Today's India NEWS - Latest Breaking News from India

Today's Motivational Quote

2009-12-13T10:17:00.002+05:30

A step in the wrong direction us better than staying on the spot all your life.

-- Maxwell Maltz

Today's Wisdom from around the world

2009-12-13T10:17:00.001+05:30

God gives the nuts but he does not crack them.

-- German Proverb

Celebrities born on 12/12/2009

2009-12-13T10:12:00.000+05:30

Celebrities born on 12/12/2009:

- Mayim Bialik
- Cathy Rigby
- Frank Sinatra
- Dionne Warwick
- Connie Francis
- Madchen Amick
- Jennifer Connelly
- Sheila E.

Celebrities born on December 11, 2009

2009-12-12T09:49:00.001+05:30

Celebrities born on December 11, 2009:

- Teri Garr
- Nicki Sixx
- Jermaine Jackson
- Christina Onassis
- Brenda Lee
- Donna Mills
- Rita Moreno
- Tom Hayden
- Carlo Ponti
- Rider Strong
- Bess Armstrong

Today's Motivational Quote - Dec 12, 2009

2009-12-12T09:46:00.000+05:30

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?

-- Dr. Robert Schuller

Safeguard Your Children For The Coming Influenza Season, Alabama

2009-08-18T10:24:00.000+05:30

As Alabama schools open for the 2009-2010 school year with novel H1N1 influenza circulating, a significant new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation reduces the amount of time students and staff with influenza-like illness should stay home from school after they are symptom free. Based on current flu conditions, sick students and staff should stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Parents are reminded that an influenza immunization is the best way to protect their children's health during the flu season. While it is unknown how severe the season will be, students are especially prone to influenza and are likely to spread flu viruses.

Two different influenza vaccinations will be recommended for children this season-the traditional vaccination for seasonal influenza and one or more vaccinations for novel influenza A (H1N1). Ample quantities of seasonal influenza vaccine are expected to be on hand soon. The novel influenza A (H1N1) vaccine is expected to be available after the school year begins.

"Unfortunately, the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus did not take the summer off," said Dr. Joe Morton, State Superintendent of Education. "Its impact is still being felt around the world. As a result, we should continue to take preventative measures in both homes and schools to reduce the virus spreading in Alabama."

Dr. Morton added, "We want children, parents and educators to continue to follow the common sense approach advised last school year: wash your hands often; avoid being near people who are ill; if you are sick, stay home from work or school; cover your cough with a tissue, and keep hands away from your face. These simple steps will lessen the potential impact of H1N1 in our state and help keep us all healthier."

Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer, said, "We encourage these preventive measures and also want to ensure the maximum numbers of children are protected against influenza by offering immunizations. We now recommend an early immunization for seasonal influenza and two doses of the novel H1N1 influenza vaccine when it becomes available. We also urge anyone experiencing flu symptoms to contact their physician or health care provider if they have severe symptoms."

Target groups for the novel H1N1 vaccine when it first arrives are pregnant women, household contacts of children under 6 months of age, health care and emergency services personnel, children 6 months and older through adults up to age 24, and persons aged 25 through 64 who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. After the initial focus, the vaccine is expected to be offered to healthy adults.

A mass immunization program for children may be mounted at schools, and state officials intend to complete this process in the minimum amount of time possible once vaccine arrives. Influenza immunizations will be recommended but not mandated for school students, and written permission will be required before children are immunized in the schools. Specifics will be announced at a later date.

Parents should develop contingency plans in the event that either their children become sick and must stay home or their schools are closed. Stay informed by visiting http://www.adph.org. This site is updated regularly as information becomes available.

Source
Alabama Department of Public Health

Swine Flu Pandemic Weekly Report, Wales

2009-08-18T10:22:00.000+05:30

Key points:

- Levels of flu in Wales have decreased in the week ending 9 August
- Current levels of flu in Wales would be considered normal in the winter
- Swine flu usually leads to a mild illness although in a minority of cases it can be severe

Summary:

- The clinical consultation rate for influenza in Wales decreased during week ending 9 August to 49.4 cases of flu like illness diagnosed by GPs out of every 100,000 people in Wales. It was 69.9 per 100,000 in the previous week. While there has been a decrease, this is still within the range for what would be considered normal for seasonal flu activity in the winter.

- 100 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported by NPHS Health Protection Teams in 20 LHB areas (as at 10am on 12 August).

- Of the laboratory confirmed cases, 33 people confirmed with swine flu in Wales have been admitted to hospital. Thirty one of these have now been discharged (as at 10am on 12 August).

- According to the NPHS daily GP surveillance scheme, as at 12 August, the influenza consultation rate in Wales as a whole was 55.3 cases of flu like illness diagnosed by GPs in the previous seven days out of every 100,000 people in Wales.

- Consultation rates are between 25 and 100 per 100,000 in all 22 LHB areas in Wales. Consultation rates appear highest in South Wales.

- Consultation rates appear highest in children aged less than 4 years and in those aged 15 - 24 years, - During the week ending 9 August, the percentage of total calls to NHS

Direct Wales which were influenza related decreased to 29.8 per cent.

Source
The Welsh Assembly Government

Photo of the day - August 18, 2009

2009-08-18T10:04:00.002+05:30

Longest China Bridge

Now PIN must for online credit card transactions

2009-08-02T09:38:00.000+05:30

Beginning August 1, online shopaholics using credit cards will have to provide an additional PIN number as an additional security before making any purchase.

This is in line with a directive of the Reserve Bank of India that makes it mandatory to have an additional authentication passcode verified by Visa or MSC (Mastercard Secure Code) beginning today. This is in addition to the other information already on the card like name, card number, expiry date and CVV (card verification value) number.

The PIN or password will be used as an additional layer of security at the checkout point before completion of the transaction.

This will be known to the card holder only. So, even if somebody notes your card number, he can’t misuse it for online shopping.

Ahead of today’s deadline, banks were loaded with thousands of requests for additional authentication. Some allowed customers to create passwords on their websites while others sent fresh user IDs and passwords to customers via post. Some banks like Citibank even allowed customers to use net banking password as their password for e-commerce transactions.

ICICI Bank has gone one step ahead. While generating 6-digit PIN as an additional security layer, it also asks its customer to type a message, known as personal assurance message (PAM) on the same web-page. This PAM is known only to customers. When you type your credit card number on the merchant’s website, it will take you to the bank’s website to complete the transaction, where you need to type in the PIN.

Prabhu Rangam, AGM (IT), State Bank of India, said, ‘‘SBI has already accommodated the required change. Our debit cards are PIN based, so they may not require another layer of security.’’ However, in case of credit card, the customers have to apply for PIN.

Industry observers feel that although the RBI directive may be a dampener for e-commerce industry initially, in a few months it would help the space to grow faster as it will deter online frauds.

Source: zeenews

Jackson doctor gave him sleep drug

2009-07-28T10:18:00.003+05:30

Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug killed the
pop singer, a law enforcement official told the news agency on Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, also provided a glimpse inside Jackson's rented mansion, describing the room Jackson slept in as outfitted with oxygen tanks and an IV drip. Another of his bedrooms was a shambles, with clothes and other items strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "children are sweet and innocent."

The official said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. A doctor would administer it when he went to sleep, then stop the intravenous drip when he wanted to wake up. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said.

Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said. Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official said.

Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.

Using propofol to sleep is a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. One doctor said administering it in a home to help a person sleep would constitute malpractice.

Propofol can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is only supposed to be administered in medical settings by trained personnel. Instructions on the drug's package warn that patients must be continuously monitored, and that equipment to maintain breathing, to provide artificial ventilation, and to administer oxygen if needed "must be immediately available."

Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."

In a more detailed statement posted online late Monday, Chernoff added that ``things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known, and I'm sure that will happen here as well.''

Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July.

He was staying with Jackson in the Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, ``happened to find'' an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray tried to revive him by compressing his chest with one hand while supporting Jackson's back with the other.

It's unclear how long it took for someone at Jackson's home to summon paramedics, though Murray's own lawyers have said it was up to a half-hour. Paramedics arrived about three minutes after they were called and tried to revive the music superstar for another 42 minutes before sliding him into the ambulance and racing with lights flashing and siren blaring to UCLA Medical Center, where Jackson was pronounced dead.

Authorities arrived at the singer's house after the death and found a chaotic scene. The top floor had been all but sealed off, with only Jackson, his children and Murray allowed upstairs, the official said. Jackson's bedroom was a mess, with items seemingly thrown about and some 20 handwritten notes stuck on the walls.

A porcelain girl doll wearing a dress was found on top of the covers of the bed where he slept, the official said.

The temperature upstairs was stiflingly hot, with gas fireplaces and the heating system on high because Jackson always complained of feeling cold, the official said.

Police found propofol and other drugs in the home. An IV line and three tanks of oxygen were in the room where Jackson slept and 15 more oxygen tanks were in a security guard's shack, the official said.

Dr. Zeev Kain, who heads the anesthesiology department at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center, said he has never encountered a situation where propofol was given in a home to help someone sleep. Such a situation would constitute malpractice, he said.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who gave Jackson nutritional counseling and vitamins earlier this year, said he complained of insomnia and asked her repeatedly for Diprivan, the brand-name version of propofol. Lee said she warned him of the drug's dangers and rejected his requests.

Los Angeles police interviewed Murray twice soon after Jackson's death. Last week, detectives flew to Houston and, along with federal drug agents, searched a medical clinic he ran and a storage unit he rented. They seized a long list of items, including the contents of three computer hard drives, two e-mails from his administrative assistant at the Las Vegas practice Murray ran and various other documents.

A sealed search warrant approved by a Houston judge and later made public allowed authorities to seek “property or items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense.''

Source: indiatimes.com

Australian college dupes Indian students pursuing aviation course

2009-07-28T10:14:00.002+05:30

Fate of several Indian students enrolled in a Sydney-based aviation college have been left in limbo after their dreams of acquiring commercial pilot license remained unfulfilled even after paying thousands of dollars.

In a latest scam which came to light after ABC TV channel programme 'Four Corners' exposed migration and education agents duping Indian students, Aerospace Aviation college that provides commercial pilot training, it was alleged, exploited international students besides ill treating Indian students.

Under their aviation course, students who have signed up for a commercial pilots' license course that cost USD 43,500, Aerospace Aviation must deliver 200 hours of flying over 52 weeks.

Many students alleged that they never received enough flying hours due to lack of facilities and unavailability of instructors.

A student of the Aerospace Aviation college, Surendra Egalapati alleged he only received 130 hours over an 18 month period.

Another former student Scott Alex said he was disturbed by the way the college was treating Indian students.

"It was definitely derogatory the way they spoke to them, the way they treated them," he said.

When asked if he could cite some example, he said "instructors hating flying with curry eating Indian stinking yellow so on, and management, I know of a case where the operations manager actually pushed around a student who was complaining."

Interestingly, after breaking the scam on the TV programme there were raids at the office of Indian migration agent, who according to Australian police was involved in providing fake documents to students, but there were no reports of any follow up against Aerospace Aviation that is run by Australian couple Sue and Zane Davis.

The programme interviewed the mother of a student who alleged that after paying the entire fee of 43,000 Australian dollars the college stopped imparting training and her son had to return back with an unfulfilled dream.

She and her son Prabmeet also met the visiting high-level delegation of Australian bureaucrats, police and academics in India who promised a follow up.

She informed the delegation that she had taken the issue with state regulatory bodies like VETAB (Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board) and DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace relations), but nothing was done so far.

Another student Surendra Egalapati echoed the same concern.

However, Sue Davis of the Aerospace Aviation refuted all allegations and said "We welcome having overseas students with us. They all bring delightful experience with them and we enjoy their time. May I add that our student of the year for the last two years has actually been an Indian students"

Egalapati now enrolled in a different flying school said: "First I went to Indian High commission, I complained there and they had a meeting with them and Sue Davis has assured that this is not going to repeat again."

Another student Vishal Sarawat said: "There were not enough planes, not enough instructors. I was lflying with around 21 instructors you know."

Defending her stance on the allegations made by the students, Davis said "Aviation requires a commitment. We provide the facilities, the aircraft, the highly qualified trainers, but it must be matched by the student's desire to reach a safety standard. I won't back down from that. I take that most seriously, as a delegate of CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) that these students must meet the requirements."

"We have provided everything that those students need to get through the course. The students need to provide the diligence, the dedication and the commitment," she added.

She blamed the students stating that those students when away from home perhaps don't meet up to their parents' expectations.

Aerospace Aviation's students last year lodged a complaint and when they were invited by DEEWR to hear their ordeals, only around 26 Indian students turned up including Scott Alex.

"They said to me, we're too nervous, we want you to come with us. So I did. And when they asked what's happening, everybody was quiet. And then I said one thing, one point like "you have to pay USD 5,000 a month whether you fly or not, that's a bit wrong", and then everybody just started talking. So I just went there for moral support I guess you could say," Alex said.

When asked if the department, the officers, gave any undertakings to actually fix the problems, Alex said "they were shocked, they were shocked and appalled with everything we said."

However, students allege no concrete action has been taken against the college till now.

Source: indiatimes.com

Photo of the day - July 27, 2009

2009-07-28T10:12:00.001+05:30

Taliban under tremendous pressure: Clinton

2009-07-27T09:15:00.000+05:30

Taliban has come under tremendous pressure following Pakistan's military action against the militant group in Swat valley and adjoining areas, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday.

"We have seen the Pakistani government and military really step up, which had not happened to the extent it has now. So the Taliban, which is, as I believe strongly, part of a kind of terrorist syndicate with al-Qaeda at the center, is now under tremendous pressure," Ms. Clinton told the NBC news channel in an interview.

The Secretary of State said strategic review concludes that al-Qaeda is supported by and uses its extremist allies like elements within the Taliban and other violent extremist groups in the region as well as worldwide, to extend its reach; to be proxies for a lot of its attacks on Jakarta, Indonesia and elsewhere.

"So that in order to really go after al-Qaeda, to uproot it and destroy it, we had to take on those who were giving the al-Qaeda leadership safe haven," Ms. Clinton said, adding "the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is permeable. There are movements back and forth across it."

On Indo-US relationship

The United States' relationship with India has bipartisan support, she told the channel.

"We are building on some of the good work that has been done in a bipartisan way with India", Ms. Clinton said.

"We have now announced the most comprehensive engagement we have ever had with that country," Ms. Clinton, who was recently in India, said.

Source: hindu.com

Photo of the day - July 27, 2009

2009-07-27T09:04:00.000+05:30

Mumbai braces for high tide

2009-07-24T10:56:00.002+05:30

As rains lashed the city, the metropolis is all set to face the highest tide of the season which will hit its shores on Friday.

The city is expected to experience a high tide of 5.1 metres at approximately 1323 hours which would last till about 1925 hours, officials said.

The meteorological department had allayed fears of large scale flooding due to rains and said that it was unlikely very heavy rains would be experienced during the high tide period.

Disaster Management Cell of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, however, has geared up to handle any situation like 26/7 deluge.

Moderate rains were experienced across the city with the Colaba station recording 20.4 mm of rainfall and 35.9 mm at the Santacruz station.

Civic body officials said that there was no major water logging reported in the city and pumps had been operated for at certain low lying locations like Milan subway in suburban Andheri to drain out excessive rain water.

Train services on the Central and Western lines were largely on schedule with no waterlogging on the tracks. Air traffic at the city's airport also remained unaffected.

Road traffic was slow, but there were no snarls on any of the arterial routes, police officials said.

The city recorded 17.5 mm rainfall, the eastern suburbs 27.26 mm while western suburbs recorded 12.78 mm rainfall from 0830 to 1630 hours.

The high tide recorded during the 26/7 floods in 2005 was 4.48 m with rainfall of 944 mm. Nearly 1,000 persons were killed and Rs 15,000 crore worth of property was lost in the unprecedented floods.

"There is no need to worry if it does not rain heavily on July 24," Municipal Chief Jairaj Phatak said.

To be on a safer side the civic authorities have taken several precautions so that citizens do not face any hardship, Phatak said.

The civic authorities have installed CCTVs at chronic spots including Milan Subway, Dadar TT and Linking Road among others. Boards have been put up at all the beaches in the city, warning people not to venture into the sea, inflatable boats put in, installed pumps at 193 locations, BEST buses will be put in service if train services are disrupted, he said.

Also, BMC have reserved some schools as flood shelters and reserved 1,289 beds in various hospitals to meet emergency needs.

"It is necessary to take precautions and have also issued advertisements in newspapers which include information on date and time of high tide, contact details of ward offices and list of low lying areas among others," Phatak said.

Source: intoday.in

Photo of the day - July 24, 2009

2009-07-24T10:45:00.001+05:30

On 40th anniv, Moon pioneers call for Destination Mars

2009-07-21T10:01:00.001+05:30

The first astronauts to walk on the Moon want President Barack Obama to aim for a new destination: Mars. On Monday, the Apollo 11 Barack Obama, Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong US President Barack Obama (Right) greets Apollo 11 astronauts (from left) Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

More Pictures crewmen, fresh from a Washington lecture on Sunday in which two of them expressed concerns about Nasa getting bogged down on the Moon, are meeting with Obama at the White House.

In one of their few joint public appearances, the crew of Apollo 11 spoke on the eve of the 40th anniversary of man’s first landing on the Moon, but didn’t get soggy with nostalgia. They instead spoke about the future and the more distant past.

On Sunday, a packed crowd at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum didn’t get the intimate details of the Eagle’s landing on the Moon with little fuel left, or what Moon looked like, or what it felt like to be there. They got second man on the Moon Buzz Aldrin’s pitch for Mars. He said the best way to honor the Apollo astronauts “is to follow in our footsteps; to boldly go again on a new mission of exploration.”

First man on the Moon Neil Armstrong only discussed Apollo 11 for about 11 seconds. He gave a professorial lecture titled “Goddard, governance and geophysics,” looking at the inventions and discoveries that led to his historic “small step for a man” on July 20, 1969.

Armstrong said the space race was “the ultimate peaceful competition: USA vs USSR.”

Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins, who circled the Moon alone while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on it, said the Moon was not interesting, but Mars is. “Sometimes I think I flew to the wrong place. Mars was always my favorite as a kid and it still is today,” Collins said.

And even though Armstrong didn’t talk about the future in his 19-minute discourse, Aldrin dragged his commander onto the Mars bandwagon anyway.

“It was a great personal honor to walk on the moon, but as Neil once observed, there are still places to go beyond belief,” he said. “Isn’t it time to continue our journey outward, past the Moon?”

Source: indiatimes.com

26/11 case: Kasab to appear in court today

2009-07-21T09:55:00.003+05:30

The lone terrorist captured alive after the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, Ajmal Kasab will again appear in the court on Tuesday. Kasab's on Monday confessed of his role in Mumbai terror attacks that confused the entire Indian legal system.

But the prosecution is wary, and suspect a legal ploy. In a statement to the court, Kasab spoke about, how his desire to use weapons led him into Jehad, locating the Jehadi's office himself.

He also spoke about the sea route to Mumbai, including details of the hijacking of the Kuber, minute details of a taxi ride to CST, leaving bombs in the taxi and details of Cama operation and their escape bid.

However, Kasab's confession did have omissions.

For instance, Kasab claimed he hadn't fired a single round or hurled any grenades after he and Abu Ismail stepped outside CST, where 52 people had been shot.

He also denied having killed any policemen; ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Tukaram Omble, Vijay Salaskar or Kamte. He passed the buck to his accomplices Abu Ismail, Abu Umer and Abu Soheb.

Interestingly, he did not name Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafeez Saeed - whom India suspects masterminded the attack - anywhere in his confession.

Legal experts now feel the confession is a deliberate attempt for leniency.

Kasab interspersed his shocking confessional with the statements given by several of the 124 witnesses already examined by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to prove his point.

All through his confession, he kept naming his handlers and his associate Abu Ismail, who gave detailed instructions, maps, weapons and other equipment to the 10-member group for the terror attacks.

According to Nikam, Kasab's confession came after he discussed the entire issue with his government-appointed lawyer SG Abbas Kazmi.

"This is a victory of truth, and a victory for the prosecution. His confession came all of a sudden and he has admitted to all the crimes against him," Nikam said.

Source: IBNLive.com

Hillary delivers tangible deals

2009-07-21T09:50:00.002+05:30

Coming after the high of the Bush era relationship, Hillary Clinton had a tough act to follow. So a considerable effort has gone into hyping up its outcome which was basically to connect to “ Shining India”. The stay at the Mumbai Taj, the visit to SEWA, the interactions with college students, the lunches with the corporate big- wigs, the interview with a slew of TV channels, and the meetings with New Delhi’s political power elite all pointed in that direction.

But there was a core of solid achievement. The end- user verification agreement for US military products is a significant advance for American defence firms who are hoping to make a significant breakthrough into the Indian arms market, one of the most lucrative in the world. Since the agreement is mandatory for US defence suppliers, it was important that it be clinched. However, it is more than likely that the US has agreed that it will apply the agreement taking on board the Indian insistence on asserting its sovereign right to use the military equipment it purchases as it chooses to.

At stake are deals worth tens of billions of dollars in the coming decade.

The Technology Safeguards Agreement for permitting US components in satellites launched from India is only a stepping stone for a larger relationship which can only come with a full- fledged Commercial Space Launch Agreement. But for that the two countries need to probably have some more discussions in relation to the Missile Technology Control Regime which does not differentiate between civilian and military space launch activities.

The US acknowledgement of the Indian offer for two nuclear power plant sites is tied up to a change in the Indian law which will protect US exporters from excessive liability in the event of an accident. Issues relating to enrichment and reprocessing rights or, the provision of its equipment are things that can only come after the reactors are actually imported.

All the other issues have a kind of back- to- thefuture air about them.

India and the US have had a history of cooperation in science and technology, agriculture, energy, education, health and human services. American assistance and involvement in many of these areas in the 1950s and 1960s have given shape to Indian policies and practices of today. The one major addition is homeland security, a department that did not exist in the US at that time and reflects the dismal reality of modern terrorism.

Issues like climate change and non- proliferation that Hillary raised in her speeches are reflective of the world order concerns of the Obama administration.

There is little congruence between New Delhi and Washington in these areas, but when a super- power undertakes a policy, there are no ifs and buts. So in the coming months India will no doubt face pressure in both these areas, though it can take comfort in the fact that it alone will not be the American target.

Source: intoday.in

Photo of the day - July 21, 2009

2009-07-21T09:39:00.001+05:30

Himalayan glaciers have shrunk by 38% in 40 years

2009-07-19T10:21:00.002+05:30

Himalayan glaciers are going through a phase of retreat, with some glaciers in specific basins having shrunk by up to an alarming 38% in 40 years while at the same time satellite mapping has not shown any accleration of the process even as the rate of Gangotri's shrinkage has slowed.

The overall process of shrinking is leading glaciers to fragment and, therefore, paradoxically enough, the total number of glaciers in the Himalayas is increasing. These were some of the conclusions ISRO scientists drew up during a presentation at a meeting -- organised by the ministry of environment -- of all institutions and experts in glaciology.

The ministry has decided to support ISRO and the department of science and technology to undertake long-term and extensive glacial surveys across the eastern and western Himalayas. Environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh told TOI, "We will institutionalize scientific studies of not only glaciers but also studies on terrestrial hydrology and agriculture as well as measurement of green house gases along with the department of science and technology and ISRO."

Scientists at the meeting recorded there is no evidence yet to claim the rate of retreat of glaciers, ranging from a few cms to couple of metres a year, has accelerated in the recent past. Scientists from the Geological Survey of India noted that the rate of recession of the Gangotri glacier has actually reduced in recent years.

The scientific community also observed that the process of retreat and advance of the glaciers was a natural process and that at present there was no evidence to prove that the current glacial recession phase is a consequence of climate change.

But scientists did express concern about the health of the glaciers pointing to the evidence of debris accumulation at the snouts in some glaciers. At present, the worst impact is seen in the Suru basin, with glaciers recorded a 38% shrinkage between 1969 and 2004. The Chandra, Bhaga, Parbati and Warwan basins are the other four recording the worst recessionary trends over the same period.

The meeting also noted that currently most of the automated weather stations are located in Jammu and Kashmir and serve the Army. These should be extended to Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in order to record data across the Himalayas.

Source: indiatimes.com

There must be justice for 26/11: Hillary

2009-07-19T10:14:00.002+05:30

In her first extensive interview since landing in India, Hillary Clinton has questioned the logic of not having an immediate trial against the perpetrators of 26/11. Speaking to Times Now, Clinton said she was concerned there is no trial and no justice so far.

In what was an obvious reference to Pakistan, she went on to say that she was now looking for a commitment from the countries and one that is carried forward. And mincing no words as she demanded justice for 26/11 victims, she said, There must be a reckoning of justice for those who have lost their lives.

The full import of the comments of the US secretary of state will not be lost on the Pakistani government, which has so far been expressing inability to nudge the judicial process against the 26/11 accused forward.

Clinton, who said she was staying at the Taj to send a message of solidarity and as a rebuke to terrorists who did not destroy the spirit of the people, said she expects Pakistan to go after groups like the LeT. We have in our dialogue with Pakistan been very clear that it is imperative Pakistan has to go after every terror group. These groups are no longer working alone, now they are part of a criminal syndicate. No terrorist group can be left alone, everyone must be acted against.

The US secretary of states comments will be heartwarming to the Indian government, which has been pushing for action by Pakistan against the Jaish and the LeT, only to be repeatedly stonewalled.

Clinton also made it absolutely clear that the Indo-US nuclear deal is not hostage to India signing the NPT and the CTBT. The nuke deal stands on its merits, she said. But she did add a rider that she wanted to hear from India how it could help us (the US) determine how to keep nuke material out of the hands of rogue state and non-state actors hands.

Calling India not only a regional but a global power, Secretary Clinton also virtually offered India a greater role in the AFPAK (Afghanistan-Pakistan) region, but left the final decision to New Delhi
. How India decides to do that is up to India. But trying to bring the understanding that India has to come to the table to deal with the extremist threat in Afghanistan is useful. When asked if she expected Pakistani resistance to that, she said that over the last six months, we have seen an evolving attitude in Pakistan. There is an attitude in Pakistan that terrorists pose a threat to them, that you cant turn a blind eye to terrorism.

Importantly, Clinton also ruled out any role for the US as a broker on Kashmir. When pointed out that Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the issue, Clinton said, The decision has to be between India and Pakistan and must take into account the feelings of the people of Kashmir. Our role is not to be involved, other than to support the process that India and Pakistan may decide to enter into.

Clinton also made it absolutely clear that the Indo-US nuclear deal is not hostage to India signing the NPT and the CTBT. The nuke deal stands on its merits, she said. But she did add a rider that she wanted to hear from India how it could help us (the US) determine how to keep nuke material out of the hands of rogue state and non-state actors hands.

Clearly, while the deal itself is not hostage, the US is seeking a stronger commitment on non-proliferation from India.

But for those following Hillary Clintons comments on her first day in India, the message from the US secretary of state is clear: Washington will not let Pakistan get away without a trial of the 26/11 accused. And thats exactly what New Delhi
wanted to hear.

Source: indiatimes.com

Photo of the day - July 19, 2009

2009-07-19T10:03:00.002+05:30

Hillary arrives in Mumbai on five-day visit to India

2009-07-18T09:19:00.004+05:30

Mumbai (PTI): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived here on Friday on a five-day visit to India during which the two countries will launch a new chapter in their strategic partnership and deepen their engagement.

The former U.S. first lady, Ms. Clinton, on her first visit to India as U.S.'s chief diplomat will be spending the night at the Tower Wing of the Taj Hotel in an act of solidarity with the victims of the Mumbai terror attack on November 26 last.

Ms. Clinton flew in shortly after 10 pm from Prague where her special aircraft had a refuelling halt after the flight from Washington. It is her first foreign trip since she broke an elbow.

A thick blanket of security was thrown around the Colaba area of south Mumbai where the Taj hotel is located and hundreds of security personnel were deployed to provide cover for the visiting U.S. dignitary.

Ms. Clinton will be meeting top Indian business leaders, visiting a centre of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and paying tributes to martyrs' of the 26/11 attacks during her stay in the city.

She is expected to leave for New Delhi on Sunday.

In the Capital, Ms. Clinton will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and hold talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna. She will also meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani. She is also due to deliver a lecture at the Delhi university.

Ms. Clinton's aircraft landed at Mumbai at 10:20 pm, a senior official said.

She was received at the airport by Maharashtra government Chief of Protocol S. Mulick and deputy chief of Protocol S. Bijoor.

Ahead of her visit, Ms. Clinton said President Barack Obama's administration was "going to do everything we can to broaden and deepen our engagement" with the UPA government.

Ms. Clinton had also said, "we are starting a strategic dialogue between myself and the new Minister of External Affairs."

Bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear field, defence and trade and investment are expected to figure prominently in the talks Clinton will have with Indian leaders. The two sides would also focus on terrorism, particularly that emanating from Pakistan, climate change, global economic crisis.

In the civil nuclear field, the two sides would discuss ways to implement the landmark agreement. The two sides are in negotiations for setting up of two nuclear plants in India.

Mr. Krishna and Ms. Clinton are also expected to discuss the End User Verification agreement in defence field, under which the U.S. would be able to supply sensitive military equipment.

The two sides are also expected to discuss ways to step up military cooperation, including joint exercises as well as the global economic crisis and cooperative ways to deal with the problem.

Ms. Clinton's visit to Mumbai comes nine years after her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea, visited the metropolis.

From New Delhi, Ms. Clinton heads to Thailand to lead the U.S. delegation at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks.

Source: hindu.com

Photo of the day - July 18, 2009

2009-07-18T09:13:00.000+05:30

Tornado

Wish Katrina Kaif Happy Birthday - July 16

2009-07-16T20:51:00.001+05:30

Today is Katrina Kaif's Birthday. Katrina Kaif was born in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri Muslim father, Mohammed Kaif, and a British Christian mother, Suzzane.

Leave your comment to wish her.

US is committed to implementing nuke deal: US

2009-07-16T10:13:00.000+05:30

The Obama administration asserted that it is committed to implement the civilian nuclear deal with India, so does New Delhi, and there should be no apprehension in this regard.

"I do not think there should be any apprehensions about the future of the civil nuclear agreement," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert Blake told reporters.

"The (US) Secretary and the President are fully committed to that agreement. I think the Indians are also fully committed," Blake said in response to a question which referred him to the recent G-8 declaration related to restriction on transfer of nuclear technology to non-NPT States.

"They (India) are going to be, I am sure, moving forward to file a declaration of safeguarded facilities with the IAEA, which is sort of the next step in that process, and then we're going to start reprocessing talks, probably either later this month or in August," Blake said.

"So all of that is very much on track. As I say, we'll also be starting some bilateral cooperation with — hopefully with the announcement of these two nuclear sites. So I would discourage any talk that somehow the agreement is off track," he asserted.

Source: indiatimes.com

Space shuttle blasts off after month's delay

2009-07-16T10:07:00.004+05:30

After more than a month's delay, space shuttle Endeavour and seven astronauts thundered into orbit Wednesday on a flight to the international space station, hauling up a veranda for Japan's enormous lab and looking to set a crowd record.

Success came on launch try No. 6, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the liftoff of man's first moon landing.

But the mood was dampened somewhat when NASA managers watched the launch video.

Eight or nine pieces of foam insulation came off the external fuel tank during liftoff, and the shuttle was hit at least two or three times, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. Some scuff marks were spotted, but that probably is coating loss and considered minor, he said.

In fact, Mission Control told the astronauts Wednesday night that the damage — which occurred not quite two minutes into the flight — looked to be less extensive than what occurred on the last flight. The impacts were around the edge of the shuttle where the right wing joins the fuselage.

Engineers immediately began reviewing all the launch pictures, standard procedure ever since flights resumed following the Columbia disaster. Gerstenmaier said zoom-in photos will be taken of the entire shuttle right before it docks with the space station Friday, to ascertain whether it suffered any serious damage. It will take days to go through all the data.

"The bottom line is we saw some stuff," said Mike Moses, chairman of the mission management team. "Some of it doesn't concern us. Some of it you just can't really speculate on right now. But we have the tools in front of us and the processes in front of us to go clear this vehicle for entry" at the end of the month.

At a news conference, Gerstenmaier noted that the Endeavour crew has shuttle repair kits on board. In case of irreparable damage, the astronauts could move into the space station for two to three months and await rescue by another shuttle.

Columbia was destroyed during re-entry in 2003 because of a hole in its wing, left there by flyaway foam at liftoff.

Endeavour blasted off a little after 6 p.m. from its seaside pad — the same one used to launch Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 — a welcome sight for shuttle workers who had to overcome hydrogen gas leaks last month and, since the weekend, thunderstorms.

The skies finally cleared, allowing commander Mark Polansky and his crew to embark on their 16-day adventure. One more holdup and they would have tied a record for the most shuttle launch delays.

"The weather is finally cooperating, so it is now time to fly," launch director Pete Nickolenko called out to the crew. "Persistence pays off."

Later, from orbit, Polansky radioed, "For all of us, it was a pretty decent wait, but we are thrilled to be here."

The astronauts will catch up Friday afternoon with the space station, which was soaring more than 220 miles above the Pacific at launch time. When they do, it will be the first time 13 people are together in space. Ten is the previous record. The doubling of the space station crew a few months ago, to six, makes the new record possible.

The shuttle will remain docked at the space station for nearly two weeks. During that time, the shuttle astronauts will help install the third and final piece of the Japanese space station lab, a porch for outdoor experiments. The first two parts went up on shuttle flights last year.

Japan's $1 billion laboratory is the largest and fanciest of the three up there. It even has its own robot arm which will be used for the first time, during the coming days, to move research payloads.

Shuttle managers say robot arm operations will be especially intricate on this flight, involving all three of the available mechanical devices.

Five spacewalks are planned to help attach the new porch to the Japanese lab, give the space station some new batteries and perform other maintenance.

Endeavour also is carrying up hundreds of pounds of food for the station crew and a fresh station resident, an American who will take the place of the lone Japanese on board.

All of the major space station partners will be represented once Endeavour arrives. The combined crews will have seven Americans, two Canadians, two Russians, one Japanese and one Belgian. All but one are men.

NASA was anxious to get Endeavour flying, given time is running out on the shuttle program. The space agency, at least, finally has a new administrator to oversee everything. Former shuttle commander Charles Bolden was confirmed by the Senate less than two hours after Endeavour's liftoff. He fills a vacancy left by Michael Griffin's departure in January.

Only eight shuttle flights remain, including this one, before NASA retires the fleet. The White House wants those missions completed by the end of next year if possible. Each one is dedicated to finishing the space station — now 81 percent complete — and hauling up supplies and big spare parts that are too big to fly on any other rocketship. Some of those large parts, including a pump and antenna, are flying up on Endeavour.

The lengthy delay means Endeavour will be in orbit on the 40th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, on Monday.

The Endeavour crew, meanwhile, claimed its own record with Wednesday's launch. Rookie astronaut Christopher Cassidy became the 500th person in space.

And Polansky, the skipper, is set to become only the second person to use Twitter in space.

One technical issue late in the countdown involved a shuttle fuel cell. Engineers worried that the fuel cell — one of three identical electrical powerplants — might not be able to operate at low power during the flight, which could cut short the mission. Mission managers cleared the issue shortly before liftoff.

___
Associated Press writer Mike Schneider contributed to this report.
Source: Yahoo NEWS

Photo of the day - July 16, 2009

2009-07-16T10:01:00.002+05:30

Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Terror alert cites seven state targets

2009-07-15T10:11:00.001+05:30

A heavy downpour soaked Mumbai on Tuesday, but security forces in the city kept their powder dry after a fresh terror alert which, sources said, represented the most serious threat to the city in two years.

The Intelligence Bureau, in its alert, warned that at least seven places in Maharashtra—including a reputed bank in Mumbai and an important railway junction in Navi Mumbai—could be attacked. The alert, dated July 8, also contains photographs of the seven ‘targets’.

Home minister P Chidambaram had warned that Pakistan-based terrorists could launch another sea-borne attack despite the bad weather and choppy seas. While the minister did not give details, sources in the central intelligence agencies described the threat as specific and the most serious in two years. A massive coastal patrol was launched following that alert.

The July 8 alert, officials said, was issued after a terror suspect was detained in Jammu and Kashmir and the police recovered photographs of targets in Maharashtra from him. The colour pictures were sent to security agencies in Maharashtra by e-mail. “The photographs are genuine. They include the picture of a reputed bank near the Bombay high court, two railway stations in Mumbai and a railway station in Navi Mumbai,’’ an official said, adding that the Navi Mumbai station was not properly covered “security-wise’’. Over seven million people travel by the Mumbai local trains every day.

The fresh alert, officials said, also mentioned four dates on which the terrorists planned to carry out the strikes. TOI has a list of the dates (one passed last week) and details of the targets.

But the alert did not specify the number of terrorists planning to enter Maharashtra and did not provide any information about possible local involvement.

This is the second alert in two weeks by central intelligence agencies. The first was issued on June 24—it said a 26/11-like terror strike could be repeated again via the sea route by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The alert put all the security agencies in Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra on high alert and prompted a review of security. It said Indian associates of the LeT were preparing for the attack with the help of their Pak-based mentors.

“The LeT has been singled out as having planned an attack in the second alert too,’’ said an officer. He added that some of the photographs of the “targets’’ were downloaded from websites.

Blasts had rocked seven Mumbai local trains three years ago, killing 188 people. Police officials had then said it was the handiwork of the LeT that had taken the help of 13 members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Note: This is for information purposes only. Source: indiatimes.com

Photo of the day - July 15, 2009

2009-07-15T10:08:00.003+05:30

Natural Bridge and it' mirror

India sets terms ahead of PM-Gilani meet

2009-07-14T09:11:00.004+05:30

Preparing the ground for the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Egypt, Islamabad has handed over a fresh dossier on its probe into the Mumbai terror attacks to New Delhi which is figuring out what it amounts to.

After Singh's disclosure that ISI chief has met some officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, speculation has been rife about the powerful spy agency's influence in the process of talks.

The Indian side is unwilling to hazard a guess on whether ISI will be part of the talks, saying it amounts to jumping several steps.

The dossier, handed over to the Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad on Saturday night, identifies 12 new suspects and gives an update on the investigations into the November 26 attacks.

Singh meets Gilani at 10.30 am (Egyptian time) on Thursday (July 16) at Hotel Maritim Jolie Ville Golf Resort at Sharm el-Shiekh hoping to get a categoric commitment that the Mumbai terror accused would be quickly brought to justice and Pakistan's soil will not be used for terror acts against India.

The Singh-Gilani meeting will be preceded by talks between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir, who will have the first meeting on Tuesday (July 14) and later report to their respective leaders.

Though the Indian side is entering the talks on a note of caution, it is not pre-judging Pakistan's intention. It has taken note of President Asif Ali Zardari's willingness to discuss the issue of terrorism during his talks with Singh in Russia last month.

New Delhi has also acknowledged that Pakistan has taken "some steps" in this direction. "But what they amount to, we have to see."

While India has made it clear that Pakistan should take steps to dismantle terror infrastructure and stop terror acts directed against it, New Delhi feels laying down deadlines, markers for this purpose is not pragmatic.

The Indian side feels it is premature at this stage to speculate on resumption of the peace process, stalled since the Mumbai attacks.

The Indian side is of the view that at this stage it can neither say yes or no to starting the Composite Dialogue with Pakistan.

India is disappointed that eight months have passed since the Mumbai strikes and movement from the Pakistani side in prosecuting the accused is slow and frustrating.

The case against one of the principal accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the LeT operations commander, has been deferred for the third time till July 18 because a judge has not been appointed.

New Delhi has been unhappy over the release of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT founder and the chief of JuD, following a Lahore High Court order on June 2.

India sees it as a serious issue and is of the strong view that Pakistan is obliged to catch anyone who incites terrorism.

*This is for information purposes only. Source: timesnow.tv*

Monsoon blues: Wheat export licences scrapped

2009-07-14T08:53:00.001+05:30

In the first signs of worry over a possible drop in grain output due to a poor monsoon, the government has cancelled licences for limited export of wheat barely 10 days after these were issued.

The Director General of Foreign Trade said on Monday that the government decided to ``rescind, with immediate effect'', its July 3 order that allowed state-run trading firms MMTC and STC to export 300,000 tonnes each.

These firms had not reported any shipment and export contract is unlikely as international prices are ruling well below levels in India. Export of wheat and wheat products was banned in 2007 to conserve domestic supplies and check rising prices. Last year, the government also banned export of non-basmati rice on the same grounds.

But the subsequent record procurement of foodgrain and high farm output had given rise to a feeling that there would be surplus and exports should be allowed. However, on June 27, TOI had reported that the government was deferring a decision to lift the ban on wheat export but would allow shipments of 6.5 lakh tonnes and overseas sale of products such as flour, refined flour (maida) and semolina (sooji).

Market analysts and brokers see the latest move on wheat exports as a measured step, looking at the inflation scenario in the country. At present while the inflation numbers measured by wholesale price index (WPI) is showing a dip, the price rise measured by consumer price index (CPI) is still high, in some cases in double digits.

In calculating CPI, food prices are given a much higher weight than in WPI. So ``in case of a monsoon failure, inflation measured by CPI could go much higher, affecting the government's policies,'' said Siddhartha Sanyal, economist, Edelweiss Securities. ``So I believe the government is playing it safe,'' Sanyal added.

In the commodities market, brokers and dealers believe the price of wheat could shoot up soon, mainly because the total supply could be lower than the usual annual demand. ``Along with wheat, price of rice could also go up,'' said the head of a local broking house. ``Although price of wheat in the international market is lower than that in India, by banning wheat exports the government is taking no chances on price rise,'' the broking house head said.

Analysts also pointed out that IMD's monsoon outlook for north and north-western India  the major wheat producing regions  were particularly bad at 81% of the long term average. If the rains are so low, wheat production for the year will be lower.

However, there is a silver lining. ``The buffer stock for wheat now is much higher, so we have a cushioning,'' Sanyal said.

Earlier, a ministerial panel set up during the previous government had allowed export of wheat and wheat products up to 20 lakh tonnes after May 15. But the government, it appears, is unwilling to lift the ban as it wants to play safe in the face of insufficient rains in the major food-producing regions of the country.

Precisely for this reason, the farm ministry has been opposing lifting of the ban. The two ministries have also have differences between on lifting the ban on export of non-basmati rice. The farm ministry is opposed to any bold measure on opening exports of rice, but the commerce ministry is pushing for lifting the 15-month-old restriction on shipments of expensive grain.

The government has procured a record 24.4 million tonnes of wheat in the current season so far. At the start of this month, the government had 33 million tonnes of wheat in the Central pool, almost double the annual requirement for government's various welfare schemes.

The high stocks are leading to storage problems as Central silos are overflowing and grain is having to be stored in the open.

Note: This news is information purposes only. Original Source: indiatimes.com

Photo of the day - July 14, 2009

2009-07-14T08:46:00.003+05:30

Photo of the day - July 13, 2009

2009-07-13T09:33:00.004+05:30

Reflection of Sunset on Cloud

Delhi Government rejects Sreedharan's resignation

2009-07-13T09:23:00.002+05:30

Delhi Government on Sunday night rejected the resignation of Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan, who quit the post taking moral responsibility for the death of at least five people in an accident on its work site.

Highly placed sources told PTI that the Sheila Dikshit-led government rejected Sreedharan's resignation as it viewed that his continuation was necessary for successful completion of projects related to Delhi Metro ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.

At least five people were killed and 15 others injured when an under-construction bridge of the Delhi Metro collapsed in south Delhi, which prompted Sreedharan to resign owning moral responsibility for the incident.

Source: intoday.in

Photo of the day - July 12, 2009

2009-07-12T21:57:00.006+05:30

Anaga National Park from the sky

E Sreedharan resigns as Delhi Metro chief

2009-07-12T16:29:00.003+05:30

E Sreedharan has resigned as the chief of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation after five people were killed when an under-construction flyover of the Delhi Metro collapsed in south Delhi early Sunday morning. Thirteen people were injured and rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre.

"I take full moral responsibility for the accident. As head of the organisation, I have to take the responsibility," said Sreedharan, adding that this is the worst accident in the history of Delhi Metro.

He also said that the accident has caused a damage of Rs six crore.

Sreedharan submitted his resignation to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit after visiting the site of the accident. However, sources in the CM office have said that the resignation won't be accepted in a hurry.

The DMRC has set up a five-member committee to probe into the mishap.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Minister visited AIIMS to meet the injured. She has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who died, Rs 2 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those with other injuries.

About 30 workers were at the site when the mishap occurred. One of the pillars broke, leading to the collapse of the concrete slab. A water pipeline also burst as the heavy slab fell on it.

Police, fire brigade and ambulance are at the spot and rescue operation is being carried out.

In a similar incident in October 2008, two people died and 16 were injured when a portion of the an under-construction bridge collapsed and fell on a bus on east Delhi's busy Vikas Marg.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation blamed the contractor Afcons Infrastructure for the accident but the contractor wasn't changed as DMRC said that would mean major delays.

The company said it had put many more safety measures in place after this incident.

Source: ndtv.com

4,500 striking doctors sacked in Maharashtra

2009-07-12T13:10:00.001+05:30

Over 4,500 resident doctors across medical colleges in Maharashtra went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, demanding an increase in their monthly stipends. The government in response has sacked all of them.

The residents have been demanding a pay hike, but talks failed.

"The government said it can increase our stipend by Rs 6000 which we think is unreasonable and unacceptable. We have not got any written assurance from the government," said Dr Asad Rehman, spokesperson, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors.

Among other demands, the doctors also want better security at work and better housing facilities. The government wants them to return to work before their demands are considered. A promise made in the past, every time residents have struck work, clearly not promising this time. With talks at a stalemate, the government says it has alternatives in place so that patients do not suffer.

"Our public health workers and even medical professors have been pressed into service," said Dr W B Tayade, head, Directorate of Medical Education and Research.

Even as the tug-of-war between the government and doctors continue, its patients who'll have to bear the brunt.

Source: ndtv.com

Five killed in Metro bridge collapse in Delhi

2009-07-12T11:22:00.003+05:30

Five labourers were killed and 15 others injured, two of them seriously, when an under-construction over-bridge of the Delhi Metro collapsed here on Sunday, in the second such incident in eight months. The incident took place as a pillar of the bridge gave in near Lady Sriram College in Dhamrudpur in Lajpat Nagar at around 5 am, officials said.

"Five persons have died in the incident while 15 others are injured," Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal told reporters. Delhi Metro attributed the accident to a "problem in the design" of the pillar.

"We are investigating the matter. It appears that there is a problem in the design of the pillar of the bridge and we were trying to rectify it," he said.

The accident also caused flooding in the area as the pillar fell on a water pipeline which burst. An eyewitness said 20-25 labourers were working on the site.

In a similar incident in October last year, two persons were killed and 16 others injured when a portion of an under-construction bridge of the Metro collapsed and fell on a bus on Vikas Marg in Lakshmi Nagar area in east Delhi.

Source: The Hindu News

PM reaches out to Pak ahead of Gilani meeting

2009-07-12T01:40:00.003+05:30

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has claimed that he did not intend to snub Pakistan
president Asif Ali Zardari in public last month, in what is seen as an attempt to set the atmospherics right for his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Geelani.

The clarification came amid fresh promises from Pakistan that it would soon take action against the 26/11 perpetrators, with the chief of ISI, Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, informing India's three defence attaches in Islamabad of the progress of the investigation into the plot against Mumbai. Sources termed Pasha's meeting with the attaches representing the three services as a significant move designed to cajole India into agreeing to restart the composite dialogue that was suspended after the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.

The dossier on the probe into the Mumbai terror attack given by Pakistan's internal security minister Rahman Malik to Indian charge d' affairs in Islamabad on Saturday was also being seen in the same light.

"We have been told by Pakistan that they would take action against those guilty for Mumbai. I hope they do so. That hope is the reason why I am looking forward to the meeting wtih Geelani Sahib," PM told journalists on his way back home after attending the G8-G5 meeting in L' Aquila in Italy.

Singh was uncharacteristically tough with Zardari when the two met on June 16 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

"Excllency, I am pleased to meet you, but I have a limited mandate to tell you that the Pakistani territory cannot be used for acts of terror against India," Singh told Pakistani president in the presence of media.

Stung by the encounter, Zardari opted out of the meeting of the NAM countries where he was supposed to meet Manmohan Singh again.

On his way home from the G-8 Summit in L' Aquila, the Prime Minister, while responding to a question, tried to salve Zardari's hurt. "Let me say that what I had said to Zardari Sahib, I had not intended to say that in the presence of all the media. I simply forgot that the media were present there. It was not my intention in anyway to hurt Zardari Sahib's feelings," said the PM.

The PM is now to meet his counterpart Geelani on July 15 on the sidelines of the NAM meet at Sharm al Sheikh in Egypt.

Singh, however, made it clear that India would not relent on its stance that for the normalisation of ties between the estranged neighbours to happen, Pakistan ought to take action against those who planned the attack on Mumbai, as well as credible measures to dismantle the terror infrastructure geared against India.

Stating that strengthening of ties in the neighbourhood will help India, Singh said: "We will do all that is necessary to resolve all outstanding issues that have bedeviled India's relations with Pakistan. But it requires credible action on the part of Pakistan to deal with terrorist elements directing their energy to disrupt and destabilize our economy and polity."

The assurances have so far not cut much ice with India because of lack of credible evidence that Pakistan was indeed ready to punish the Lashkar terrorists who engineered the Mumbai attack. If anything, doubts about its intention have been strengthened by the finding that its agencies were engaged in `spoofing' of satellite phones to help terrorists conceal their footprint.

Singh was also forthright about his expectations of the meeting with Geelani. "I look forward to the meetings with Prime Minister Geelani for an exchange of views and I do hope that out of that meeting we will have a renewed reaffirmation on the part of Pakistan that they will bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai massacre to justice, that they will not allow Pakistan territory to be used for terrorist acts directed against our country. If they do that we are willing to walk more than half the distance to normalize our relations."

Singh said that assurance of punishment to the choreographers of 26/11 have been made by the Pakistani functionaries including the ISI chief to the foreign ministry and India's High Commissioner in Islamabad and others.

He also said that he had tried to mobilize opinion in G-8 as well as G-5 to bring pressure to bear upon Pakistan to make it discontinue the support to terrorism.

Source: indiatimes.com

Global challenges can't be tackled without India, says Obama

2009-07-11T11:48:00.002+05:30

Taking India by name, US President Barack Obama on Friday said it would be "wrongheaded" to think that global challenges can be met in the absence of "major powers" like this South Asian country.

"One thing I think is absolutely true is that for us to think we can somehow deal with some of the global challenges in the absence of major powers -- like China, India, and Brazil -- seems to me wrongheaded," Obama said in comments that will please India ahead of the planned visit of his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to New Delhi later this month.

Obama was addressing a news conference at the end of the summit of the Group of Eight Industrialised countries here.

The President also endorsed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's fresh calls for urgent UN reforms saying the global community will have to "update and refresh and renew" international institutions like the world body that were set up in a different time and place.

Ahead of the summit, Singh made a strong pitch for UN Security Council reforms saying its present structure posed "serious problems of legitimacy."

"The Security Council has not changed at all and its two-tiered membership where five permanent members have veto power was clearly anachronistic," Singh said.

Amidst a growing perception that the importance of the G-8 is diminishing, Obama said, "We have to update and refresh and renew the international institutions that were set up in a different time and place. Some -- the United Nations - date back to post-World War II. Others, like the G8, are 30 years old."

"What's also true is that part of the challenge here is revitalizing the United Nations, because a lot of energy is going into these various summits and these organizations in part because there's a sense that when it comes to big, tough problems the UN General Assembly is not always working as effectively and rapidly as it needs to," Obama said.

The UN has to be reformed and revitalized, he added.

To a question about the adequacy of the G8 as a forum, Obama said there's no sense that such institutions can adequately capture the enormous changes that have taken place during the intervening decades since they were formed.

"What, exactly, is the right format is a question that I think will be debated," he said.

Obama said the G-8 is trying to find the right shape that combines the efficiency and capacity for action with inclusiveness.

"And my expectation is that over the next several years you'll see an evolution and we'll be able to find the right combination," he said, adding, "So I think we're in a transition period."

Sania Mirza and Sohrab engagement‎

2009-07-11T00:51:00.004+05:30

Tennis star Sania Mirza and Mohammed Sohrab Mirza exchanged rings at a simple and elegant ceremony in Hyderabad's Taj Krishna hotel on Friday July 10, 2009 night.

Sania Mirza was in a peacock green and beige ghagra designed by Delhi based Shantanu and Nikhil. Sania and Sohrab are long time friends and are going to be married soon, in all probability in 2010.

The ceremony itself, however, was an extremely private affair attended by close family friends and relatives. Mr. Imran Mirza had already made it clear that he did not want the ceremony to be publicised by the media.

“This is purely a family affair. Please try to understand our feelings and give us some privacy. Sania herself has requested that there should not be any wide publicity for the event,” he told journalists thronging their residence in Banjara Hills. Later in the evening, invitees struggled to enter the venue as journalists waited to catch a glimpse of the VVIPs arriving to attend the 8 p.m. function.