| Nine
killed, 50 injured in deadly explosions at two Jakarta hotels Jakarta:
At least nine people, including some foreigners, were killed and about 50
people were injured in two bomb blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital
Jakarta on Friday. Police said one explosion hit the Ritz-Carlton, ripping off
its facade, and the other the Marriott Hotel. A third blast went off almost three
hours later in the north of the city - no injuries have yet been reported. It
is not yet known who carried out the bomb attacks. The blasts occurred at about
7:30 a.m. local time Ambulances are on the scene and there is a heavy police presence,
says our correspondent. Unconfirmed reports say a New Zealander and a South Korean
were injured. Consular staff are trying to track their nationals, and Australia
issued a warning against unnecessary travel to Indonesia. The Manchester United
football team was due to arrive in Indonesia on Saturday and was booked to stay
at the Ritz-Carlton. The blasts may raise doubts about the team''s tour, PA news
agency reported. The two hotels are in Jakarta''s central business district, the
BBC reports. The explosions come two weeks after peaceful presidential elections
in Indonesia, which were won by incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Officials say they have no idea what caused the latest explosions. Church bombings
in 2000 killed 19 people. Bomb attacks on two nightclubs in Bali in October 2002
killed 202 people, most of them Australian. The Marriott Hotel was the target
of a bomb attack in August 2003 in which 13 people were killed. A bomb outside
the Australian embassy in Jakarta in 2004 killed nine people. Since then, a combination
of new laws, anti-terror training, international cooperation and reintegration
measures have kept Indonesia peaceful. Ratan
Tata presents Nano to first three customers Top Mumbai:
Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata presented the first Tata Nanos, the world’s cheapest
car, to three customers at a dealership in Prabhadevi in central Mumbai on Friday.
The keys of the three cars were delivered to Ashok Vichare, Ashish Balakrishnan
and A. Chandrashekaran. One of them said that he would be driving his historic
car to Mumbai''s Siddhivinayaka Temple. Tata Motors said that 100,000 Nano cars
would be delivered to customers at Rs.100, 000 each by March 2010. Analysts said
the delivery was a positive step, after a land dispute forced the firm off the
site of a factory in Singur, West Bengal, that it was building to produce the
cars, fuelling concerns about its ability to meet demand on time. Some 100,000
people were selected from a ballot to be the first recipients of the Nano, which
reviewers have compared to the European Smart car and the classic Volkswagen Beetle.
They include a roadside cobbler from Mumbai, who had been saving for seven years
to buy a two-wheeler, but decided to wait and upgrade to four wheels on hearing
that the vehicle would sell for just 100,000 rupees. Others among the 203,000
people who placed orders included an 82-year-old former assistant commissioner
of Mumbai police who used to ride a scooter and a market trader looking for an
investment for his 12-year-old son. Ratan Tata launched the Nano in March, predicting
the no-frills vehicle would revolutionise travel for millions of Indians, getting
the growing middle-class, urban population off motorcycles and into safer, affordable
cars. Three versions of the sporty, jellybean-shaped Nano went on sale in April:
the basic model and more expensive CX and LX versions, which have extra features
like air-conditioning, automatic windows and central locking. The standard model
sells for 140,000 rupees including tax in the showroom. The deluxe models cost
up to 185,000 rupees. Tata Motors'''' Pantnagar factory in Uttarakhand can produce
up to 50,000 Nanos every year. Pope
breaks his wrist, taken to hospital Top Rome:
Currently on a summer break, Pope Benedict XVI has broken his wrist and twisted
an ankle after slipping in the bathroom. Despite the agony, the Pope, 82, was
able to walk to the casualty department of the hospital after arriving with his
private secretary, Mgr Georg Ganswein on Friday. Vatican officials have said that
the incident was "not serious" and that the Pope was being checked purely as a
precaution and was having an X-ray on his wrist and ankle. "The Holy Father fell
over, it is nothing serious and he has gone to the Parini hospital in Aosta for
a check up, The Telegraph quoted Pope’s spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, as
saying. Every year, the Germany-born pontiff goes on a summer break in a chalet
at Les Combes near Aosta in the Italian Alps - a tradition begun by his predecessor
Pope John Paul II. Although it is not the first time he has slipped, this is the
first major health scare for Pope Benedict since he was elected leader of the
Roman Catholic Church in April 2005. Earlier this year at a ceremony he tripped
as he left the altar at the end of a service but he managed to right himself and
avoid falling to the floor. The Pope appears healthy and robust, and in five years
has never skipped a planned event for health reasons. In an interview, he had
said that being Pope is "really tiring" and in an interview with German television
he said he did not feel strong enough to take many long trips. However in the
last year alone he has been to Australia, Africa and the Middle East and later
this year he is due to visit the Czech Republic while there are also rumours of
a visit to Britain next year. When Pope John Paul II was in his later years and
clearly suffering from Parkinson''s disease, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
once suggested that there might come a time when popes have to retire. Manmohan
Singh returns home from NAM Summit Top New
Delhi: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, arrived here early on Friday
after attending the XVth Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh
in Egypt. A significant aspect of the visit was his nearly three hour meeting
with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the summit.
According to the joint communiqué issued after the meeting, Dr. Singh reiterated
the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, while Prime
Minister Gilani assured that Pakistan would do everything in its power in this
regard. Gilani said that Pakistan has provided an updated status dossier on the
investigations of the Mumbai attacks and had sought additional information/evidence.
Prime Minister Singh said that the dossier is being reviewed. It was agreed that
the two countries would de-link terror from the composite dialogue process and
that India would look into reports of it having a hand in fomenting trouble in
Baluchistan. No mention was made of Kashmir. According to the joint communiqué,
it was a cordial and constructive meeting that considered the entire gamut of
bilateral relations with a view to charting the way forward in India-Pakistan
relations. During his address at the summit, Dr. Singh, without directly naming
or targeting Pakistan, said that no nation should provide a safe haven to terrorists.
"Terrorists and those who aid and abet them must be brought to justice. The infrastructure
of terrorism must be dismantled and there should be no safe havens for terrorists
because they do not represent any cause, group or religion. It is time we agree
on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism," he said. Speaking about
climate change, Dr. Singh said: "We are already making our own significant contributions
in this regard, but climate change action must not perpetuate the poverty of developing
countries." Dwelling on other issues, Dr. Singh called on multilateral institutions
like the UN to include developing countries as members. In the final document
adopted at the end of the summit, the 118 NAM countries made clear their unanimous
positions on some hot-spot issues, including appealing for ending economic embargo
against Cuba, stopping Israeli settlement activities on Palestinian territories
and immediate restoration of the ousted Honduran president. During the two-day
summit, the grouping of pan-developing countries called for closer solidarity
among member states to address global threats and challenges and promote world
peace and development. Some NAM member states appealed for the construction of
a new international political, economic and trade system, which is more balanced
and equitable. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the summit, "It is abundantly
clear that no country -- regardless of size or resources -- can solve problems
alone. That raises the stakes and the space for the Non-Aligned Movement to shape
a better world. "The Non-Aligned Movement can impose some kind of international
balance and reactivate the role of the movement on the international level," said
Saeed el-Mashat, director of the Center for Political Research at faculty of political
and economic sciences in Cairo University. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul
Gheit said NAM could be a possible mechanism to improve Egyptian-Iranian relations,
which are lukewarm as Egypt opposes what it considers Iran''s interference in
the Arab affairs. It was also decided that Iran would host the XVIth NAM Summit
in 2012. Iran''s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Motaki thanked Egypt for suggesting
Iran as the venue of the next summit. Although the NAM groups 118 countries, representing
nearly two-thirds of the United Nations'' members, and comprises 55 percent of
the world population, the total amount of NAM members'' gross domestic product
(GDP) is still comparatively small. First
convoy of displaced Hindus, Sikhs returns to Swat Top Islamabad:
After spending arduous days in refugee camps, people belonging to Hindu and
Sikh communities have started returning to their homes in the Swat Valley. According
to The Daily Times, the first convoy of refugees consisting of several Hindus
and Sikhs, left for Swat from Hassanabdal on Thursday. Addressing a ceremony at
the Panja Sahib Gurdwara in Hassanabdal, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP) chairman
Syed Asif Hashmi vowed to protect the rights of minorities. "Today, I am very
happy to see the Hindu and Sikh Pakistanis displaced by the operation in the Malakand
Division returning to their homes," said Hashmi. He added that all possible facilities
would be provided to Sikh pilgrims in accordance with the President and the Prime
Minister's instructions. US
envoy designate Roemer meets Foreign Secretary Menon Top New
Delhi: US envoy-designate to India, Timothy Roemer, met Foreign Secretary
Shiv Shankar Menon at the South Block headquarters of the Ministry of External
Affairs. Sources described the meeting as a courtesy call by the would-be ambassador.
The two are said have briefly discussed bilateral issues relating to India and
the United States. Roemer arrived here last night following his confirmation by
the full Senate last week. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
on July 7, Ambassador-Designate Roemer said, "Our relationship with India is a
good news story. And while our relationship has gone through different stages,
we are certainly moving ahead on an upward trajectory. This is not a zero sum
game with winners and losers but a positive sum game-with India as a strong, stable
global democracy increasing peace and prosperity for all." Prior to President
Barack Obama's nominating him as Ambassador to India in May, Roemer was President
of the Center for National Policy (CNP), a moderate think-tank in Washington,
D.C. He represented the 3rd District of Indiana for six terms as a U.S. Congressman,
from 1991 to 2003. Roemer served as a member of the 9/11 Commission, as well as
the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Proliferation
and Terrorism. He also served on the Washington Institute for Near East Policy's
Presidential Task Force on Combating the Ideology of Radical Extremism, and the
National Parks Second Century Commission. As a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus
Center at George Mason University, Roemer worked with Members of Congress and
staff to improve public policy outcomes by teaching on the legislative branch
and policy analysis. Roemer holds a B.A. from the University of California, San
Diego and a M.A. and PhD. from the University of Notre Dame. Indo-Pak
relations to figure high during Clinton's India visit Top Washington:
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's maiden visit to India in her capacity
as America's top diplomat is being keenly observed by experts and analysts all
over. They believe that Indo-Pak ties would be a key topic of discussion on Clinton's
agenda during her talks with the Indian leadership. Clinton has expressed hope
that during her five-day visit to India, both countries would be 'cooperating
and working together across a broadest range of concerns. Analysts believe that
Clinton would reassure India about the White House's special relationship with
New Delhi. "There will be a strong symbolic component to this visit, with Clinton
reassuring India that President Obama wants to pursue the kind of special relationship
with India that former US president George Bush did," said Commodore Uday Bhaskar,
a New Delhi-based strategic analyst. "It's very important to reiterate these things
or people get antsy," added Bhaskar. The United States is also pushing for the
stalled peace talks between India and Pakistan to resume as soon as possible which
directly impacts on regional peace and stability. US ambassador designate to India
Timothy Roemer has also made it clear that he would work to improve relations
between India and Pakistan. The United States must also show that it is seriously
concerned about India's stand on terrorism, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
"If the relationship between the India and Pakistan comes up during Clinton's
visit, and if the US does not demonstrate that it takes the terrorist threat to
India seriously, there will have to be more agreeing to disagree, unfortunately,"
Commodore Bhaskar said. Sensor
loss would not affect lifespan of Chandrayan: ISRO Chairman Top Bangalore:
The failure of the star-sensor will not reduce the two-year lifespan of Chandrayan-I
spacecraft, G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
said here on Friday. He was speaking to the media after the report of loss of
sensors of Chandrayan in the media. It was reported that last month the prestigious
Chandrayan mission lost one of its vital sensors. Nair described this loss of
sensor as unfortunate. Nair said the mission has achieved more than 90 percent
of its objective, and there is no need to panic about the success of the mission.
ISRO launched its formidable Chandrayan I spacecraft from Satish Dhavan Space
Centre in Shriharikota Andhra Pradesh in October 2008. The star sensor, one of
the prime sensors, was used for determining the spacecraft's altitude, looking
at the stars, this sensor can determine the orientation of the moon spacecraft
accurately, Nair said. Nair informed the media the life period of the spacecraft
is not dependent only on the sensors. The sensor is used for orientation of the
spacecraft. He added that the lost sensor couldn't be recovered at this stage
and the remaining part Chandrayan would be completed with the help of gyromodes.
According to sources ISRO is using gyroscopes, electro-mechanical devices used
for Indian Remote Sensing (I R S) class of satellites, which gives the orientation
accuracy quite satisfactorily. Nair said the ISRO scientists has achieved more
than 90 per cent of the scientific and mission objectives in the last eight months
and the failure of sensors did not affect the research work. Madonna's
tour stage in France collapses, kills one Top London:
Queen of Pop Madonna had to cancel her Marseille, France concert after a stage
being built for her performance collapsed killing one and injuring six. The stage
at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille was being set up by technicians when the
partially built roof fell in, bringing down a crane, and killing a 53-year-old
French worker. When Madge heard of the mishap, she said she was devastated and
the concert that was to be held on July 19 was cancelled. "I am devastated to
have just received this tragic news," the BBC quoted her as saying in a statement
released by organisers of the concert. "My prayers go out to those who were injured
and their families, along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this
heartbreaking news," she added. The 60,000-seater Velodrome is France's second-biggest
sports arena and home to the Olympique de Marseille football club. Fire-fighters
said the accident occurred when the roof of the stage became unbalanced as it
was being lifted by four cranes, toppling one of the cranes which crashed on to
the structure below. City sports official Richard Miron said, about 50 people
from a range of nationalities were working to set up the structure, and up to
a dozen people are believed to have been underneath the stage when the accident
occurred. |
