US, Philippines vow freedom of navigation amid Asia sea rows

WASHINGTON: The United States and the Philippines have vowed to maintain freedom of navigation in a Southeast Asia increasingly beset by maritime territorial rows, the two military allies said.

The military chiefs of the two countries made the pledge in the United States on Thursday as their governments held talks on expanding the American military presence in the Philippines, a joint statement said.

"We share a common interest in maintaining freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, and transit of people and goods across the seas," said Philippine military chief General Emmanuel Bautista and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"We resolve to... strengthen the Southeast Asia security environment in a manner that protects the interests of all who value unimpeded commerce transiting through the maritime domain, while deterring those who would restrict it or act in a manner that might place it at risk."

The Philippines has been looking to the United States for military and political support as part of efforts to protect its claims to South China Sea waters from an increasingly assertive China.

Both generals called for a "rules-based approach in resolving competing claims in maritime areas by peaceful means -- within the framework of international law".

Though the statement did not mention China, the Philippines has accused Beijing of endangering Asian peace and maritime commerce through its claims over most of the South China Sea, including areas close to the coast of the Philippines.

While the United States has insisted it does not take sides in the dispute, it has been seeking to rebuild its military footprint in the Philippines, a military ally since 1951, as part of President Barack Obama's strategic "pivot" to Asia.

"We expect a robust, balanced and responsive security partnership... (through) mutually beneficial bilateral military training, exercises and operations, provided by an increased rotational and temporary presence of US military forces operating from Armed Forces of the Philippines-controlled facilities," the statement said.

The allies held talks in Manila on August 14 to draw up rules for temporary deployments of more US forces and military assets in the Philippines.

The negotiations are scheduled to resume in Washington before the end of the month.

The Philippines had hosted tens of thousands of US soldiers at two bases near Manila, but they were forced to leave in 1992 after the Philippine Senate voted to end their lease contracts amid strong anti-American sentiment.

A new agreement in 1999 allowed US troops to return to the Philippines for joint military exercises every year.

US special forces have also been rotating through the southern Philippines since 2002 to help local soldiers who are fighting Islamic militants.

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Woman police constable gang-raped in Jharkhand's Latehar district

LATEHAR, JHARKHAND: A woman police constable was allegedly gang-raped by a gang of dacoits on National Highway 75 near Jagaldaga in Latehar district, police said on Saturday.

As per the FIR filed by her on Friday, she was gang-raped by dacoits when she was going to Garhwa from Ranchi by a car in the early hours of August 22, Superintendent of Police Michael S Raj said.

The rape victim, a widow, is a constable with the Latehar district police. The dacoits also looted passengers of different vehicles between midnight and 2am, police said.

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JNU student detained by Maharashtra police for Maoist links

GADCHIROLI: Gadchiroli police in Maharashtra have detained three persons including a student of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi for alleged links with Naxalites, sources said, but officials refused to either deny or confirm the development.

Sources said the three were detained in Aheri, in south of the Gadchiroli district. The district, which borders on Chhattisgarh, has a considerable Maoist presence.

Superintendent of police Mohd Suvez Haque said if there was anything, a press release would be issued. But he did not categorically deny the reports of arrest or detainment.

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Incorrect details on reservation form will make rail ticket invalid

LUCKNOW: It's time to be alert as incorrect personal details on the railway reservation form can put you to inconvenience. In the forthcoming festival season, railways will treat all the tickets, which have incorrect details of the passengers on the reservation form, as invalid.

Sufficient number of staff will be deployed to check the validity of the details provided by passengers in reservation forms. The details will be checked with the telephone/mobile numbers as mentioned in the reservation form for purchasing reservation ticket.

In case the details of the passengers as given in the reservation form are found incorrect during the course of checking, the ticket will be treated as invalid.

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Pakistan repatriates 362 Indian prisoners via Attari border

ATTARI: In a possible bid to improve relations with India, Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif government on Saturday repatriated 362 Indian prisoners including 8 children (all fishermen) from Attari land border after the completion of their jail sentences.

As earlier reported to Indian authorities, a total of 365 Indian prisoners were to be repatriated by Pakistan according to fishermen who arrived here.

The name of 17-year-old prisoner from UP Manjo Kumar was deleted at the last moment by Pakistan government and one prisoner Raju had died in jail due to illness. There was confusion about the arrival of one more prisoner.

Executive magistrate PPS Goraya, who received the prisoners, informed that as against earlier information of the arrival of 365 Indian prisoners from Pakistan, a total of 362 have arrived. Elated to return to his country, Shabbir, a fisherman from Gurjrat told TOI that he had spent 9 months in jail for committing no crime. "We were arrested by a Pakistani speed boat while we were in our own territory. This is injustice. Both governments should find a solution to it," he said. About his experience in a Pakistani jail, he said the prisoners were not provided with proper medication in case of illness but were given two tablets thrice a day for any kind of illness. "Itching, skin diseases are common in jail but for their treatment, medicine is same as that of any other illness," he complained.

Another released prisoner who didn't want to give his name informed that Indian prisoner Raju had died in jail a couple of weeks ago. "He was sick but was given the same two tablets thrice a day; no special treatment was given to him," he alleged. Remembering the innocent face of Manoj Kumar, 17, resident of Uttar Pardesh, Hanif, a young boy of 16 from Gujrat said, "He was so happy to go back to home, but as he was told that his name has been deleted from the list he started crying and embraced me and asked me to somehow inform his family in India about his well-being." He said children like him went to sea to learn the tricks of the trade but were caught for no crime of theirs.

Another young boy, Parmi said, "He (Manoj) must be crying in jail but I can't help him."

Hazikar who was sentenced for 10 days only said he had been able to come back from Pakistan only after 4 months. "Verification process takes all this time. I have lost my business, two of my boats have been seized by Pakistan, I don't know what I will do now."

All the prisoners will stay overnight in Amritsar before heading for their homes on Sunday.

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Kurien threatens to suspend protesting TDP MPs for a day

NEW DELHI: Upset over frequent disruptions caused by two TDP MPs, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien on Friday threatened to suspend them for a day "for holding the House to ransom" but could not do so as members of AIADMK and TMC opposed it.

Kurien issued the warning at around 2.30pm when coal minister Shriprakash Jaiswal was to give clarifications on the missing files of the coal block allocation.

The two MPs YS Chaudhary and CM Ramesh, were in the well and chanting slogans against the decision to form Telangana.

Kurien pleaded with them to allow the House to function but the members were unrelenting.

Amid din, Kurien threatened to take action under Rule 255 under which "the chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day's meeting."

During zero hour also, Kurien had said, "I can throw you out also. Do you want me to do that?"

Opposition members V Maitreyan (AIADMK) and Derek O'Brien (TMC) opposed any action against them prompting to chair to say, "You want clarification on the coal issue and the Prime Minister is here. You want the discussion but do not want me to take any action against them. This is double standards."

With his repeated threats and appeals failing to yield any result, he said, "the chair is helpless." He then adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

When the House reassembled, Kurien said he was "pained and hurt" as the chair wanted the House to function.

He said the Prime Minister, despite difficulties, was present in the House to intervene as per the demands by some members for him to intervene on the missing coal block allocation files.

"There are two members who are holding the House to ransom. Now, those who wanted this debate to happen are not supporting the chair in taking action against them. This is my agony. If the majority wants action under rule 255, the House can run otherwise I have no way other than to adjourn the House," the deputy chairman said.

With his efforts not yielding any result, he adjourned the House till Monday.

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Paternity row: Delhi HC closes ND Tiwari's right to lead evidence

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari was on Friday barred by the Delhi high court from leading any evidence in the paternity suit filed by a youth seeking to declare him as his biological father.

Justice Vipin Sanghi considered a report of a local commissioner that the Congress leader has failed to file his evidence by way of an affidavit in the paternity case despite opportunities granted to him.

"The right of defendant No.1 (Tiwari) to lead evidence has been closed. Put up the case on September 18 for further proceedings," the court said.

S M Chopra, a former additional district judge, was appointed as a local commissioner by the high court for recording evidence on day-to-day basis in the case.

He has filed a report to the judge that 88-year-old Tiwari neither filed his evidence within the stipulated time nor appeared before him for cross-examination on August 21.

Considering the report of the local commissioner, the high court decided to close the right of Tiwari to lead evidence in favour of his claim that he did not father 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar.

The local commissioner had on July 1 granted four weeks time to Tiwari for filing his evidence and listed the matter on August 21 for personal appearance before him.

However, on August 21, the counsel for Tiwari sought more time besides seeking holding of his cross-examination at a place other than the high court complex.

Earlier, the local commissioner had concluded the examination of Rohit and his mother Ujjawala Sharma and asked Tiwari to file his evidence by way of an affidavit.

The leader has so far refused to settle the lawsuit out of court through mediation saying there is a possibility that the medical evidence is not 100 per cent accurate.

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

Tiwari had given blood sample for the DNA test on May 29 last year at his residence in Dehradun following the apex court's order in the case, after repeatedly contesting against undergoing the test on various grounds.

Tiwari's pleas had been objected to by Rohit who had filed the paternity suit in 2008, claiming that the veteran Congress leader is his biological father. Tiwari had refuted his claim.

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Food bill to be taken up in Lok Sabha on Monday: Kamal Nath

NEW DELHI: Food Security Bill, which could not be taken up despite being listed in Lok Sabha'a agenda since Monday, will not be part of business tomorrow as members want to go out of station.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath on Friday said Lok Sabha will function on Saturday but Food Security Bill will be taken up for discussion and passing only on Monday.

However, there will be no sitting of Rajya Sabha on Saturday.

Parliament has witnessed disruptions blocking passage of the bill. According to Parliament sources, moves are afoot to extend the monsoon session till September 4.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, the minister said the bill will not be taken up in Lok Sabha as most of the leaders, who want to speak on the key legislation, will be away on Saturday.

"The House will function tomorrow (Saturday). But a large of members and leaders have expressed that they are going to be away ... Many members and leaders want to speak on the Food Security Bill," he said.

"So they have requested to the Speaker that the Food Security Bill should not be taken up tomorrow, but on Monday. So the Bill will be taken up on Monday," he said.

The minister said the Speaker will fix a date for the debate on the missing coal files in Lok Sabha.

Asked about the extention of the session beyond August 30 when it is scheduled to end, the minister said cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs will meet soon to decide on the issue.

On the protest of some of the suspended Seemandhra MPs in the House, Kamal Nath said, "What happens in the precincts of the House has to be decided by the Speaker."

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Kurien threatens to suspend protesting TDP MPs for a day

NEW DELHI: Upset over frequent disruptions caused by two TDP MPs, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien on Friday threatened to suspend them for a day "for holding the House to ransom" but could not do so as members of AIADMK and TMC opposed it.

Kurien issued the warning at around 2.30pm when coal minister Shriprakash Jaiswal was to give clarifications on the missing files of the coal block allocation.

The two MPs YS Chaudhary and CM Ramesh, were in the well and chanting slogans against the decision to form Telangana.

Kurien pleaded with them to allow the House to function but the members were unrelenting.

Amid din, Kurien threatened to take action under Rule 255 under which "the chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day's meeting."

During zero hour also, Kurien had said, "I can throw you out also. Do you want me to do that?"

Opposition members V Maitreyan (AIADMK) and Derek O'Brien (TMC) opposed any action against them prompting to chair to say, "You want clarification on the coal issue and the Prime Minister is here. You want the discussion but do not want me to take any action against them. This is double standards."

With his repeated threats and appeals failing to yield any result, he said, "the chair is helpless." He then adjourned the House for 30 minutes.

When the House reassembled, Kurien said he was "pained and hurt" as the chair wanted the House to function.

He said the Prime Minister, despite difficulties, was present in the House to intervene as per the demands by some members for him to intervene on the missing coal block allocation files.

"There are two members who are holding the House to ransom. Now, those who wanted this debate to happen are not supporting the chair in taking action against them. This is my agony. If the majority wants action under rule 255, the House can run otherwise I have no way other than to adjourn the House," the deputy chairman said.

With his efforts not yielding any result, he adjourned the House till Monday.

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Pro and anti-GM crop groups slug out the controversial issue in power corridors

NEW DELHI: Days after testing their strength on Delhi's streets, both anti and pro-GM crop groups sought to slug out the issue in the Capital's power corridors on Friday.

Though politicians gave both the groups a patient hearing, the fate of genetically engineered crops lies with the Supreme Court which is set to resume hearing on a public interest litigation on this controversial matter. The pro-GM crop group comprising representatives of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association ( CIFA) and other organizations from nine states met the agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and pitched for allowing use of biotechnology in farm sectors to increase food-grains productivity in the country.

They also resolved to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next month and mobilize support of as many parliamentarians as possible in favour of their demand so that farmers can reap the benefit of modern science in agriculture. The anti-GM crop groups including Coalition for GM Free India and Greenpeace, on the other hand, submitted signed petitions of over four lakh activists to T Subbarami Reddy - chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on science & technology and environment & forests - asking him to recommend the government to withdraw the controversial Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill.

Both groups presented their views on pros and cons of use and non-use of genetically modified crops in India. The anti-GM crop groups believe that the BRAI Bill is meant to facilitate entry of genetically engineered food-grains in India through a single window clearance. They said the Bill was, in fact, an attempt to circumvent public opposition to GM crops in the country.

The supporters of GM crop, however, want this legislation to see light of the day at the earliest as they think it would provide them right to choose and freedom to farm, specifically when there is no scientific evidence of any adverse affect of such food on human health and environment.

After meeting the agriculture minister, the CIFA's secretary general P Chengal Reddy said the group having support of lakhs of farmers from across the country would like the government to put the biotechnology regulatory authority under the ministry of agriculture so that it can work for the farmers' interest in promoting sustainable farm practices.

Reddy said, "Farmers confronts with several farm productivity challenges like labour costs, insects, weeds, diseases and unpredictable weather. Biotechnology or GM crop can offer them several solutions. We need biotechnology and the right to choose. We have full faith that the Supreme Court will do what is right for farmers who need technologies to increase productivity".

The pro-GM groups were also very critical to the recommendations of a five-member Technical Expert Committee (TEC) which has called for a halt on genetically modified crop filed trials in the country till the regulatory issues are addressed. In fact, the environment ministry is also in favour of the Committee whose views saw a sharp division within the scientific community.

Terming the TEC's recommendations as prejudiced, Reddy said the committee had, in fact, considered information from only those sources that supported its point of view. "We will expose them before the Supreme Court", he said. A group of scientists, meanwhile, appealed to the apex court to reject the recommendations of the committee. They argued that the committee's suggestion was against the established mainstream science on GM crops' safety and utility.

"India needs science, which can be converted into technology that benefits the farmers and consumers. The recommendations of the TEC demoralize thousands of public sector scientists and students of agricultural biotechnology. If the TEC report is implemented, all research will be put into cold storage denying farmers and the nation the benefits of modern science and technology. Let science innovate. Let Indian scientists research freely. And let farmers choose," said Desh Pal Verma of the department of molecular genetics, Ohio State University.

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