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First Afro-Asian Games open

         Hyderabad, Oct 24: The first-ever Afro-Asian Games were declared open here on Friday. The opening ceremony featured music, dance, laser lights and other performances to showcase the rich culture and history of Andhra Pradesh. At least 12,000 students and 4000 other staff were involved in various performances. Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani declared open the Games. State Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, State Governor Surjeet Singh Barnala, Union Sports Minister Vikram Verma, Indian Olympic Association chairman Suresh Kalmadi were present on the occasion, besides a host of other dignitaries.

          A host of sports and film stars, including tennis star Leander Paes, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, film star Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar were also present at the glittering opening ceremony. The games, which feature eight sports of athletics, field hockey, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, boxing, football and tennis, bring together for the first time athletes from Africa and Asia. Around 3000 athletes from as many as 65 African and Asian countries and regions will compete at the games with hosts India fielding the largest contingent.

          The Olympic Committees of all the African and Asian countries and regions have also sent officials and representatives to the games. The games, which were originally scheduled in November, 2001, in New Delhi but were postponed after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US. Hyderabad took over the games after successfully hosting the 32nd National Games last year.

People on a shopping spree on eve of Diwali

          New Delhi, Oct 24: People are busy everywhere with their last- minute shopping as the country gears up for the celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights, tomoeeow. Mad rush can be seen at fairs and shopping festivals being held all over in towns. Traditionally people buy new clothes, utensils and other household items for themselves and gifts and sweets for others.

          Shops selling sweets, dry fruits and utensils start setting up special counters at least a fortnight before the festival and customers continue to crowd these shops till the D-day. Clothes and jewellery hold prominence in women's shopping list. "Actually we wait for Diwali to go for shopping. We shop during the season for everything, be it clothes or jewellery. We really enjoy the rush and moreover we do get lots of discounts and offers during the festival season," said a customer. Almost all the shops, car dealers and consumer brand companies offer heavy discounts to attract the customers during the season, who consider it auspicious to make their dream purchases during this season. "It's because of Diwali that they are offering heavy discounts and it is good to buy," said Poornima, a customer.

          Diwali is celebrated in honour of Goddess Lakshmi which symbolises wealth. It is believed that Lakshmi comes to only those homes which are clean and well lit. Preparations begin many days before the festival. Houses are whitewashed, new clothes are stitched and people exchange sweets and dry-fruit. There is also a mythological belief that Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana during his 14-year exile on this day.

Brisk 'petha' sales in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Diwali (Go To Top)

          Agra/Lucknow, Oct 24: With a day left for Diwali, the sales of petha, an Indian sweetmeat, has increased ten-fold in Agra. Petha is made out of pumpkin, citric acid and sweeteners. Over 50 varieties of pethas are available in the market. The demand for petha usually goes up during the festival season.

          "Our demand for the petha during Diwali increases automatically as people need to distribute sweets. And, it is cheaper as compared to other sweets made of butter oil. If other sweets are 100-200 rupees per kilogram, then this is just 30-40 rupees kilogram. Moreover it is pure," said Subhash Agarwal, a shopowner. Petha is also reported to have medicinal qualities and is often used as a food supplement during convalascence. For animals lodged at the Lucknow Zoo, Diwali is an absolute bonus. They are served special dishes on the occasion. "On Diwali, we are going to add some special dishes for the animals. Like for the bear, we will give him honey, and for carnivores that day, we will give them chicken in addition to their daily diet of meat," Iva Sharma, the Zoo's director, said. In addition, all the 750 animals would be served fruits and boiled eggs for breakfast.

No breakthrough in Indo-China talks on border (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Oct 24: Visiting Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dia Binggou called on Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha here Friday. Details of the meeting were not known. The two countries have been trying to seek a solution to their decades-old border dispute. Dia held the first round of discussion with country's national security adviser Brajesh Mishra in New Delhi on Thursday. They were expected to hold another round of talks on Friday.

          Meanwhile, the Tibetans living-in-exile in the country took to the streets protesting against the visit of Dai. After decades of mistrust and boycott, the two Asian giants started talks since 1998 to map exactly where their 3500-km long border lies, but with little success. During Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to China in June, Dia and Mishra were appointed as political envoys to give a new push to settle the border dispute. Though Analysts do not expect dramatic results out of the talks, it is likely to lay the ground for regular meetings between the envoys of the world's most populous nations.

          During a meeting between Vajpayee and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Bali, Beijing took a significant step forward towards confidence building by accepting Sikkim bordering Tibet as a separate country. The move followed New Delhi's statement that Tibet is an inalienable part of China. Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950 and Buddhist spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, alongwith his followers fled to India nine years later after an abortive uprising against communist rule. The Tibetan refugees are now settled in different parts of India with the Dalai Lama establishing his headquarters in the northern /town of Dharamsala.

Omar asks Vajpayee to order ceasefire during Ramazan (Go To Top)

          Srinagar, Oct 24: The main opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference, has asked Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to announce a ceasefire with militants during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan to facilitate the possibility of a dialogue in the state. "National Conference earnestly appeals to the Prime Minister to tread the path peace and announce a Ramzan ceasefire so as to facilitate the possibility of a dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Just because we have failed once doesn't necessarily mean we have to fail again. We have failed in a dialogue with Pakistan but that did not stop the Prime Minister from trying again. And therefore it is essential that through the offer of a ceasefire and the implementation of a ceasefire here we will move a process forward whereby not only the political separatist leaders but also the militant leaders take advantage of this offer," party president Omar Abdullah said here Friday.

          Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Abdullah was reacting to the recent dramatic peace overtures by New Delhi. He said placing rigid conditions on talks with Pakistan may not be in the best interest.

JKLF factions in UK welcome India's new approach to Hurriyat? -by Trevor Barnard (Go To Top)

         London, Oct 24: Both factions of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) operating from Britain have welcomed the Indian government's initiative in seeking talks with the All- Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Kashmir. Speaking on behalf of the faction owing allegiance to Muzaffarabad-based Ammanullah Khan, the group's Diplomatic Head in the UK, Zafar Khan, told ANI: "Yes on the face of it we welcome the initiative and we hope it will lead to a meaningful process, but Pakistan has to be involved." He added: "At least the Indians have made a move. They had to do something because they were being seen as intransigent in their attitude."

          Shabir Choudhry, who is Chairman of the Diplomatic Committee of the JKLF UK and Europe, which formerly allied itself with Yasin Malik but disowned him and declared itself independent a month ago, issued a statement on what he called India's initiative to break the deadlock on Kashmir and improve relations with Pakistan.

          He commented: "It is a positive development and we hope that the other parties to the dispute, namely Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership, will respond in a spirit of co-operation". Choudhry, who is also spokesman for the International Kashmir Alliance, the recently formed expatriate group that has incurred the displeasure of the APHC and Pakistan, said that despite the recent split in its leadership, the APHC had a great opportunity to improve its standing and demonstrate that it cared for people and was serious about peace in Kashmir. He declared: "They need to show their maturity in politics and should not wait for any phone call from across the border". He particularly welcomed the proposal to start a bus service from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar and hoped that the governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir would respond positively to it, and that similar links would be established with Gilgit and Baltistan.

          Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha's announcement was also welcomed today by his British counterpart, Jack Straw, who said: "Such steps will help to build greater confidence and trust between India and Pakistan. I very much hope that both governments will continue to work together towards normalising their relations and resolving their differences, including on Kashmir."

Revival of peace process with Pak not a change in policy: Advani (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Oct 24: Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani has said that the steps taken to revive the stalled peace process with Pakistan should not be interpreted as a change in India's policy. Advani reiterated that no formal talks between the two nuclear rivals could resume unless Pakistan ended "cross-border terrorism". "It (India's new diplomatic moves to better bilateral ties with Pakistan) is not a change in our policy. Our policy is the same that our talks with Pakistan will only happen when there is a suitable atmosphere. The atmosphere will be created only when Pakistan stops cross border terrorism, and when Pakistan stops infiltration," Advani said while addressing the 42nd Raising Day function of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in national capital New Delhi.

          The government had on Wednesday proposed new diplomatic moves including resumption of air and rail links with Pakistan. The government also said that for the first time Advani will talk with Kashmir's main separatist alliance the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) signaling a renewed effort for a peaceful end to the 14-years-of conflict in the Himalyan region. Hurriyat had boycotted Indian government's earlier interlocutors - bureaucrat N.N. Vohra and deputy chairman of Planning Commission K.C. Pant - while insisting talks at the highest levels of government. Advani said his appointment to conduct talks does not undermine Vohra's mission.

          The Hurriyat, which wants the right to secede and has thus objected to talks within the scope of the Indian Constitution, has, however, welcomed the offer but sought more time to take a decision. The reactions by the two parties mark a climb-down by both the Indian government in upgrading the level of political dialogue and the Hurriyat who wanted talks with not less than the Prime Minister. However, Hurriyat's executive member and former Chairman Umer Farooq Mirwaiz said any talks between the separatists and the Indian government should be Kashmir-centric.

APHC activists arrested in Srinagar (Go To Top)

         Srinagar, Oct 24: Separatists demanding a UN-sponsored plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir were arrested here on Friday. The activists belonging to All-Party Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) shouted anti-India slogans as they marched to the UN office in Srinagar to submit a memorandum in this regard. A resolution for implementing the plebiscite was passed in the General Assembly on January 5, 1949. New Delhi says the resolution is irrelevant as it first calls for vacating Kashmir areas under Pakistani occupation. The activists criticized the resumption of bus service between Lahore and New Delhi some months ago. Pakistan has also repeatedly asked for a plebiscite but India calls for eviction of one-third of region Pakistan controls and reversion of the territory Pakistan gave to China, before any referendum.

Canadian PM arrives for 2-day visit (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Oct 24: Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chretian arrived on a two-day official visit here on Friday. Chretian began his engagements by paying homage to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, at Rajghat. He laid a wreath on Gandhi's samadhi. He will also visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar before traveling to Chandigarh to visit the new Canadian Consulate-General. For Chretian, it is his second visit to India as Prime Minister. Chretian's visit will focus on expanding political and economic relationship between the two countries as well as discuss regional security issues.

          He is likely to formally relinquish office in February 2004 in favour of his once Finance Minister Paul Martin. Chretian's brief visit is significant as it attempts to revive the cordiality and substantial bilateral trade the two nations enjoyed prior to the imposition of sanctions after the May 1998 nuclear tests conducted by India.

Kalam visits 10th century Bulgarian monastery (Go To Top)
-by Vaibav Verma

          Sofia (Bulgaria), Oct 24: Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam drove down to the 10th century Rila monastery on the concluding day of his two-day state visit to Bulgaria. Located 117 km from here, Kalam evinced keen interest in the historical and spiritual aspects of the monastery that is revered by most Bulgarians. Founded by the followers of the Bulgarian hermit saint, Ivan Rilski, the monastery that was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century is an important cultural centre of Bulgaria.

          The monastery, with its combined painting of stone, wood and metal, was included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1983 and is a sight to behold. Spread over an area of about 8,800 square metres, the monastery is in the shape of an irregular quadrangle with richly decorated walls and impressive interiors. The diversity of religious scenes and the azure fretwork is something worth travelling to see.

          The President returns home on Friday after completing his first visit abroad since assuming office in July 2002. Kalam visited United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Bulgaria.

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