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With love, from your children,

          New Delhi, May 11: Children in New Delhi on Sunday were seen crowding gift shops in search of a special gift to express their love for (Contd)

14 killed as violence mars local polls in W Bengal (Go To Top)

          Kolkata, May 11: Fourteen people were killed in local poll violence in West Bengal on Sunday. Violence was mainly reported from interior areas where clashes took place between supporters of rival parties. The state Election Commission suspended voting in a few booths, but officials said the election process was largely peaceful. More than 60 per cent people exercised their franchise with details yet to come from several far-flung areas.

           Congress supporter Manirul Sheikh was killed and three others were injured at Ranitala in Murshidabad district when anti-socials threw bombs at voters in front of two booths. Trinamool Congress candidate Lutfar Rahman's father, Haji Anwar Ali, was shot dead by miscreants at his home at Madanpur in Barasat. In Sibdaspur gram panchyat area, CPI(M) supporter Sheikh Salim was killed on Saturday night. His body was found on Sunday, said the DIG (Headquarters) NC Ghosh. Polling was suspended for some time in four booths there. Sixty-four people were arrested.

          Security was tight across the state for the elections to village councils and municipalities of small and medium-sized towns. About 100,000 police, most of them armed, were deployed to prevent clashes during the polls in which more than 30 million people were eligible to vote at 45,000 polling stations. The panchayat elections spread over 17 districts are being seen as a litmus test for political parties for the 2004 general elections who get a reality check about their grassroot support. During their 25 years in power, Bengal's ruling communists have strengthened the village bodies. They have provided them with huge funds for local level development, as well as more powers for arbitration in village disputes, something that has reinforced the communists' support base in rural Bengal.

Uttar Pradesh in for heat wave (Go To Top)

          Luckhow, May 11: The meteorological department has warned of heat wave continuing to sweep Uttar Pradesh in the weeks ahead. Currently the temperature is hovering constantly over 42 degrees Celsius. The scorching heat accompanied by hot winds has disrupted normal life, forcing people to stay indoors. In Lucknow, life comes to a virtual halt during the afternoon.

          With temperature having soared in the beginning of summer season this year, the weatherman predicts the mercury to rise further. In the month of May, the temperature could rise up to 44-45 degrees C. And sometimes it can even cross 47 degrees. In this season, as it is, the temperature is very high and the winds which blow are also very hot, so the 'Loo' (heat wave) also starts blowing now, said RK Sharma, Director, Meterological Department, in Lucknow.

          Indian summer in the months of May and June usually witnesses the scorching sun in all its might, but the onset of monsoon clouds in July and August offers little respite as a dip of 4-5 degrees in temperatures is accompanied by increase in humidity leading to constant perspiration.

Demo against phone tariff hike (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, May 11: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Akali Dal held a demonstration here on Sunday against the hiked phone tariffs. Around 100 protestors of NHRC carried placards written 'Down with NDA government', 'We demand prices should be rolled back'. They shouted slogans 'Down with Arun Shourie'. The protestors threatened the government and demanded immediate rollback of phone tariffs and 75 free calls that had existed earlier.

           "We demand the removal of the Telecom Minister. The telephone tariff should be rolled back immediately. A call should be of three minutes and not of a minute's duration. We also demand 75 free calls. If the government wants to retain its seat, then they should sympathise with the feelings of 100 crores of Indians who are suffering", said Subhash Gupta, president, NHRC. The National Akali Dal also demanded the immediate rollback of prices and accused the government of being puppets in the hands of foreign companies. A number of instruments were burned to mark the protest.

           The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to review the interconnect user charge (IUC) regime that led to a hike in phone tariffs, causing turmoil among phone users as well as telecom companies. TRAI will float the IUC consultation paper next week and the entire process will take about three months to conclude, after which there may be new telecom tariffs. A review would be beneficial for fixed phone users because 40 million subscribers were being made to pay more to talk to cellphone users.

India lists 155 Bangla terrorist camps (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, May 11: India has prepared a list of 155 terrorist training camps operating at various places in Bangladesh. "We have information that ISI activities directed against India are on the rise in Bangladesh. ISI men along with Al Qaeda operatives are imparting training at several of the camps," said official sources. Reports suggest that sophisticated weapons are being smuggled into India from various places in Bangladesh including Cox Bazar, Silhit and Chittagong.

Saddam letter asks Iraqis to crush invaders (Go To Top)

          London, May 11: An Arabic-language newspaper published on Saturday a letter "attributed" to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein urging Iraqis to crush the US-led invaders who deposed him. Al-Quds al-Arabi said that in the six-page letter dated May 7 and faxed to the London-based daily from Jordan on Friday, Saddam Hussein accused Iraq's neighbours of helping the invasion, and threatened to reveal secrets he said "would change the convictions of many". "But the truth which must be dealt with now is the resistance to the occupation, expelling and crushing it," Dawn quoted the letter as saying.

          The newspaper, which last month published a similar letter it said was from Saddam, ran the text and a picture of the fax. Each page of the letter was signed by Saddam, the paper said. The whereabouts of Saddam and his two sons are not known, but several of his senior aides are in US custody. A close associate of the former Iraqi president was quoted last week as saying that Saddam was safe in Iraq and that he was preparing to organize resistance to US-led occupation forces.

          In the hand-written letter, which Al Quds said contained grammatical mistakes, misspellings and crossed-out words, Saddam accused Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Iran of siding with the US. He also said Syria, while hosting Iraqi opposition activists he described as "traitors" before the invasion, did not allow Iraqi "resistance members" to stay in the country even for a few days. Saddam accused US-led forces of looting Iraqi banks and of preparing to steal Iraq's vast oil resources. "The invaders have stolen your wealth; the archaeological finds, your oil. They have stolen more money from the banks," the letter said, apparently referring to widespread looting.

           "Your banks were full of money for depositors and for the state in various currencies. The invaders have stolen them and they will steal their oil and resources. This is not unusual for Bush and Blair are thieves and killers." Saddam urged Iraqis not to descend into sectarian strife. "Only those who resist the occupation are the ones who are thinking about one Iraq...Unite and cooperate...Remember that all of you, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens and the rest of the citizens are brothers in religion and in the homeland," he said.

Sukhoi combat skill enthralls thousands at air show (Go To Top)

          Hyderabad, May 11: Hundreds of people in Hyderabad were treated to a spectacular airshow on Saturday as frontline aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) displayed daredevil acrobatics. The hour-long event, held at the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city, enthralled people as state-of-the-art fighter jets including the latest acquisition, Russia-built Sukhoi-30 MKIs, showcased the country's mighty air power. Speaking on the occasion, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy said the Air Force offers a window of career opportunities combining avionics, engineering, electronics besides flying and combat skills.

          The show began with three Chetak helicopters, carrying the tricolour and the IAF flag, dropping flower petals on the gathering. The highlights however, were the magnificent manoeuvre by Sukhoi- 30s, and the daredevil acrobats, Surya Kirans. The nine-aircraft team is named as Surya Kiran after the crimson and yellow colours released by indigenously built Kiran MK-II aircraft. Formed in 1996, the Suryakiran is one of the very few nine- aircraft acrobatic teams in the world. A mock combat held between MiG-29 and Su-30 and the impressive arrowhead formation by the Jaguars came a close second on the popularity meter. People also enjoyed the breathtaking sky-jumping from a height of 8,000 feet by nine paratroopers of "Akash Ganga" (Galaxy).

          The Indian Air Force took off as a tiny fleet with four Westland Wapiti army co-operative by-planes, six RAF trained officers and 19 Hawai Sepoys in 1932. Today it is the fourth largest Air Force in the world with a highly technical and specialised fighting force. The last decade of the 20th century has seen a phenomenal change in the structure of the Indian Air Force with induction of state- of-the-art aircraft like MiG and Sukhoi fighter Jet range.

Astra test-fired again (Go To Top)

          Balasore, May 11: Just two days after the indigenously developed air-to-air missile's first test-launch, India on Sunday successfully test-fired Astra for the second time. The 3.8-metre high and 10-inch thick prototype of Astra was test- fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-at-sea, 15 km from here. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile has a striking range of 25-40 km.

Doctors' strike in Tamil Nadu paralyses hospital work (Go To Top)

          Chennai, May 11: Hundreds of doctors working in government hospitals in Chennai on Saturday abstained from performing surgeries to protest against the state government's decision to privatize medical education. The agitation is part of an action plan announced by Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association to oppose the state government's move to allow private medical colleges. Doctors shouted slogans and held a demonstration. Expressing solidarity with the striking medical students, whose agitation entered the 17th day, the doctors refused to perform non- emergency operations.

          The doctors have threatened a day's strike on Wednesday followed by an indefinite strike from May 21 if their demands were not met. The state government is considering to invoke ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) against doctors if they went ahead with their strike plan, saying they were in no way connected with the demands of medical students.

China failing to provide vital data on Sars: WHO (Go To Top)

          Beijing, May 11: The World Health Organisation has said that China is failing to collect vital data on the Sars. "In many cases in Beijing, there was no information about when, where and from whom patients caught the disease. This leaves the WHO and local authorities groping in darkness, as it makes it impossible to map precisely how the virus spread in the city of 13 million people", WHO officials said, according to a report in BBC.

          On Saturday, five new fatalities in China, four in Taiwan and two in Hong Kong raised the worldwide Sars death count to 526. In Taiwan, the disease is reported to be spreading among people not known to have had contact with other Sars cases. During the early stages of the epidemic, Taiwanese officials say they were able to quickly trace and isolate infection sources - many of whom were people who had recently visited China or Hong Kong. But Sars has now begun spreading within the general community, making it more difficult to track and contain, the report said.

          The WHO has advised against travel to Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong and several regions of China that have reported a rapid spread of the flu-like syndrome. Meanwhile, in Canada, no new cases of Sars have been reported since late April, and the country could be declared Sars-free as early as next week. In Singapore, people entering public hospitals will soon have their movements electronically tracked and recorded in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly virus, the report added.

... To Mom (Go To Top)

          (Contd) ... their mother. The children along with their parents thronged jewellery shops, restaurants and greeting card shops as the Mother's Day was celebrated across the world. Most of the children said they wanted to celebrate the occasion by treating their mother with greeting cards, dinner and flowers. "First of all I cooked breakfast so that she did not have to work and then I also did the laundry as well. Now since we are here, we might buy some flowers and greeting cards in the evening and probably we would take her (our mother) out for dinner so that she again doesn't have to cook the dinner. So that is the way in which I intend to celebrate the mother's day," said Rahul, a young boy who was busy making plans for the occasion.

          And even the mothers were enjoying their day out with much enthusiasm. "I feel this concept of mother's day is very essential specially in today's time and age where kids tend to take their mother so much for granted and we are made to feel so much important and wanted on this day," said Sarita, a mother. Mother's Day was first observed in 1907 at the request of Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, to honour her deceased mother. Two years later, Jarvis and her friends began a letter-writing campaign to create a Mother's Day observance. In 1914, a legislation was passed by the Congress in the US designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

          Meanwhile, for all those children who aren't blessed to have a caring mother, an orphanage in Lucknow comes as a ray of hope. The orphanage has given a new lease of life to 141 girls. The 66-year-old Sarojini Aggarwal, who runs the orphange for girls, has only one mission in life to take care of girls abandoned by their parents. Aggarwal said her life was completely devastated 25 years ago when she lost her eight-year-old daughter Manisha in a car accident. To overcome her tragedy, Aggarwal adopted three orphans and now runs the orphanage. The orphanage takes care of rehabilitation of the girls before they are married off. "God has given me 141 daughters. Many have been rehabilitated, many have been given for adoption, four have also been married and one is getting married after some time. We have also got some of them on jobs," Aggarwal said. Aggarwal is helped in her pursuit by several corporates and other institutions through donations.