Main Page                                                                 Archives

 

US to enact law to help Pak fight terror

        Washington: US lawmakers are mulling over enacting a law empowering the US President to provide all required assistance to the President of Pakistan as far as the fight against terrorism is concerned. A bill has already been introduced in the Congress. According to the Daily Times, section 302 of the bill contains provisions that say that Washington should fulfil "its long-term commitment to the future of Pakistan". It entails provisions whereby the US President would be authorised to provide assistance on such terms and conditions he may determine to support Pakistan in its struggle against extremists. The Section also says that the US and the international community make a long-term commitment to achieve security and stability in Afghanistan. However, the bill contains stringent provisions where it comes to ensuring the protection of human rights in Muslim countries. It says that the US should re-evaluate its relationship with the governments of Muslim countries, including such governments that are friends or its allies. It recommends that if those governments violate or otherwise do not respect internationally recognised human rights or the rule of law, the US should take appropriate measures against such governments, including withdrawal of diplomatic relations.

48 live shells found at Ghaziabad scrap factory (Go To Top)

        Ghaziabad: For the third consective day today the Army continued its search operations for more explosives in the scrap at a local factory here. However, the army and district administration finally broke their silence on the search operations. Officials said uptill now 48 explosives have been recovered, out of which 40 has been found from a single truck. Officials said the explosives include motar shells, anti-tank misiles and anti-aircraft shells. "Explosives which has been found out of that 26 are those to which had fuse atteched to them. Others had little explosive material left in them. We can say that 26 are those which were quite dangerous," said Umesh Kumar Srivastav, SP, Gaziabad. The army officials and the state officials refused to comment on how long the entire operation is expected to continue. Uptil now army has been able to scan only only one truck out of total of 11 trucks. By evening today it has just started scanning the other one. "I cannot give you any time frame on this, as we will follow all our drills to scan these trucks safely and that can take some time," said Major Sukhwant Singh, Incharge of the scanning operation. Meanwhile, custom authorities in the capital have suspended two officials. "We checked out reverse records and came to know that entry was cleared from here, filed in the name of Bhushan Steels. And the officials have done physical examination. If this is the same consignment that left from here then there is lapses by the officials. We have suspended these officials and an disciplinary inquiry has been launched against them," said Sahab Singh, Custom Commissioner, Delhi. Usually on discovering any explosive material the custom authorities informs the police and explosive detonating squad, but supposedly the suspended officials did not inform the police and gave the clearance. 10 people were killed in an explosion that went off when the factory staff was unloading the scarp imported by Bhushan Steel Company.

Shivraj Patil visits violence-affected areas of Assam (Go To Top)

        Guwahati: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today visited Dhubri and other violence affected areas in Lower Assam to review the situation there. Patil, who was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Special Secretary in the Union Home Ministry Anil Chaudhary and Director General, CRPF J.K. Sinha, reviewed the situation separately with the Nagaland governor, Shyamal Datta and the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio and top security officials. He told reporters after the meetings that talks are the only way to resolve issue. He also talked of a long-term joint strategy to tackle militancy in the northeast and assured all possible assistance to both Assam and Nagaland to overcome the crisis. The Home Minister said that emphasis would be given on coordination among the law enforcing agencies of the Northeastern states, army and para-military forces. "Ongoing Naga peace process would not be affected by Saturday's twin blasts at Dimapur. Talks between the Centre and the NSCN(IM) are heading in the right direction and the Centre would take all acceptable measures for an early solution to the decade old problem," said Patil. He also met the families of the victims and announced ex-gratia of three lakh rupees to the next of kin of those killed and fifty thousand for the injured.

ABSU calls 12-hour bandh across Assam (Go To Top)

        Dispur: In protest against the killing of innocent people by the extremists on Sunday, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has called a 12-hour bandh across Assam. The bandh, which began at 5 am today, is being supported by several other organisations, following which security has been beefed up across the North East. Meanwhile, in Nagaland, several civil organizations spearheaded by the Naga Council have decided to hold a public rally on Wednesday to protest against the twin blasts in Dimapur. In a fresh outbreak of violence last night, suspected militants had shot dead four persons and injured nine others at Gelapukhuri village under Biswanath Chariali police station in Sonitpur district. Since Saturday more than 50 people have been killed in the series of attacks in Assam and Nagaland. Earlier, security experts were suspecting the possibility of banned NDFB behind attacks in Assam and Nagaland, but now after examining the samples of explosives collected from Sunday's bombsites, they suspect hand of ULFA in these attacks.

NDFB militants gun down four family members in Assam (Go To Top)

        Guwahati: National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants gunned down six persons, including four of a family, and injured nine others in Assam's Sonitpur district late on Sunday night, police sources said here today. According to eyewitnesses, a large group of armed insurgents went into the house of businessman Indra Bahadur Agarwal around 11.30 p.m. at Gelapukhuri in Biswanath Chariali area and asked them to come out for a meeting. As soon as the members of the Agarwal family and their employees came out, the militants started firing indiscriminately, killing four of them on the spot and injuring 11 others. All eleven injured were rushed to the hospital where two of them succumbed to their injuries. The dead included Indra Bahadur Agarwal, Pinki Agarwal, Kamal Krishna Agarwal, Yadav Upadhya and two employees Paplu Keot and Santi Keot. Sources said that an extortion note was given to the Agarwal family a few days back by the NDFB which was recently on an extortion drive to strengthen the banned outfit following the Bhutan army operations on its camps in the Himalayan kingdom.

India-Myanmar border talks begin (Go To Top)

        New Delhi: Union Home secretary Dhirendra Singh and Myanmar's Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brigadier General Phone Swe began talks in New Delhi today over the international border issue. At least four Indian states are located along the Indo-Myanmar border. New Delhi is seeking a Myanmar-sponsored military offensive against the hideouts of northeast rebels in its territory. The separatists have been blamed for the latest series of blasts and shootouts in northeastern states of Assam and Nagaland in which more than 47 people have been killed and 100 injured over the weekend. India, which has a 1600-km long border with Myanmar, has been taking up insurgency and economic issues with the ruling military regime of Yangoon on diplomatic level since 1990s.

Manmohan Singh calls for employment-based growth (Go To Top)

        New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today laid stress on generating an employment-based growth in the country. He said this while giving away the labour awards in the Capital. "I wish to underline that the UPA government will emphasise employment-led growth, in particular, focusing on providing every citizen an opportunity to work. The last few years have seen the phenomenon of jobless growth and we need to reverse this trend so that growth translates into meaningful results for the working classes. I, therefore propose to you that the time has come for us to make the call for `Garibi Hatao' a new slogan for our times `Rozgar Badhao'," said Singh.

        Assuring the working classes that his government will not pursue policies that will adversely affect their interests, the Prime Minister said there was need for increased flexibility in labour markets but there could be no "uncritical endorsement" of the hire and fire approach. Singh said his government's efforts, apart from upgrading people's skills through training and the use of new technology, would be to review labour laws. "However, apart from training we also need to review the impact of our economic policies, including labour laws, on the growth of employment in the aggregate. We have to ensure that the incentive system built into our economic policies encourages and does not discourage the growth of employment to the maximum extent possible," said Singh. The Congress-led UPA's policy roadmap for the next five years promises to continue reforms and aims for GDP growth of 7-8 percent.

SC stays trial in Badal case; issues notice to Amarinder Singh (Go To Top)