Bin Laden traced: Report (Go To Top)
by Trevor Barnard

         London: Osama Bin Laden has been traced to a remote mountain area where Pakistan borders Afghanistan, and British and American special forces are poised to move in and capture him, according to a "world exclusive" in Sunday Express. The terrorist leader, along with 50 loyal supporters, including Taliban head Mullah Mohammed Omar is said to be in an area ten miles square in the Toba Kakar range, about 70 miles north of Quetta. According to the report, the base was identified partly by intelligence reports and partly by analysis of images of the terrain seen in a recent Bin Laden video. It is now under constant surveillance by a satellite in geo-stationary orbit above it.

          The paper says its information comes from two senior American sources. The first, "a senior Republican close to both the White House and the Pentagon" is said to have "summoned the Sunday Exprress to a secret breakfast meeting during a flying visit to Britain" last week. He revealed that Bin Laden had been found in an area that can be watched and controlled. Two days later, a "US intelligence source" contacted the paper to reveal the location of the hide-out, saying Bin Laden was "boxed in" and that US special forces were confident that he could not escape.

          Three weeks ago American newspapers carried a leaked report of plans for a large-scale spring offensive in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border area, involving thousands of troops, the use of cluster bombs and an aircraft carrier deployed in the Arabian Sea for back-up. It is expected that this offensive would target the Bin Laden box and other nearby extremist outposts. According to the Sunday Express, British military commanders are concerned that this would be the wrong type of operation to capture Bin Laden. It is felt that an all-out conventional assault would be very difficult in the terrain, and that what was required was a quick "grab-him-and-go" technique. There is also concern that a large-scale invasion of Pakistan territory could jeopardise the position of President Musharraf by alienating extremist elements in the military and the country. Three recent attempts to assassinate Musharraf have been attributed to Al Qaeda. Britain is espected to contribute special forces to any action against Bin Laden's stronghold. But it is feared that President Bush might wish to use a spectacular assault to bring usccess in the build-up to the Presidential election.

Let the time come, Sonia to BJP (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said becoming a Prime Minister was not a priority before her and accused the BJP of raking up the issue of her foreign origin as the BJP-led government at the Centre had "totally failed". "For me, that is not a priority. Let us see when the time comes," she said in an interview with NDTV when asked why the Congress was not coming forward on the issue of leadership of anti-BJP alliance. To a query whether she felt that her being born in Italy was a liability, the Congress president said it might work adversely with some voters but "I have never felt that I am a foreigner. I am an Indian absolutely."

          640 kg of explosives seized in Srinagar Srinagar: In the biggest-ever seizure of its kind, the Border Security Force on Sunday recovered 640 kg of high and low grade explosives in pre-dawn raids at two different places in Srinagar. The seizure is a severe blow to the suspected terrorists who had plans to step up their activities ahead of forthcoming national elections. Acting on a tip-off, BSF troops assisted by local police, raided a locality in the heart of the city and recovered 590 kgs of low grade explosives hidden in the shop of one Noor Mohammad Gujri. The terrorists escaped prior to the operation. A hunt has been launched to nab them. In the second operation, troops unearthed a Hizbul Mujahideen godown in Parimpora locality of downtown city, recovering a consignment containing 50 kg of high grade explosives and 11,000 rounds of AK ammunition. Nearly a dozen militant groups are active in Kashmir, which has been at the heart of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan.

640 kg of explosives seized in Srinagar (Go To Top)

         Srinagar: In the biggest-ever seizure of its kind, the Border Security Force on Sunday recovered 640 kg of high and low grade explosives in pre-dawn raids at two different places in Srinagar. The seizure is a severe blow to the suspected terrorists who had plans to step up their activities ahead of forthcoming national elections. Acting on a tip-off, BSF troops assisted by local police, raided a locality in the heart of the city and recovered 590 kgs of low grade explosives hidden in the shop of one Noor Mohammad Gujri. The terrorists escaped prior to the operation. A hunt has been launched to nab them. In the second operation, troops unearthed a Hizbul Mujahideen godown in Parimpora locality of downtown city, recovering a consignment containing 50 kg of high grade explosives and 11,000 rounds of AK ammunition. Nearly a dozen militant groups are active in Kashmir, which has been at the heart of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan.

Foreigners have no right to permanent abode in India: Delhi HC (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Holding that an alien cannot have a right to permanent residency in India, the Delhi High Court has upheld a Home Ministry order deporting an Italian national married to an Indian widow with two children suspecting his involvement in drug trafficking in Himachal Pradesh. "It is well-settled that an alien cannot have a right of permanent abode in India ... The fundamental right of the foreigner is confined to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) and does not include the right to reside and settle in this country", Justice Manmohan Sarin was quoted as saying.

          Quoting from the Supreme Court judgment in Hans Muller of Nurenburg Vs. Superintendent, Presidency Jail, Calcutta and others, Justice Sarin said "the power of Government of India to expel foreigners is absolute and unlimited and there is no provision in the Constitution fettering this discretion". The court dismissed Italian national Cherchi Domenico Ferdinando's plea challenging the August 27, 2003 order of the Union Home Ministry and a subsequent order issued by the Superintendent of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Office after perusing the Intelligence Bureau report which talked of his suspected involvement in drug trafficking.

          By its order dated September eight, 2003, Superintendent of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Office had curtailed the extension for stay granted to Ferdinando and he was sent to the Italian Embassy here under police escort for deportation. His counsel Vikas Pahwa had argued that Ferdinando was peacefully living with his wife and her children in Kullu and there was no police case against him. "Mere suspicion cannot be a ground for deportation," Pahwa submitted.

Over 350 jhuggis gutted in Delhi blaze (Go To Top)

         New Delhi: Over 350 huts were destroyed when a major fire broke out in a slum area on Sunday morning in the Capital. The cause of the fire is not known. It began at one end of the slum and spread fast, aided by hay and plastic wastes stocked in the dwellings. Though no casualties have been reported, residents say the fire service did not arrive on time. Ram Swaroop, a slum dweller, said they lost everything that they had, including their identity cards. "We just came out of our houses in whatever we were wearing in order to save our lives. We were unable to pull out anything of our houses. Everything is burnt even our ration cards, household items. We do not have anything left with us now. Now we are empty- handed," Swaroop said. Hem Raj, another slum-dweller, said they heard bursting of cooking gas cylinders, which aggravated the fire. "After the fire broke out we heard the noise of a cylinder bursting which caused the fire to spread," he said. Firemen worked for more than two hours and 14 water tenders were used to bring the fire under control.

Any company free to launch mobile service in NE: Shourie (Go To Top)

         Guwahati: Communication and Information Technology Minister Arun Shourie has said that any private company could launch their mobile phone service in the North East. Addressing a meeting of BJP party workers at the Circuit House here on Saturday night, the Union Minister said the Centre had not given any special incentive to Reliance Telecom to expand their network in the region. He said that there was a delay in the launching of BSNL's mobile service in the region due to the Defence Ministry's objection but now that has been cleared and the service has been launched in the region in a phased manner.

Reliance plans Rs 5 billion sports academy in UP (Go To Top)

         New Delhi: Reliance Industries plans to set up a sports acedemy in UP for which it is willing to invest Rs 5 billion. "It is difficult to turn down any request from Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav ... we shall consider the proposal of setting up the sports acedemy here," Anil Ambani, vice-chairman and managing director of Reliance group, said at the foundation stone- laying ceremony for a power plant in Dadri near Delhi. "I am an Indian first and all states are equal for me. But due to special love and affection from Singh and Yadavji we shall consider the proposal," Ambani said.

          Reliance Ltd. said their ambitious 2.2 million dollar gas based power plant in Uttar Pradesh would serve the whole of north India. Reliance last month had announced setting up 3,500 megawatt gas- based power plant in Dadri district of the state. The company said it would source gas from its own gas fields in Andhra Pradesh Krishna-Godavari basin which was discovered in October 2002.

          Earlier, Amar Singh, general secretary of the Smajwadi party, had said that he had invited Ambani to set up the academy in UP at an investment ranging between Rs 4 to 5 billion. Ambani had earlier proposed a sports scholarship fund for which several corporates and banks, including Aditya Birla group, Hindustan Lever Ltd, Sahara Group, Bank of America, ANZ Grindlays, ICICI Bank, ABN Amro Bank and HSBC had contributed about Rs 3 million.

PM cautions against too much hype on Pak tour (Go To Top)

          Lucknow: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Sunday cautioned against too much hype as Indian cricket team undertakes the first visit to Pakistan in 14 years. "The Indian cricket team is going to Pakistan for playing matches and not fighting a war," Vajpayee told reporters as he arrived in Lucknow. The Indian cricket team would begin its month-long tour to Pakistan on March 10. The teams would play three Tests and five one-dayers. The government banned all bilateral cricket against Pakistan three years ago due to political tensions. But last week it confirmed that its team would go to Pakistan next month in one of the most concrete signs that the neighbours were getting closer after almost going to war in 2002. Indian team vice-captain Rahul Dravid said he was looking forward to the tour. Relations between India and Pakistan have greatly improved since Vajpayee's April peace bid, which he said was the last in his lifetime.

Rahul Dravid adjudged Sports Personality of the Year (Go To Top)

          London: India's dependable batsman Rahul Dravid has won Sony TV's International Sports Personality of the Year award for 2003. Dravid edged out former Pakistan Captain Wasim Akram and compatriot, ace tennis star Leander Paes, to win the coveted award at a gala function at the Hilton Park Lane on Saturday night. "This is a very deserving award and Dravid is one of the great all-timers," Former England captain Mike Gatting said receiving the award on behalf of Dravid.

          Dravid, popularly called 'The Wall', is considered one of the technically most gifted batsmen in the cricket world. The year 2003 has been a fantastic year for him, one of the highlights being an impressive 242 against Australia leading India to a historic four-wicket victory in the second Test in Adelaide.

          Former Pakistan all rounder Asif Iqbal received the 'Lifetime Achievement Award'. Nine-year-old Sahil Agarwal, a budding cricketer, was adjudged Young Sports Personality of the year while 11-year old Humzah Mahmood, an upcoming tennis star was given the Junior Sports Personality of the Year award. In the women's category, 17-year-old Athisha Lohendran, a rowing champion, got the Junior Sports Personality of the Year award.