Dr Khan spills the beans at last! (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Pakistan's key nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan has reportedly confessed to charges of proliferating nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and Korea. During the eight-hour long debriefing session, he is said to have told his investigators that he did not proliferate the nuclear technology for making any pecuniary gains, but did so to enable other Muslim nations to use the technology for deterrence.

          In a "written confession", the Father of Pakistan's nuclear programme also named the defence personnel and scientists who had colluded with him in this nuclear technology transfer operation, the Online News agency quoted sources close to the investigators, as saying. In view of this revelation, the fate of Khan, who is already reported to be under house arrest, and the other accused, is likely to be decided by the National Command Authority, the agency further said.

          Dr Khan squarely blamed Dr Niazi and the late advisor of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Gen Imtiaz for the scam. Khan is also reported to have travelled at least 41 times to different countries during the last two years, including Dubai, Turkey, Casablanca, South Africa and Malaysia to meet certain people connected with the underworld. According to the revelation, the proliferation was well planned and Dubai was chosen as the initial channel for leaking Pakistan's reportedly well-guarded technology to Iran, Libya and Korea through chartered planes.

          The Army personnel and nuclear scientists named by Khan as part of the N-proliferation include Brigadier Tajwar, Brigadier Sajawal, Major Aslam, Dr. Farooq (Ex-DG Foreign procurement), Nasimuddin (DG Production of Components), Mr. Mansoor (ex-DG Health Physics), Dr. Majeed (DG Health Physics), Dr Ashraf Atta (Member Science) , Dr. Yaseen Chohan and Saeed Draftsman Besides the Pakistanis, some foreign nationals also had a hand in the proliferation of the nuclear technology to the said countries. Three German nationals, including Bruner, Hine and Lersh, were found guilty whereas a Dutch national Hanx and two Muslim Sri Lankan nationals Tahir and Furrukh had also been instrumental in the N-transfer game.

          During the debriefing of the nuclear scientists, the investigating officials got hold of drawings, sketches, technical data, centrifugal components, P-1 Machines and UF 6 Gas, the report said, adding that the methodology of operation was direct shipment to Dubai, Tripoli and North Korea.

Wait for Jaswant, more sops in the offing (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Tuesday's vote-on-account of the General Budget promises to be another bounty of sops, with the target this time possibly being the salaried class. The interim general budget will be presented by Finance Minister Jaswant Singh at 12 p.m. and will be passed on February 5. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters that as per an understanding on the agenda reached with the Opposition, the Lok Sabha would discuss the Railway Budget that was presented last Friday on February 3. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar will reply to the Budget after a four-hour discussion in the Lok Sabha on the same day. In the Rajya Sabha, Kumar would reply to the debate on February 4.

          The Lok Sabha will take up discussion on the General Budget on February 4 and after a six-hour debate, the Finance Minister will reply on the same day. The Upper House will take up discussion on the budget on February 5. After passing the Interim budget (General, Railways) and Finance Bill and other exigency business, both Houses will adjourn on February 5. As per the advice of the Union Cabinet, the President is likely to dissolve the 13th Lok Sabha on February 6, paving the way for fresh elections to be held in April-May.

          For government employees, there is an expectation that Singh will formerly announce the merger of 30 per cent of the Dearness Allowance with Basic Pay plus the establishment of a Sixth Pay Commission after a gap of a decade. The merging of the DA with Basic Pay could result in an annual outflow of Rs.1000 to Rs.1100 crores. The salaried class most naturally would expect tax-related benefits.

BJP values partnership with AIADMK: Vajpayee (Go To Top)

          Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today took further steps to cement the BJP and the NDA's ties with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa, saying that a partnership with her All-India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party (AIADMK) would add definitive value to the ruling alliance at the Centre. Sharing a platform with her after more than three years, Vajpayee said: "We value our partnership with Jayalalithaa. Under her leadership, Tamil Nadu has made massive strides in socio-economic development."

          The speech was given after he had laid the foundation stone of the four-lane North-South highway corridor to connect Kanyakumari with Jammu and Kashmir. On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani had a dinner meeting with Jayalalithaa in Chennai after which he said he did not see any problem in working out a seat-sharing arrangement between the AIADMK and the BJP.

          Meanwhile, in a separate political development, the Opposition Congress party and the Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have finalised seating arrangements for the March-April general elections. It has been agreed that the Congress will contest ten seats in Tamil Nadu.With the addition of Salem, Periyakulam and Tirunelveli, the seats from which the Congress will now contest is 10. AICC general secretary Kamal Nath and Karunanidhi finalised the deal at the DMK headquarters here.

Lt. General Niazi is dead (Go To Top)

          Lahore: The central figure behind the surrender of Eastern Pakistan to India in December 1971, Lt. General (Retired) Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi died at CMH Lahore on Sunday night after a brief illness. He was suffering from respiratory problems, besides being a diabetic. He was 88. Born in Ballu Khail village, Mianwali, in 1915, Niazi joined the then British Indian Army in 1935 and was commissioned in the Rajput Regiment in 1942. He saw action in Egypt and Iraq before he and his unit were shifted to the Burma Front in 1943 where he distinguished himself and was awarded the Military Cross.

          He opted for Pakistan in 1947 and was promoted to Lt. Colonel in 1951, where he commanded the 8 Punjab, the 2/1Punjab and the 1/14 Punjab (Sher Dil, now 5 Punjab). He was promoted to Brigadier in 1961. He commanded the 14 Para Brigade in 1965 and was awarded Hilal-e-Jurat. He was promoted Major General in 1966 and was General Officer Commanding Lahore in April 1971 when he was appointed the chief of Pakistan's Eastern Army Command. He superseded about a dozen officers through this promotion and remained at this post until he surrendered to General Jagjit Singh Arora at Dhaka's 'Palaton Maidan' on December 16, 1971.

          He remained in Indian captivity till 1974. This was followed by his repatriation to Pakistan and serving the Pakistan Army for over a year. He then entered in politics and even went to jail in 1977. But the taint of having surrendered the largest army since the British surrendered in Singapore prevented him for making any headway. Retiring from public life, he wrote and published his book the 'Betrayal of East Pakistan' in 1998. He is likely to be buried with full military honours this afternoon.

Injured in militants' firing, Kashmir DIG dies (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: Kashmir's Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Crime) Mohammad Amin Bhat, who was shot at by unidentified militants on Monday morning, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital here a short while ago. "Bhat was attacked by the militants using silencer-fitted pistols. He was rushed to the SMHS hospital where he died," Srinagar's Senior Superintendent of Police Syed Javed Mujtaba Gilani told reporters. One Nazeer Ahmed Khan was also injured in the attack, Gilani added. Bhat was shot inside the premises of a mosque in Barzullah area after offering prayers on the occasion of Bakr Id.

Pending cases stall Bleach's release (Go To Top)

          Kolkata: Two pending customs-related cases from Mumbai are likely to delay the release of British national Peter Bleach further. Bleach, who has been in Indian detention since 1995 for his involvement in the sensational Purulia arms drop case in West Bengal, was to be released last weekend. Bleach was required to be cleared in the two customs cases before being released, said West Bengal Home Secretary Amit Kiran Deb. While one of the cases was related to the aircraft, the other one was a criminal case filed by the Mumbai customs for smuggling arms into the country. ''While the aircraft case may not take much time, the criminal case will take some more time and Bleach will have to be in jail till he is cleared from both the cases,'' Deb was quoted as saying by a news agency.

          Last week, British Home Secretary David Blunkett had sought Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani personal intervention in the matter, and the latter had said then that he saw no real problem in having the matter sorted out at the earliest. Bleach is charged with bringing a large cache of arms, including AK 47 rifles and other sophisticated arms, and air-dropping them near the headquarters of the religious cult Anand Marg in Purulia on the night of December 17, 1995.

          The key accused in the case, Kim Davy, since then remains untraced, but has been spotted several times in Copenhagen since he escaped after the arms-drop was discovered. Indian intelligence agencies also have copious files of articles on and interviews by Davy that have featured in the media. While Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Davy, the CBI had also sent the Danish government a Letter Rogatory (LR).

          India had earlier turned down the British plea for granting clemency to Peter Bleach. The Government's view was conveyed to the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, during a telephonic conversation. Advani had reportedly expressed apprehensions and told the British Foreign Secretary about ''direct links'' of Peter Bleach with Kim Davy and that in case of his clemency the case against Kim Davy would collapse.

No tie-up with Congress: Mayawati (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Mayawati said on Monday that there was no immediate necessity for her party to tie-up with a so-called secular front to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the general elections. "I condemn media reports which have talked about BSP tying up an alliance with the Congress. My meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday was routine. But newspapers have come up with speculative stories. This is not right," she told reporters. Mayawati said the BSP could strengthen secular forces even by contesting alone in the general elections.

          Referring to media reports that the party has put a precondition that the Congress should withdraw its support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in Uttar Pradesh, she said "since there is no alliance with the Congress, the question of putting any condition does not arise." She expressed regret that "one-sided" stories were being written and that her version was not taken by the media.

          On Yadav's landslide victory in the Badayun Assembly poll, Mayawati said her party had boycotted the election for which repolling had been ordered at an unprecedented number of 107 polling stations. "Where is the question of contest when we boycotted the election," she said. Mayawati criticised the BJP-led Central Government's decision to advance the polls, but said BSP was fully prepared for it. "Apparently, the BJP wants to cash in on the successes it has achieved in recent Assembly elections in three states and thereby try to hide its weaknesses on the achievement front," she said.

Muslims across India and Pakistan celebrate Eid (Go To Top)

          Karachi/Lucknow: Muslims in India and Pakistan started celebrating a three-day festival of Eid amid Adha, also called Eid-ul-Zuha, on Monday. As is customary, Muslims embraced each other and exchanged Eid greetings after the prayers. Muslims celebrate by attending early-morning prayers, gathering together with friends and sacrificing an animal, commemorating the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son.

          In Lucknow, hordes of colourfully attired men, women and children thronged the streets, chanting verses from the Holy Quran and attended special Eid prayers in mosques. Children and adults dressed in their best embraced each other after the prayers in a ceremony called Id-ul-Milad. "All Muslims make it a point to come to the mosque to offer prayers on Baqr- Eid," said Mazhar Khan, a devotee. (See FESTIVALS)

Congress to contest ten seats in Tamil Nadu (Go To Top)

          Chennai: The Congress party and its ally, DMK, in Tamil Nadu on Monday arrived at an agreement on seat sharing for the forthcoming national elections. The Congress had in December clinched an alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) party to jointly fight the elections.The move is aimed at forming a pre-poll alliance of secular parties to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said the party would contest 10 seats from the state.

Two Dubey murder case suspects commit suicide (Go To Top)

          Gaya: Investigation into the murder of an engineer in a state-run highway project received a blow when two suspects committed suicide on Monday in Bihar. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been probing the murder of Satyendra Dubey, who was killed after he blew the whistle on corruption in the Prime Minister's Golden Quadrilateral roads project in Bihar. The CBI had interrogated Sheonath Kumar Sah and Mukendra Paswan, the two accused, in Gaya district for several hours, last week. "The men along with some more people were being questioned by the CBI. They used to report to the police station every morning and were not in any kind of custody. The family members are alleging that they were tortured by the CBI men because of which they committed suicide," said Sanjay Singh, Superintendent of Police, Gaya. The family members said the two were being falsely implicated. "They were just implicated in the case, no evidence was recorded," father of one of the deceased, said.

          Dubey, a graduate from the country's top engineering Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), had written to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) exposing corruption in the highways project before he was killed. In January, this year, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Central govenrment, the PMO and the provincial Bihar government following a petition seeking a probe into the alleged leakage of Dubey's letters. Rakesh Uttamchandra Upadhyay, who filed the public interest litigation, had said despite the request of Dubey not to divulge his name, his identity leaked at some stage, leading to his murder. Dubey was killed after he complained of irregularities in the massive diamond-shaped road project criss-crossing the country.

Sikhs march through Paris to oppose possible turban ban (Go To Top)
by Trevor Barnard

          London: About five hundred British Sikhs crossed the English Channel last week-end to join co-religionists from other European countries supporting a demonstration aimed at persuading the French government to abandon the plan to bar Sikhs from wearing turban in state schools. More than 2,000 Sikhs marched along the traditional route through central Paris in a rally that attracted widespread media attention. Officers of the Sikh Federation the UK were among those interviewed on television.

          Kuldeep Singh, vice-chairman of the federation, told viewers: "This issue is not simply about the right of Sikhs in France to wear the turban, this issue affects Sikhs throughout Europe and is about freedom of religion as a fundamental human right enshrined in international law." The proposed law, which is to be debated in the French National Assembly on Tuesday (February 3), is designed to remove all show of religion from public schools, in line with the country's secular constitution. Specifically it would ban the Muslim hijab, and it is feared that the rule could also include the turban.

          Thirty years ago British Sikhs won an exemption from a law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, and turbans are now commonplace for Sikh police officers serving in the UK. The leaders of the federation believe that this experience puts them in a favourable position to help the Sikh community in France. Federation Chairman Amrik Singh says: "We are hopeful the French parliament will heed our concerns, but we are ready to rise to any challenge to the Sikhs." He and his colleagues believe the proposed law may contravene European Union directives on racial and religious discrimination and plan to ask the European Commission to take appropriate action, if it is implemented.

Mamata's pre-poll promises 'doomed' (Go To Top)
by Gautam Ghosh

          Kolkata: Alarmed at the manner in which Trinamul Congress chairperson and Union coal and mines minister Mamata Banerjee is going on a spree to provide sops to the people of West Bengal on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Marxists have started a slander campaign against her and her party. Ms Banerjee has not only declared substantial financial benefits for thousands of coal and mine workers but also laid the foundation-stone of a hospital in the city to cater for the medical needs of the Coal India employees. She has also ruled out closoure of sick coal mines in the state and retrenchment of the concerned workers.

          While her stand has been generally welcomed by coal and mine workers, the state CPI(M) mouthpiece, "Ganashakti," has dubbed her announcements as "false promises" aimed at drawing votes in the coming elections and taken pains to highlight the "plight of coal workers" in Burdwan and other districts. The Marxists have understandably decided to target the Trinamul Congress as their number one political enemy in the Lok Sabha polls after cementing their alliance with the Congress at the national level. Although the CPI(M) decided at its just-concluded central committee meeting in Hyderabad not to forge any poll alliance or enter into seat adjustments with the Congress in its three strongholds-West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala, there is enough indication of an unofficial understanding between the two parties in the three states.

          According to informed sources, the Marxists will put up comparatively "weak" candidates in the constituencies having good poll prospects for the Congress. There is also a tacit understanding between the CPI(M) and the Congress that both will work in tandem to reduce the number of seats won by the Trinamul Congress-BJP combine last time. The state CPI(M) leadership has, of course, ruled out any joint campaign with the Congress to target Trinamul Congress and the BJP in the state. It has also been decided that the parties will separately launch a campaign against the Trinamul Congress-BJP combine and will not try to do any thing which will harm each other's electoral prospects. Outwardly, however, the CPI(M) will continue to criticise the Congress and its policies and thereby try to ensure a division of anti-left votes as far as possible.

          The Marxists are also finding it difficult to politically deal with the "Bangla bandh" called by Trinamul Congress as a mark of protest against the state government's move to impose taxes on rural transport and domestic animals. Ms Banerjee has refused to revoke the bandh call as the state administration did not withdraw the concerned circular issued by it in October last year urging the panchayats to explore the possibility of enhancing their income through imposition of such taxes. The CPI(M)'s doublespeak on the bandh issue has also become apparent with the party justifying the call for an all-India general strike on February 24 despite opposition from a number of major trade union bodies including the INTUC. While expressing its determination to maintain normal life during the bandh called by Trinamul Congress, the CPI(M) has threatened to observe a full-fledged hartal in the state on February 24 to protest against the Vajpayee government's "anti-people policies and all-round failure." Obviously Bengal will witness two bandhs within a month as the principal rivals brace themselves to take on each other in the coming polls.

Hero Honda sales up 35 per cent  (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Hero Honda, the country's largest maker of motorcycles, on Monday declared a sales jump of 35 per cent for the month of January. A company release said that the group had sold 1.95 lakh units last month, and also added that cumulative sales for the period April 2003 to January 2004 had gone up by 17.2 per cent to 16.7 lakh units as compared to over 14.2 lakh units during the same period in 2002-2003.

Bottomlines

Keira Knightley bonds with Brody! (Go To Top)

          New York: It seems the star of "Pirates Of The Caribbean", Keira Knightley, is enjoying dating her Oscar-winning co-star Adrien Brody. According to Teen Hollywood, the British actress was almost inseparable from 30-year-old Brody, her "onscreen lover, while shooting on the sets of "The Jacket In Scotland". It is all the more surprising in that Knightley has just split from model Jamie Dornan. "They are very close and spend a lot of time together," an insider claimed. The twosome, who are staying in the same block of flats, have been spotted enjoying the nightlife in Glasgow, Scotland, including a White Stripes gig. Previously, "The Pianist" star has dated actress/model Monet Mazur and has also been linked to Nicole Kidman.

Justin Timberlake rips Janet Jackson's bra! (Go To Top)

          Sydney: Justin Timberlake sent the half-time 'Super Bowl' show into X-rated territory by tearing off half of Janet Jackson's bra. After two touchdowns in the real game, the evening's "top-down" came at the end of a show headlined by Jackson and including the wild man of pop, who was the show's secret special guest, reports an Australian website. The astounding stunt appeared to have been planned all along, with Jackson sporting a strategically placed star over her right nipple, which had been exposed to the watching millions. Later it was confirmed that CBS, which broadcasts the Super Bowl and the half-time show, had approved of the tear-of strip. Hip hop star Nelly had rapped through his hit 'Hot N Here' moments earlier, and the line "I am getting so hot, I'm wanna take my clothes off", appears to have been taken literally by Jackson and Timberlake. Jackson started with her hit 'All For You' before P. Diddy launched into 'Bad Boy For Life' ahead of Nelly's contribution. The pre-match show also treated fans to a feast of music, with Aerosmith, Willie Nelson and Toby Keith performing as well as Beyonce producing a rousing national anthem.

UN turns lovesick schoolboy over Nicole Kidman! (Go To Top)

          Sydney: A remarkably significant decision to allow Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman to shoot a thriller inside the conservative corridors of the United Nations has resulted in some ambassadors acting like lovesick schoolboys. According to the AAP agency, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced last week that Kidman, Sean Penn and director Sydney Pollack would be allowed to film "The Interpreter" inside the UN's New York premises - a first for a Hollywood movie. The chance to meet the "Moulin Rouge" star was a big selling point to some of the UN's powerbrokers, including Chilean ambassador Heraldo Munoz, who, as UN Security Council president, had to decide whether to approve the decision.

          "I told the secretary-general it was fine, granted one condition," Munoz told The Los Angeles Times newspaper. "That I get a meeting with Nicole Kidman." Annan's greenlight did not come easy. The secretary-general originally vetoed the movie shoot because he believed having Kidman, Penn and the crew in the building would be too disruptive, but he changed his mind after meeting Pollack and viewing the script. Filming of "The Interpreter" will begin on March 1. Kidman plays an African-born UN interpreter who overhears an assassination plot against her country's leader. Penn plays the leader's bodyguard.

Jordan to spill romantic beans on Becks in autobiography! (Go To Top)

          London: David Beckham is an angry man these days! The soccer star seems to have lost his cool Sunday night, when glamour girl Jordan revealed her plans to include him in her upcoming autobiography. According to a report in the 'Sun', the glam girl was seen on camera whispering to jungle pals about her book, which will contain a "scandal" involving a footballer. The revelation came on "I'm A Celebrity" show.

          The buzz doing the rounds is that the 25-year-old model is contemplating devoting an entire chapter to Becks, which will also cover her feud with wife Posh Spice. Jordan's jungle pals could hardly believe their ears when she dropped her soccer bombshell, sending TV bosses into a flurry. "It's going to be front page every day for weeks," Kerry McFadden, Jordan's bosom buddy, said. Although there is no suggestion that the beauty has ever had something going with the former Man U captain, the stories will create a sensation.

          Meanwhile, Beckham's aides have threatened legal action if the Real Madrid star is unhappy with the revelations. "If she mentions David and Victoria she'd better be careful. If there are untruths he'll sue. Any false claims will be dealt with by David's lawyers and he has met her only once and Victoria and Dane Bowers were there. It was a dinner date for all four of them," a spokeswoman said.

          Viewers were left in the dark about Jordan's claims because she covered her microphone as she spoke. But the ITV show's 30-strong production team were stunned and repeatedly re-wound Friday's tape to hear her again. "Everybody was gobsmacked. The entire production office stopped what they were doing and crowded round a screen. An emergency meeting was held and it was decided that, as there was no proof of any truth in Jordan's claims, none of her words could be shown," an insider was quoted as saying. Jordan is also planning to identify a host of other big names in a tell-all book, including ex-lovers Gareth Gates and Teddy Sheringham.

Jackson paid 2 million dollars to silence gold-digger wife! (Go To Top)

          Washington: Pop star Michael Jackson reportedly paid 2 million dollars to ex-wife, Debbie Rowe to keep silent about their children. According to imdb.com, British tabloid 'The News Of The World' has alleged that Jackson paid the huge sum as part of a confidentiality agreement, preventing Rowe from ever discussing the details of their business deal. It had been widely believed that Rowe, 41, had received one lump sum in return for bearing two children for the 'Thriller' star in an agreement that involved Rowe being impregnated with semen from an anonymous donor.

          However, Rowe has allegedly received almost 11.965 million dollars in a deal giving Jackson "sole legal and physical custody" of the children - Prince Michael, 6 and Paris, 5 after the couple split in 1999. Rowe has been paid 215,000 dollars, a "temporary spousal lump sum" and 150,000 dollars, a "non- modifiable spousal support" payment for every year for the next five years. Interestingly, insiders at Jackson lawyer's firm have dubbed Rowe as "The Extortionist" after she received the title deeds to the star's 1.5 million dollars Beverly Hills home where she stays currently and also owns a brand new Ford Explorer Suv vehicle. Jackson also paid Rowe's 62,566 dollars expenses that included 24,000 dollars for purchases on her credit card and 2,000 dollars for eating out in December 2003. However, Rowe is currently fighting to regain custody of the children. She says, "I wanted to speak with Michael over the past few years to talk about our children but he did not want to speak with me."