituency," Chidambaram said.

He said under the UPA government at the Centre, the country is on the progressive path of economic and infrastructural development.

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Assam: Three children killed, many injured in explosion in Digboi

GUWAHATI: Three children were killed and several others injured in an explosion near a primary school in upper Assam's Tinsukia district on Wednesday.

The cause of the explosion, which took place at Kharjan pool area of Digboi town in the evening, is yet to be ascertained, police said.

Army and police personnel have rushed to the spot and the area has been cordoned off.

The injured children have been sent to hospitals. Police have not ruled out the involvement of some militant outfits in the explosion and investigation into the incident is on.

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Snags force 2 flights to return to Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Two flights -- one bound for Kuwait and another for Mumbai -- returned to the airport here on Wednesday soon after take-off due to technical faults, airport sources said.

A Go Air flight to Mumbai with 102 passengers on board was flown back here 45 minutes after it took off at 2pm when passengers complained of suffocation due to malfunctioning of the airconditioning system, the sources said.

The passengers were asked to disembark. The aircraft took off again after the problem was rectified.

A Kuwait Airways flight carrying 216 passengers was forced to return to the airport here after it developed a technical malfunction mid-air, they said.

The flight, which took off at around 6.30am, landed back 45 minutes later, they said adding it was cleared for take-off after the snag was set right.

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Samajwadi Party can offer alternative at Centre, Mulayam says

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday described the ongoing phase in the country's politics as a "transition period" and said his party can offer an "alternative" at the Centre.

Yadav was addressing party workers after a meeting of district and city presidents at SP headquarters here.

The former UP chief minister asked the party cadres to prepare themselves for the next Lok Sabha polls and maintain better co-ordination between the government and the organisation.

"It is a transition period in the politics and SP was an alternative, therefore, the workers should go among the people with discipline and clean behaviour," he said.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has done hard work and accelerated developmental, which should be taken to the people, Yadav said.

He alleged that opposition parties were behaving in an "undemocratic" manner, spreading canard about the government and people must be informed about the reality.

"We want that policies in the interest of farmers, youths, minorities and women are implemented," he said.

He said that it was the responsibility of the district organisations to monitor works of the government and review development works.

The SP supremo said that the workers should remain cautious of the conspiracies to malign the image of the government and the organisation.

"Real power was in Delhi and there was a need to repeat the miracle UP," he said.

"In Lok Sabha elections, we should send so many MPs that the SP becomes capable of getting socialist policies implemented by the Centre," Yadav said.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav told the party workers that their responsibility has increased after the formation of SP government.

"Our performance will help us in Lok Sabha elections. We can make an effective interference in central politics only by increasing our number if Lok Sabha," he said.

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ED attaches Rs 143 crore assets in Jagan money laundering case

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 143.74 crore in connection with its probe in the money laundering case against YSR Congress party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The attachment order, under criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), is the third by the agency after it issued two separate attachment orders of Rs 51 crore and Rs 71 crore earlier, in this case.

The agency, according to sources, has few more similar orders in the pipeline as it plans to build a water tight case against Jagan and his associates.

"Immovable properties and movable assets worth Rs 143.74 crore under section 5(1) of PMLA are being attached. The properties attached are from Ms Ramky Pharma City (India) Limited are approximately 135.46 acres of land and deposit of Rs 3.20 crore in mutual funds and fixed deposits for Rs 10 Crore from Jagati Publications Private Limited (held by Jagan Reddy)," the attachment order said.

The agency is probing the case on the basis of the FIR filed by CBI to investigate alleged disproportionate assets amassed by Jagan especially during the tenure of his father-- the late Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy

An ED attachment is an enforcement action under anti-money laundering laws to restrict the accused from taking benefit out of the properties or assets they have created through illegal means.

The accused parties can appeal against the order at the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA based here.

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Govt determined to turn setbacks into opportunity, PM says

KOCHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the government was determined to turn any setback into an opportunity to improve legal and regulatory frameworks in the context of a "surge of expectation" from an increasingly empowered and articulate public.

"There is now a surge of expectation from an increasingly empowered and articulate public, for more responsive, transparent, participative, clean and efficient governance," Singh said, inaugurating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Kochi, attended by the Indian diaspora.

His remarks apparently come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry and outrage over various issues, including corruption and the recent Delhi gang-rape incident.

Singh said the government was "determined to turn any setback into an opportunity to improve legal and regulatory frameworks." "I have no doubt that the energy and the passions of our citizens, particularly our youth, will be a force of positive change in our country," he told the gathering where the Mauritius President Rajkeshwur Purryag was the chief guest.

Singh's remarks apparently come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry and outrage over various issues, including corruption and the recent Delhi gang-rape incident.

Singh told the Indian diaspora that despite an impressive economic performance and change on an enormous scale in the past two decades, the country faced persisting challenges of poverty, equity, sustainability and opportunity.

"Vulnerable sections of society, including our women, face enduring prejudices and continuing problems in a rapidly changing India," he said.

Noting that the world economy has had to deal with the two major financial crises emanating from the developed world in the last four years, Singh said the Indian economy has not been immune to the consequences. "From an impressive average annual GDP growth rate of over eight per cent between 2004-2010, our growth declined to 6.5 per cent in 2011-12 and may fall below six per cent in the current year," he said.

The Prime Minister said despite domestic constraints and challenges, the government was confident that the country's strong economic fundamentals backed by sound policies, would enable it to return to a higher growth path. He said government had recently taken a number of steps to boost domestic and foreign investment, accelerate project implementation and reform capital markets and the tax system. Referring to the 12th five year plan, approved recently, with an "ambition" to sustain eight per cent annual economic growth, Singh said this required enormous resources, reforms in policies and institutions and new models of public-private partnerships, among others.

"New approaches will be needed to address challenges like infrastructure, education, energy, water and agriculture."

Lauding the role of the Indian expatriates, who had become more vulnerable to economic crises, conflicts, civil unrest or "senseless hate crimes", Singh said at a time of turbulence in many parts of the world, safety and security of Indian overseas communities was uppermost in "our minds."

Though the primary responsibility of safety and security of overseas Indian communities rest with the host countries, "when needed, as was the case, last year in Libya, our government will provide prompt and necessary assistance, the Prime Minister said.

He said the government will do "all that is possible" to deepen the connection of Indians overseas with India and advance their interests while inviting them to be a vital partner and participant in India's social and economic development. The Mauritius President recalled the strong cultural bond between his country and India. "The destiny of India and the destiny of diaspora are in many ways intertwined," he said.

An annual event being held since January 2003, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention is the flagship event of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to connect India to its vast Indian diaspora and bringing their knowledge, expertise and skills on a common platform.

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India does not need Walmart's expertise in bribery: Stiglitz

The author has posted comments on this articleSujit John, TNN | Jan 8, 2013, 04.41PM IST

Joseph Stiglitz will turn 70 next month, but age does not appear in any way to have diminished the mind that won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001. The Columbia University professor delighted a select media gathering in Bangalore on Monday, organized by the Azim Premji Foundation, with talk of Walmart's expertise in bribery and how money given to fathers need not benefit children. Below are excerpts from that discussion:

India needs to focus on internal issues

The US is expected to slowdown this year and the global slowdown will have a short term impact on India. Good thing about India is it is less dependent on exports. India needs to focus more on its internal issues of inequality, lack of infrastructure, issues of education, agriculture, environment, water tables going down.

Resolve governance problem before privatizing coal mines

Just privatization will not solve the problem. You have to see how it can benefit local people, not merely have a corrupt transfer of access to these resources and increase inequality. You have to solve the governance problem before privatization.

Walmart brings greater capacity in bribery, little else

Don't focus on FDI in the belief that it will solve all problems. There is no shortage of entrepreneurs in India. So look at what is foreign investment bringing that Indian entrepreneurs cannot bring. Walmart certainly brings greater capacity in bribery, it was their source of success in Mexico. You don't want to bring that in, you already have enough of that. I have studied Walmart's supply chain in other countries. They have not worked. Foreign investment may use their monopsony power (a large buyer controlling a large proportion of the market and driving prices down) to bring Chinese goods that reduce the prices that Indian suppliers can get and thereby increase inequality, or increase dependence on foreign goods.

Direct cash transfers must be designed well

Many subsidies, like in education, food and health, are targetted at children. Giving money to fathers does not mean it will go to their children. Money given to mothers have a greater chance of going to children. Brazil's model is more thoughtful; they have electronic payment cards and mothers get money if the children are vaccinated or sent to school. These are not blind cheques. All systems are imperfect and have inefficiencies. One kind of subsidy that is definitely avoidable are the broad based ones. Fuel subsidies tend to be used more by those driving big cars.

Rising inequality in India a problem

Globalization is one source of inequality, and you cannot stop that. But there are more important sources, such as monopoly power, abuses of corporate governance, people getting access to natural resources and spectrum at below market prices. These are sources of inequality rising at the top, and makes the economy less efficient. At the bottom, you have issues like lack of investment in education, discrimination.

Shut down tax havens like Mauritius and Cayman Islands

The investment coming in from Mauritius into India is mostly Indian money doing a round trip to evade taxes. We need transparency in all these tax havens such as Mauritius and Cayman Islands. Actually, given that these tax havens bring no social benefit they should be shut down. The G20 can do it if they want.

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Saudi Arabian authorities behead Syrian citizen for drug trafficking

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian authorities on Tuesday beheaded a Syrian citizen convicted of trafficking a large amount of narcotic pills, the interior ministry said, in the first execution in the kingdom this year.

Mohammed Darwish was arrested "as he was trafficking a large amount of narcotic pills into the kingdom," the ministry said in a statement carried by official news agency SPA.

He was beheaded in Al-Jawf province, in the kingdom's north.

Last year, the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom beheaded 76 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under its strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

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5 Americans among 7 dead in Peru chopper crash

LIMA: Five US citizens are among seven people killed in the crash of a U.S.-owned cargo helicopter in the Peruvian jungle.

Peruvian authorities say the heavy-lift chopper crashed Monday after taking off from the provincial capital of Pucallpa.

It was owned by Columbia Helicopters of Portland, Oregon.

The company's executive vice president Peter Lance confirms the deaths. He tells The Associated Press the five dead Americans were employees of the company.

Lance did not immediately provide more information.

Local police official Miguel Cardoso said Tuesday morning that three bodies have been so far been recovered. He says it appears all jumped from the chopper.

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Delhi gang-rape case: Ansari seeks corrective measures in laws

NEW DELHI: Describing the gruesome Delhi gang rape as an incident that "let our heads hang in shame", Vice President Hamid Ansari today sought immediate steps for comprehensive corrective measures in laws and social behaviour.

He said one must remember that full respect for human rights of all and on all occasions, inclusive of gender equality and gender justice, are prerequisites of a modern, progressive, society.

"A recent event on the eve of the New Year gave all of us occasion for remorse and sorrow. It made us, as people, hang our heads in shame. The expressions of anguish and anger, fully justified, must now be speedily translated into comprehensive correctives in laws, procedures, societal norms and values, and social behaviour," Ansari said, addressing NCC Republic Day Camp 2013 here.

The 23-year-old victim, a paramedical student, was brutally raped and assaulted in a moving bus in the capital on the night of December 16 and died of her injuries on December 29 in a Singapore hospital.

The Vice President said this responsibility must be shouldered by all and discharged by all. "As a disciplined corps of young men and women, you can be the vanguard and trend setters," he told the NCC cadets.

"NCC is the premier uniformed youth organisation of the country and its contribution to nation building deserves highest commendation. It helps channelise the energy of our youth into a creative force to usher in social change to a wide spectrum of activities which are powerful instrument of awakening in the society at grass-root level," he said.

2004 cadets, both boys and girls drawn from 17 NCC Directorates, covering all the states and Union Territories are participating in this camp that culminates on January 28.

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HC orders daily hearing of paternity case against N D Tiwari

NEW DELHI: A youth's paternity suit to declare N D Tiwari as his biological father was ordered to be heard on a day-to-day basis by the Delhi high court on Monday after the veteran Congress leader refused to settle the issue through mediation.

"The local commissioner is hereby directed to conduct, preferably, the hearing on a day-to-day basis," Justice Manmohan said.

The direction came after the counsel for the 88-year-old Congress leader refused to settle the lawsuit out of the court through mediation, saying there was a possibility that the medical evidence was not hundred percent accurate.

"Let this matter go to the mediation centre for settling it as the medical evidence in the form of DNA report clearly suggests that the respondent (Tiwari) is the father of the petitioner ( Rohit Shekhar)," Justice Manmohan observed during the hearing.

Bahar-u-Barqi, counsel for Tiwari, did not accept the court's suggestion and submitted that his client would like to contest the suit as the scientific proof cannot be held to be conclusive.

"It is almost conclusive and it seems that he does not want to do it (mediation process)," the court said and asked Vimala Maken, a retired additional district judge who had been appointed as the local commissioner in the case, to proceed on day-to-day basis with the recording of evidence in the matter.

The local commissioner would initiate the proceedings from January 21, the court said.

The court, meanwhile, also directed Tiwari to submit within four weeks a demand draft of Rs 46,000 which was imposed on him as cost during an earlier proceeding.

The high court on July 27 last year had read out the DNA report in the case as per which Tiwari was shown as Shekhar's biological father.

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Bhagwat's remarks about women 'shallow': Sharad Yadav

NEW DELHI: JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav on Monday described as "shallow" remarks of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about women, saying they only showed the thinking of the people making them.

But, at the same time, he made it clear that he was yet to go through Bhagwat's remarks "properly" and would react to it after going through the written statement.

"Several statements are being made these days...The statements show their thinking and views. All these are shallow statements," Yadav told reporters.

He was asked to comment on the remarks of Bhagwat in Indore on Saturday that a woman is bound by contract to husband to look after him.

Yadav, who is the NDA convenor, hastened to add that Sangh spokesman Ram Madhav had said that the projection of Bhagwat's views on the marriage system in the Indian context was "totally false".

"I have not gone through his statement properly. If you show me his written statement, I will definitely react to it," he said.

In reply to a question, he rejected suggestions that yesterday he had supported the view that sexual urge was natural.

"I had said that physical needs were also there like we need water and air. It was never said in the context of the (Delhi) gang rape incident. It was a barbaric act. How can I say such a thing?" he said.

Yadav said he was participating in a discussion and his views should be seen in totality.

The JD(U) said he would shortly appear before the Justice J S Verma committee set to suggest changes in laws relating to crime against women.

"I would present my views in which the stress would be that the disparity with regard to women in the society is due to the caste system," he said.

He also said, "While we debate effective laws to deal with crime against women, the issue of corruption and caste system should not be ignored. We should debate all the issues which ail our society.

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China does not want to see rise of India in Asia, Mohan Bhagwat says

INDORE: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said China does not want to see rise of India in Asia and take leading position. In order to contain India's increasing influence it is encircling out country from all sides.

In a direct reference to assertive policies of China, Bhagwat said, "China does not want India to make progress and grow. It does not want India to take a leading position in Asia. The countries that are against us are trying to weave a web from all sides." He was speaking a programme in Indore on Sunday.

He further said that India does not harbour enmity against any country, but country has also failed to secure its borders. "Out borders are unsecured and porous. People are coming to our country without any trouble even terrorist are taking benefit of this situation.

"There is always a demand to step up vigil along the border. However, there is no preparedness. They keep talking about it in Parliament, but nothing really materialises in this regard. Smuggling of drugs, arms and cattle has been rampant along the border," he said adding ironically instead of protecting our borders and standing against infiltrators some of our people are busy in defending them for political benefit.

Alleging that "politics of selfishness" is rampant in the country, Bhagwat said, "We elect the government. But when we want the government to solve our problems, it does not come forward unless it sees some benefit in it."

Without naming Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik, Bhagwat said, "Recently one Pakistani minister visited India and left everybody annoyed."

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Britain's oldest man Reg Dean, a former Army chaplain and teacher, dead

LONDON: Britain's oldest man, who survived two world wars and witnessed 24 British prime ministers come and go, has died at the age of 110.

Reg Dean, a former Army chaplain and teacher, died on Saturday aged 110 years and 63 days, his friends said today.

He was born in Tunstall, Staffordshire, on November 4 1902, and became Britain's oldest man in June 2010 after the death of Stanley Lucas, 110, of Cornwall, the Sun reported.

A former United Reform Church minister, Dean was the life president of the Dalesmen Male Voice Choir in Derbyshire.

During the World War II, he was stationed in Burma, but continued his work as a minister until he retired at the age of 80.

The father-of-one, from Wirksworth in Derbyshire, moved to the county in 1947, after living for a short period in Stratford-on-Avon.

He was married three times.

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Pak's response on India's 'wishlist' on 26/11 'critical' for 'substantive movement': Salman Khurshid

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's response to India's 'wishlist' with regard to those behind 2008 Mumbai terror attacks is 'critical' to 'substantive movement' in the bilateral dialogue, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said on Sunday.

What Islamabad has done so far about it is 'not to our satisfaction', he told PTI in an interview while taking stock of the Indo-Pak ties in the year gone by.

Khurshid did not see controversial statements made by Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik while in India recently as a 'setback' in the dialogue process.

What is said or what gesture is made is not 'critical', he said.

"I don't see it as a setback at all. But I do believe and (what) we all believe in this country is that dialogue will move smoothly, faster and in a right direction provided the wishlist lying with Pakistan given by India as far as Mumbai tragedy is concerned is responded to. That is a critical thing, not what is said, not what gesture is made.

"Ultimately it is the delivery of the fundamental aspects that are required to be fulfilled...Unless that is done, we will not have substantive movement. And it has not been done to satisfaction," the minister said.

Asked about delay in Pakistan granting Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, Khurshid said India will do whatever needs to be done to persuade them to move on this.

"We believe that it should have been done. We will do whatever needs to be done to persuade them that we should now be able to do it. It is not something which should be delayed indefinitely. It is not something we should just forget that it happened.

"We have to get them back on track. If they have problems, they will certainly express them to us and obviously when it was being negotiated, they must have factored in all the different pulls and pushes, but we would like it to be moved forward and we will certainly persuade them to do so," the minister said, while asserting the issue "is always on the agenda".

Khurshid also dismissed the assessment of some in India that Pakistan army was behind the delay in granting MFN status to India.

Pakistan has delayed the grant of MNF status to India along with abolition of a negative trade list regime "for a short time" because of reservations expressed by several industries, according to Pakistan Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

In a wide-ranging interview which included India's relationship with other countries such as Iran, China, Maldives, Bangladesh and Mauritius, Khurshid asserted that all countries provided "opportunities" to the country and not "challenges".

Admitting that at times India has to deal with difficult issues such as imposition of sanctions against Iran, Khurshid said in such situations, the country takes a "principled" stand.

"Iran is a difficult issue, when somebody imposes sanctions on Iran as part of the UN's (sanctions) and then unilateral sanctions are imposed, then what should we do. So we take a principled position. We stand by the UN-imposed sanctions.

"Comply with those sanctions but we are not going to give up our friendship with Iran because our friendship is much longer lasting and sustainable relationship which should not be completely knocked out by the compliance of present sanctions imposed by the UN. We must let the UN know that it cannot be at our friendship," the minister said.

He also noted that "there is a principled balancing to be done which is a difficult thing".

On India-China bilateral ties, the minister said China was important to the country as partners.

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Keylong in Himachal Pradesh freezes at minus 10.4 degrees celsius

SHIMLA: Bone-chilling cold conditions swept across Himachal Pradesh on Sunday with Keylong freezing at a minus 10.4 degrees celsius, a meteorological official said.

While state capital Shimla shivered at 0.9 degree celsius, the minimum temperature at tourist resort Manali was 3 degrees below the freezing point.

Kalpa, around 250 km from here, recorded a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius, whereas Dharamsala was still warm at a minimum of 4.4 degrees. It was minus 0.6 degree in Sundernagar.

The official said the night temperature in Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district fell further by 3.3 degrees from Saturday's minus 7.1 degrees.

But day temperatures across the state were up by an average of two to five degrees due to the dry weather.

The maximum temperature was 11.5 degrees in Shimla on Saturday, while it was 17.8 degrees in Dharamsala and 17.8 degrees in Solan.

Frost on the roads, making them slippery, has been hampering movement of vehicles, officials said.

The Met office has forecast dry weather in the next few days.

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Mauritius president visits ancestral village in Bihar

PATNA: Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purayag and his wife Aneetah arrived in Bihar on Sunday to visit his ancestral village.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar received the couple at the airport.

"After spending an hour at the Raj Bhawan, they will proceed to Wajidpur village in Patna district, about 20km from here," an official said.

Villagers and Purayag's distant relatives in the village are excited.

Purayag, whose ancestors migrated from Bihar to Mauritius in the 19th century, will spend over an hour in the village meeting distant relatives and others.

He is in India to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas diaspora meet.

People in the village have decided to gift him some soil and a bushel of freshly harvested paddy.

Besides, some villagers will present him a memento in silver.

Mahesh Mahto, a distant relative of Purayag, told IANS over telephone that the president would be treated as a 'Mati Ke Lal' (Son of the soil).

"It is like a festival in the village," said Mahesh, a mason.

Purayag's ancestors are said to have migrated as labourers to Trinidad and Tobago, then a British colony, in the 19th century.

In January last year, Kamla Persad Bissessar, the first woman prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, visited her ancestral village Bhelupur in Bihar's Buxar district.

Her great-grandfather Ram Lakhan Mishra reportedly left Bhelupur to cross the seas in 1889.

Nearly five years ago, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam had visited his ancestral village in the state's Bhojpur district.

A large number of people from Bihar had migrated to Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, South Africa and other places in the 19th century to serve as indentured labourers on sugarcane and rubber plantations.

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Bus crash in Zimbawe kills 8, police say

HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean police say eight people died in a bus crash that has brought the traffic accident death toll during the holiday period to the highest on record in the southern African nation.

Police officials in the second city of Bulawayo said Sunday that eight died and 57 were injured Saturday in western Zimbabwe when their bus, headed for neighboring Botswana, veered off the highway and overturned.

The driver was among the injured.

The central police traffic command said 209 people have died in accidents since December 15. In the same holiday period last year, 147 people died. Bus accidents, common in Zimbabwe, are blamed on poor vehicle maintenance and speeding.

On December 23, 18 passengers died when a truck ferrying them home for the holidays plunged into a mountain ravine.

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South Africa: Former President Nelson Mandela's recovery is good

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's president says that Nelson Mandela has recovered from his recent lung infection and surgical procedure to remove gallstones.

South African President Jacob Zuma issued a statement Sunday announcing that doctors say that Mandela, 94, has made "steady progress and that clinically, he continues to improve.'' Mandela was hospitalized for nearly three weeks in December before going home on Dec. 26.

Zuma's statement said Mandela "continues to receive high care'' at his Johannesburg home and "his daily routine is being gradually re-established.''

Zuma congratulated Mandela on his recovery and said the anti-apartheid icon has "the love and support of all South Africans.''

The news that Mandela has recovered from the recurring lung infection and the minor surgery will reassure many in South Africa concerned about the aged leader's health.

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