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Shiv Sena announces first list for Maharashtra polls

          Mumbai: Shiv Sena today announced its first list of 84 candidates, including 44 sitting MLAs, for the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. The state goes to polls on October 13. The prominent MLAs to be renominated were Narayan Rane, Ramdas Kadam, Prabhakar More, Baban Gholap, Dr Jayprakash Mundada, according to the list published in the party's mouth-piece 'Saamna' on Thursday. In a surprising move, former state minister and sitting MLA from Sangameshwar Ravindra Mane, has been denied ticket and instead Subhash Bane has been fielded from the seat. In Thane, the party has fielded Eknath Shinde following the death of MD Joshi. The widow of Sena leader Prakash Khedkar, Anusuya Khedkar has been selected to represent the party at the hustings from Nanded constituency.

BJP too announces its first list

         New Delhi: The BJP today announced its first list of 83 candidates for the October 13 assembly elections in Maharashtra. The BJP has decided to contest elections from 114 seats out which 83 names were declared in the first list. Briefing the media, party president, M Venkaiah Naidu said that the party will concentrate on the development issues in the state during the campaign. "Main issue will totally on the non-performance of Congress-NCP government, the deterioting law and order, deaths of children due to malnutirtion and the farmers suicide addition to this the corruptions and scams during their reigns, will be highlighted during our campaign in the state," said M Venkaiah Naidu. The party has denied tickets to six of its sitting MLAs and has accommodated 35 new faces. Prominent among those were re-nominated include state BJP president Gopinath Munde, former Minister Daulat Aher, Arun Adsad, and former minister Shobha Phadanvis. Commenting on the issue, Naidu said the step has been taken on the background of the overall performance and public reaction. "We haven't dropped them, three of them have said that they won't contest this time. We have taken the decision by seeing their performance,local situation, social and public acceptance," said Naidu.

EC issues notice to BJP on Tiranga Yatra (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Election Commission today issued a show cause notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to explain whether its leader Uma Bharti's 'Tiranga Yatra' through Maharashtra amounted to violation of Model Code of Conduct or not. BJP has been asked to file its reply within seven days, official sources said. The Comm

Did Geelani knock off Pir Hissamuddin (Go To Top)

        Srinagar: Even as a hardline faction of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) headed by Syed Shah Geelani observed a day-long shutdown here in protest against Wednesday's murder of Geelani's key aide Pir Hissamuddin, rumours were circulating that the APHC leader may have ordered the Pir's elimination to safeguard himself from scrutiny into his activities. The word doing the rounds was that the Pir was a key financial consultant of Geelani's and possessed considerable knowledge about the APHC leader's activities, including his financial operations. It is believed that Geelani may have felt the income tax department's noose tightening around him, and may have thought it best to remove all possible proof of anybody knowing about his financial funds or profile. The fact the the Pir was a long time and influential member of the all powerful Majlis-e-Shoura of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami (Geelani's parent organization), may have also convinced Geelani of the threat of a separate power center emerging. Pir Hisamuddin, 57, was shot dead inside his house in the Srinagar locality of Bemina by two unidentified militants at 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday.

          The two assailants reportedly gained entry into the Pir's house on the plea that they wanted to discuss some legal matter with Hissamuddin. They shot him in the forehead, killing him instantly. The entire city came to a virtual standstill as local transport also kept off the road in support of the shutdown call. All schools, colleges and other institutes also remained closed as the funeral of the Pir was held today at martyrs' graveyard at Eidgah. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and leaders of several Kashmiri organizations also attended the Pir's final rites.

We must enquire if census was skewed: Sonia (Go To Top)

          Rae Bareli: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said that enquiry should be instituted to know whether the recent census report revealing rising Muslim population, was skewed. "Census report has to be seen by the goverment and if there is any fault or not, an inquiry will be conducted," Sonia said in Rae Bareli, her parliamentary constituency where she is on a three-day visit. The 2001 census final statistics released last week show Hindu community's growth rate came down from over 25 to about 20 percent over the previous decade. Muslim growth rate also slowed down to just over 34 percent, which the census commissioner later clarified, is actually 29 percent. While Hindu rightist groups have voiced concern citing the census data, the Muslims have been up in arms against the report, which sparked some leaders to suggest family planning for the community. Islam condemns any form of artificial contraception has unholy.

New Uttaranchal police force to combat Nepalese Maoists (Go To Top)

          Garhi Cantt/ Uddhamsinghnagar: Uttaranchal police has raised a special force to combat Nepalese Maoists, a top official said today. State DGP Kanchan Choudhry said the move came after threats from Maoists to assassinate high-profile Indian political leaders. "Our police along the border are alert. Apart from this we have also ormed a high-level special task force for curbing the Maoist activities," Choudhry said. Uttaranchal has a nearly 240 km-long porous border with Nepal, which is often crossed by Maoist rebels taking shelter in India. Nepalese settled in Uttaranchal say they opposed the violence unleashed by the rebels. "We are always ready to help. But if the Nepalese Maoists threaten to destabilise peace in a neighbouring country, then we are against this. What is required is that the matter should be solved through peace talks and dialogue," Babbar Gurunj, a Nepalese social worker, said.

India, B'desh fail to reach agreement on water sharing  (Go To Top)
by Nazrul Islam

          Dhaka: India and Bangladesh have failed to reach an interim water-sharing agreement on the Teesta river. But, the water resources secretaries of both the countries, who held two- day talks ending Wednesday, claimed that they made 'substantial progress' at the meeting. At the end of the secretary-level Joint Committee of Experts' (JCE) meeting, the two sides decided to refer the Teesta water- sharing issue to the next meeting of the ministerial-level Joint Rivers' Commission, likely to be held in October. "There is no discord. It is a mammoth task and time is a constraint," Indian water resources secretary VK Duggal told newsmen after the two-day meeting. Bangladesh water resources secretary Omar Faruque Khan vouched Duggal's statement. A joint statement read out by him said that the two sides had been able to agree on a number of issues, and a report narrowing down the gap on the pending technical issues would be submitted within three months to the JCE meet.

         An official source said, "They (Indians) propose a five-year scientific study on the flow of the Teesta. We do not oppose it, but we want an interim arrangement for sharing the water until the study is completed." "After in-depth discussions, the water experts agreed to submit a report, elaborating the present status of discussions and seek necessary guidance from the JRC to resolve the pending issues quickly," he added. During the talks, Dhaka proposed 42 per cent and 38 per cent share for New Delhi and Dhaka, respectively, and wanted the rest to be kept for facilitating the natural flow of the river, said another source. "It means that a slight concession has been made by Dhaka, which is eager to strike an interim agreement," the official added. But, according to him, New Delhi did not agree to the above proposal and reiterated its earlier proposal to share the flow between the two countries in proportion to the areas under phase- 1 (5.46 lakh hectares) of the Indian Teesta Barrage Project and under phase-1 (1.1 lakh hectare) of the Bangladesh Teesta Barrage Project A joint technical group, comprising joint secretary-level officials of the two countries, has been assigned to resolve a number of pending "technical issues" before the JCE meeting, which will meet again before the top-level JRC meeting.

Pak to build four frigates with China's help (Go To Top)

          Karachi: Pakistan is likely to sign a 750 million dollar loan and technical assistance agreement with China for the building of four frigates, the country's Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Shahid Karimullah, has said. "After the agreement is finalized, the first frigate will be with us after four years and all the four will be with the Pakistan Navy in 13 years," The News quoted Karimullah as saying. He said the Navy had also acquired fast patrol boats and coastal tankers, which are on display at the dockyard. The boats have been built with the collaboration of China. He further added that negotiations were underway for the production of a Trigger aircraft with China.

US to give P3C Orion aircraft to Pak (Go To Top)

          Karachi: Pakistan Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Shahid Karimullah said that the US had agreed to supply P3C Orion aircraft and some of them would be delivered by November 2004. "Pakistan needs more such aircraft as a replacement of Atlantique aircraft," he added Meanwhile, the Daily Times quoted Admiral Karimullah as saying that talks were also on with China for the procurement of naval helicopters to enhance Pakistan's anti-submarine capabilities. "Pakistan Navy has Sea-King helicopters which are able to fulfill our needs of anti-submarine operations."

Pak to get five South African `Mushak' aircraft (Go To Top)

         Karachi: A South African company will today provide Pakistan with four `Super Mushak' trainer aircraft, a Pakistan Air Force spokesman said yesterday. According to Online News, the spokesman said that besides the four `Super' aircraft, the company would also provide a Mushak jet as part of the same deal. The Pakistan Aeronautical Company had already signed a deal with the South African company "Uni Group", he said.