Babytalk shapes up baby's brain: Study (Go To Top)

          Washington: Some parents may think it is undignified or detrimental, but babytalk is essential for the full development of an infant's brain, says a new research. Babytalk, the universal cooing that mothers and fathers do to get their babies' attention, is more important than we may have ever realized, says Dr. David Miall, a professor of English at the University of Alberta. Babytalk helps infants to develop an understanding and an appreciation of the temporal arts, such as literature, music, and dance, and depriving babies of the alliteration, assonance and other poetic elements inherent in babytalk could hinder their ability to produce and appreciate these arts when they grow up, says Miall.

          Miall found that babytalk follows the same patterns often found in poetry that adults read. "Babytalk is full of poetic features, such as metrics and phonetics. I was surprised by how systematic it is, and how it works to shape and direct attention," Miall said. "There is a lot of evidence to show that an infant's mind is enormously flexible and adaptive, and we feel that if a parent does not engage their baby with babytalk it would be a loss, both cognitively and emotionally, for the baby," Miall said.

BJP-led coalition hopeful of combeback (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The ruling coalition met here on Thursday, a day before the dissolution of Parliament, paving the way for early national elections. The Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee-led coalition, National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has gambled on an election several months ahead of schedule, hoping to cash in on strong economic growth, prospects of peace with Pakistan and a string of victories in Assembly elections last month. A recently held poll has predicted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition would win 330-340 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha. The coalition currently holds 303 seats. The BJP is already hardselling its vote-catching pre-election budget. Finance Minister Jaswant Singh's interim budget on Tuesday offering crucial rural and middle class voters a range of modest giveaways with the promise of more to come if the NDA is returned, comes on top of billions of dollars worth of other popular measures, including indirect tax cuts.

Congress to make Rajiv exoneration a major poll plank (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday said it would make the exoneration of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in one of the biggest arms scandals its main plank in the upcoming national elections. A court on Wednesday said there was no evidence to show Gandhi had accepted money to clear a 1.2 billion dollar artillery deal with Sweden's Bofors almost 16 years ago. Gandhi, assassinated by a suicide bomber during election campaigning in 1991, was charged by the police with conspiracy to cheat the government, along with five other people. The Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, held a meeting to chalk out a strategy for the elections, a day before the dissolution of Parliament. The arms scandal which engulfed Gandhi's administration in 1987 contributed to his fall in elections two years later and helped end his party's decades-long political supremacy.

           The Congress party has also demanded an apology from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for smearing the name of the country's most celebrated political dynasty. Gandhi's posthumous clearing comes amid speculation his children may plunge into politics to revive the fortunes of the party in the elections expected in April. Despite unease over Sonia Ganhi's foreign origin, the Gandhi dynasty remains popular among a large number of people. The Gandhis' daughter, Priyanka, and son, Rahul, were mobbed last month during a tour of the family constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Hoever, an opinion poll published last week predicted a big win for the ruling BJP-led coalition in the election and said Sonia Gandhi's Italian birth remained an issue with voters.

CBI may move SC in Rajiv case (Go To Top)

          Gaya: CBI Director Umashanker Mishra has said options are still open for the agency to move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's judgement giving a clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi and quashing of charges against three Hinduja brothers in the Bofors case. "I will go through the court's order on return to Delhi", he told reporters on Thursday, adding, "we have still 60 days in our hands."

VC Shukla floats new party (Go To Top)

          Raipur: Former Union Minister VC Shukla on Thursday floated the Rashtriya Jantantrik Dal which will be active in Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh. Announcing the decision at a press conference here, Shukla said his party would contest the coming Lok Sabha elections and would soon approach the Election Commission for a symbol. ''Our party will work with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA),'' he added. Shukla, who had parted ways with the Congress in April last year, had joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). However, he preferred to float a new regional party after the recent NCP split on the issue of having an electoral alliance with the Congress.

Uproar in Lok Sabha over PAC report (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges between the Government and Opposition members over the tabling of a Public Accounts Committee report. Congress MPs demanded that the report be tabled and PAC chairman, Buta Singh, told Speaker Manohar Joshi that the report had been adopted unanimously by the committee. However, Joshi did not allow the tabling, saying that seven committee members had contacted him to raise objections to its presentation. Joshi has reserved his decision, but promised to give it before the House is adjourned for the day. Thursday is the last day of the House before it gets dissolved for the coming general elections. Joshi observed there were conflicting versions with regard to unanimity on the report leading to "confusion". He named BJP MP Kirit Somaiyya among the PAC members who had objected to the report. However, an agitated Congress chief whip, Priyaranajan Dasmunshi, charged the Government with attempting to protect "corrupt persons" and threatened to go public with contents of the report if it was not not allowed to be presented.

Centre-Naga formal dialogue only after polls (Go To Top)

          Kohima: Formal talks between the Central Government and the leaders of the rebel National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah group (NSCN-IM) will now take place only after the general elections in April. With the Centre adopting a very guarded approach to the NSCN-IM's demand for a "Greater Nagalim," that envisages dividing Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states to form a new state of Nagaland, the Chairman of NSCN (I-M), Isak Chisi Swu, and its general secretary, Th. Muivah, have reportedly stuck to their demand for "one administrative" unit for the Nagas.

          "The NSCN (IM) leaders have decided to visit New Delhi after the Indian general elections so as to hold talks with a new mandated government put in place". This demand has consistently featured in the four rounds of negotiations held since last year. However, all three states have voiced their opposition to it. The NSCN-IM believes that a meaningful discussion on their substantive issues can be held only after the Centre recognizes the Nagas' desire to live under a single administrative set-up. When Muivah and Swu visited the Indian Capital last year, there was an expectation of an agreement being reached after the installation of a state government in Nagaland that would adopt a more friendly approach to the rebels.

          Meanwhile, the sources have indicated that "informal talks" between the NSCN (IM) and Government of India would continue, adding the next round of "informal" talks will be held this month. Informed sources said that the Centre is planning to hold meeting with about six northeast underground's groups in Bangkok later this week. "The proposed talks are likely to held separately", sources told The major participants of the peace move will be Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma.

Landmine blast kills 4 army jawans in Anantnag (Go To Top)

           Srinagar: Four Army jawans were killed and six wounded in a landmine explosion in Anantnag district early on Thursday. The incident occurred on the Bejibehara-Pahalgam road near Saller. The deceased were members of a road opening party involved in clearing landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the police said. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Kashmir Alliance for Pak talks (Go To Top)
by Trevor Barnard

          London: Pursuing its "pro-people" agenda, the International Kashmir Alliance (IKA) has sent a delegation to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir for three weeks to talk to local leaders about Kashmiri issues that could come up in the forthcoming bilateral talks between Pakistan and India. In a press statement, the British-based pressure group, formed last year, says: "IKA believes that important aspects of the dispute have not been properly debated and understood, and there is an urgent need to highlight these issues, so that there are no ambiguities, and with clarity of thought and vision we can make progress towards lasting peace in South Asia." It emphasises the belief that there can be no military solution to the dispute, which must be resolved by dialogue involving all parties concerned.

          The delegation, consisting of Abbas Butt, Mohammed Asim and Shabir Choudhry, have already embarked on an itinerary which will take it to Kotli, Rawalpindi, Mirpur and Muzzaffarabad, meeting diplomats, Kashmiri and Pakistani leaders, the press, the bar and local groups, returning to London on February 22. A similar trip is planned for the Indian side of the Line of Control, and the climax to the IKA's programme will be a two-day international conference in London on April 24 & 25. It is planned that this will be attended by prominent leaders, writers, journalists and intellectuals from all regions of Kashmir, Pakistan and India. Delegates from America, Britain, Japan, China and Europe will also be invited.

Musharraf pardons Qadeer Khan (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf pardoned nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on Thursday with a view to averting a confrontation with certain political and religious groups which have held that the scientist is innocent in the secret nuclear proliferation deals with Iran, Libya and North Korea. Qadeer Khan had in fact admitted his role in the scam and appealed for pardon. There was no decision on arrested six other suspects in the case.

          Meanwhile, the three billion dollar US economic and military package promised by President George W Bush in June 2003 to President Pervez Musharraf is in jeopardy because of Wednesday's disclosures by Khan that he had helped North Korea, Iran and Libya in their nuclear programmes. "The US laws provide automatic sanctions against a country indulging in nuclear proliferation," the Dawn quoted an official as saying during a background briefing. But he also said that before reaching any conclusion, the Bush Administration was likely to consider the matter retrospectively because the pilferage had stopped after the setting up of an effective nuclear command and control mechanism.

          Khan in his signed statement, had accepted supplying old and discarded centrifuge and enrichment machines together with sets of drawings, sketches, technical data and depleted Hexaflouride (UF6) gas to North Korea. Dr Khan, the official said, had also admitted supplying centrifuge and enrichment equipment along with a set of drawings to Iran under pressure from the late General Imtiaz, a former advisor to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on defense, between December 1988 and August 1990. The official said the proliferation started in 1989-91 because of what he termed the flawed security arrangement. Between 1997 and 1999, orders were placed for the production of components for centrifuge machines while during 1998-2000, technical assistance was provided to North Korea. Between 1999-2001, intelligence officials had found nothing after they raided a North Korea-bound chartered aircraft.

           However, the then chief of the general staff and the director- general of the Inter-Services Intelligence alerted Dr. A.Q. Khan. It was then decided by authorities not to grant further extension to Dr. Khan. After this, the official said, Dr. Khan started covering up his tracks and even fired one Dr Zubair from his services. The official said in all eleven scientists and security personnel of the KRL had been called for "debriefing" but no third-degree method was used to pressurize them. He also said sessions were also held with former army chiefs Generals Aslam Beg, Jahangir Karamat and General Zulfikar (former Wapda chairman) but in no way they were found to be involved in any such activity.

          The official said that Dr. Khan had visited different countries like Dubai (41 times) during the past three years after his retirement but his movement was restricted after receiving credible reports suggesting that CIA or Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) would pick him up. Terming the KRL security for the past 20 years as a one-man show under the command of Brigadier Tajwar, who was only answerable to Dr. Khan, he said the facility was out-of-bound even for the ISI officials.

Indecision of venues dogging Indo-Pak cricket (Go To Top)

          Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to finalize the match venues for the upcoming Test and one-day cricket series between India and Pakistan. It is also undecided as to which game, a Test or a one-dayer, should be allocated in Peshawar. "We have short-listed the venues but nothing is final as yet. So is the case with Peshawar. But the Governor of the province has assured if the stadium is awarded a match, everything will be made ready in a month's time," the News quoted the PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan, as saying after visiting Peshawar's Arbab Niaz Stadium on Wednesday. Khan said that the tour itinerary for Indians' visit would only be finalized during the visit of a three-member Indian security delegation to Pakistan next week.

          The PCB has proposed to the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to play the three-Test series between March 11 and 31 followed by the five-match one-day series. According to the tentative itinerary sent to the BCCI for final approval, Pakistan wants India to play the first Test match on March 11-15, the second Test on March 19-23 and the third on 27-31. Even as the PCB has earmarked Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan and Faisalabad as the possible venues for the Tests and ODI's, indications are that the Tests would be held in Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad.

          Meanwhile, the paper said that Imran Khan, former Australia stumper Ian Healy and batsman Dean Jones, along with India's Sanjay Manjrekar and PCB Chief Executive Rameez Raja would be commenting during the series. Interestingly, an influential source with "Ten Sports", which will telecast the series live, is trying to include Navjot Singh Sidhu in the commentary team.

Best-versus-the-rest Super Series on the anvil (Go To Top)

          Sydney: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has almost finalised plans to organise a best-versus-the-rest Super Series. The proposed biennial event, gilded by a prize money package expected to be in the vicinity of one million US dollars - would pit the top-ranked Test and one-day teams against a Rest of the World XI in one Test and three one-day games in coming September. The first edition of the proposed grand tourney is likely to be played in South Africa, said an article in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). If the present ICC rankings continue to remain the same, it would mean that the undisputed champions Aussies would take on all- comers in both forms of the game in the first edition.

          The idea generated initial support at a recent ICC board meeting, and has now moved closer to reality after receiving the in- principal approval of all the ten Test-playing nations. The issue will come up for discussion at the ICC's next board meeting, in New Zealand next month, where dates and venues are expected to be finalised. This will leave member-countries to gain the agreement of their players. The world's one-day batting line-up would likely include stars such as Tendulkar (ranked No.1), Lara (4) and West Indian Chris Gayle (2). Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas would likely come into the bowling attack, along with all-rounders Kallis and Andy Flintoff of England.