Day 1: 40,559 forms sold

New Delhi, May 28 — The admission process for undergraduate courses to Delhi University colleges kicked off on Friday with a whopping 40,559 forms being sold on day one. In comparison, the varsity had sold only 27,610 forms on day one last year.

The Faculty of Arts in the North Campus sold the highest number of forms at 5,400 and Kirori Mal College was next with 4,500. Students thronged the 16 centres across the city to collect the common admission forms for the 54,000 seats .

Some of the counters were opened before the scheduled time due to the long queues. “A lot of students came early to collect the forms, so we opened the counter at Dean Students’ Welfare at 9.20 am even though it was supposed to open at 10 am,” said Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, Deputy Dean, Students’ Welfare.

Though the form sale was officially supposed to end at 1 pm, counters were re-opened after 3 pm. “Students had come from far-off areas and would have to return without the forms, so we decided to re-open,” said Tuteja.

Accompanied by parents, siblings and friends, students collected and some even submitted the forms. The number of forms submitted this year on day one was 1,416 as compared to 800 last year.

“I submitted the form today itself. The form is simple and the DU booklet is also very helpful,” said Jyoti Shokeen, an applicant.

The cool weather too helped in the huge sale of forms. The day temperatures in the Capital reached a maximum of 37.7deg Celsius, which was three degree below normal.

Many out station students and their parents who came to collect their forms seemed worried about the unavailability of hostels till the Commonwealth Games.

Shera plays host, eases anxieties of applicants

New Delhi, May 28 — Students who went to collect the application forms on day one of the Delhi University’s admission form sale at the Faculty of Arts centre were in for a surprise as they were greeted by Shera – the mascot of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. As part of the promotion of the CWG, the organising committee will conduct a quiz competition based on the commonwealth games and the mascot, Shera, will try to lighten the atmosphere through out the form sale period, May 28 to June 11, said CWG officials.

“We want to relieve the students of the pressure they are under and create a friendly atmosphere. Simultaneously, we also want to create awareness about Shera and the games.

Though most students of Delhi know about the games, those outside Delhi are not really aware of it so we are trying to familiarise them,” said an Assistant Project Officer of the organising committee. Students took a break from the form-filling process and participated in the quiz contest.

Questions such as “When and when were the first CWG held?” and “What are the two colours of CWG?” were answered by students. One lucky student would be awarded each day with a goodie bag.

Aimed at humouring the students, Shera, entertained some of them as they posed and clicked pictures with the mascot of the CWG. But some of them were not amused at all.

SC gives green signal for private universities admissions

New Delhi, May 6 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed 44 private deemed universities, which the Centre is trying to shut down, to go ahead with the admission process for the upcoming academic year.

Rejecting the Government”s request to put a pause on the admission process of these universities for the coming academic session, the apex court said, as the Government has not yet taken any decision on the future of these universities, and therefore, it could not stop admissions.

In a report submitted to the apex court in January, the Union Government said that these 44 private deemed universities were found to be below standard, and were functioning as “family fiefdoms.”

The universities, whose future is at stake, have challenged the Government”s decision of their academic standards, pointing out that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has given many of them positive reviews.

Deemed universities are allowed to function with complete autonomy on their syllabus, and fees.

The government believes that many of these universities charge exorbitant rates, accept too many students, and ignore reservation policies.

Over two lakh students are in a state of panic about their future should the universities be derecognised.

The Court, however, has reassured them that it will not allow such action without due consideration.

The Government also said that students at affected colleges would get certificates and degrees from state universities of their particular region. (ANI)

Kashmiri girls take up taekwondo for self-defence

Srinagar, Mar 30 (ANI): Women in the Kashmir region are learning martial arts for self-defence and also to stay physically fit.

At a training centre conducted by Syed Shujat in Srinagar, nearly 100 girls from different schools are actively learning taekwondo.

The taekwondo trainees feel that the martial art would help them build their stamina and enhance their abilities to defend themselves.

“It”s important because it helps us in our protection. It builds our stamina and in many other aspects. If we see, it has a bright future. Doing MBBS, engineering is not enough, sports also plays a vital role in our day-to-day life. Yes, I would say in Kashmir it”s very important. We just think what is the use of these games… but no! It is very important,” said Saima Qayoom, a taekwondo trainee.

Initially, most conservative Kashmiri families were reluctant to let their girls participate in a sporting activity on account of it appearing manly.

However, on realising the assets of this martial art, they relented and permitted their daughters to train in the art.

Syed Shujat, who imparts training in taekwondo, feels that the sport would gain more popularity if more girls would take to it.

“Girls of our state should learn taekwondo as it will help them in their future. Some girls come to us to get their taekwondo certificates, which will help them during admission in universities. But I want them to come without any such reasons and learn it so that the sport gains popularity,” said Shujat. (ANI)

Tiger Woods’ wife ‘wearing chastity belt made of spikes”

Washington, March 23 (ANI): Tiger Woods’ wife Elin Nordegren was said to be wearing “a chastity belt made of spikes” as the pair continue to sleep in separate rooms under the same roof.

Nordegren, who has not broken her silence since Woods’ car crash and infidelity admission, keeps her ways separate when she is in their Windemere home, according to source who spoke to People magazine.

“She wears a chastity belt made of spikes. They are not living together as a couple. They are putting on a charade for the children,” Fox News quoted the pal as saying.

The source added: “Elin is going through the motions of family life only to keep the children well grounded.”

The mum-of-two is also expected to stay away from the golf course when Woods makes his comeback.

The insider said: “Elin wants to stay away from Augusta and not get involved in the frenzy of the Masters.” (ANI)

Deputy regrets pulp mill intervention

Tasmanian’s Deputy Premier has told a public meeting Labor is still feeling the effects of intervening in the Gunns pulp mill approval process.

Speaking about the Ralphs Bay canal estate development at a forum in Lauderdale last night, Lara Giddings, said the government would not intervene in that project’s planning process.

“We will not intervene in the independent planning process because that’s exactly what we did do with the pulp mill and we are still feeling the ramifications of that today,” she said.

Her comments come just days after the Premier David Bartlett said he would support an inquiry into the mill process.

There are now calls for the government to withdraw its approval for the mill.

Paul Oosting from the Wilderness Society says it is the first time Labor has admitted it intervened.

“What we need to see because of the admission form Lara Giddings is the withdrawal of the approval for Gunns proposed pulp mill,” he said.

Punjab youth admitted to NDA will get Rs.1 lakh

Chandigarh, March 16 (IANS) Alarmed by the depleting numbers of Punjab youth opting for the armed forces, the state government Tuesday announced an incentive of Rs.1 lakh to each of those who get admitted to the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal announced the incentives in his budget speech in the state assembly.

‘To encourage the coming generation to join the armed forces, the state proposes to introduce an incentive scheme, of awarding Rs.1 lakh to youth from Punjab getting admission to the IMA and the NDA,’ Badal said.

‘We want our youth to join the armed forces and serve the nation,’ Badal told the house while voicing his concern at the decreasing number of youth from the state opting for a career in the defence side.

The finance minister also announced incentives for ex-servicemen, war widows, disabled soldiers and others.

Father made daughters pregnant 18 times

British child protection agencies have formally apologised to two women who were repeatedly raped and violently abused by their father, bearing him seven children over 25 years.

The admission was made during the publication of an executive summary into a review of the case, which acknowledged the family had had contact with 28 different public agencies and 100 members of staff over 35 years.

No-one has been sacked or disciplined for the catalogue of errors, the multiple agencies involved said at a joint press conference in Derby.

The 56-year-old father, from Sheffield, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is serving a life sentence for repeatedly raping his daughters, whom he made pregnant a total of 18 times. He was jailed in 2008.

The man, whose crimes have been likened to those of the Austrian rapist Josef Fritzl, fathered seven children with the women. Two of the children are severely disabled.

The review heard how he moved his family 67 times to keep his crimes secret.

In November, Sheffield Crown Court heard the abuse started when the daughters were aged between eight and 10.

If they refused their father’s advances, they were badly beaten and sometimes held to the flames of a gas fire.

Sheffield and Lincolnshire’s safeguarding children boards apologised unreservedly for failing to help the two women, insisting lessons had been learned and systems changed.

“We want to apologise to the family at the heart of this case. It will be clear that we failed this family,” said Sue Fiennes, independent chair of Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board.

“This report will not make comfortable reading for any of the organisations concerned with the family. We are all committed to working relentlessly to do all we can to minimise the risk of this happening again and indeed we have taken action.”

The numerous agencies involved said they were all to blame.

“No individual has been dismissed, or disciplined, or sacked. We failed this family because of an accumulation of acts that lead to a collective failure,” said Chris Cook, the independent chair of Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board.

“We are genuinely sorry. We should have protected you.”

Changes in humidity, temperature may trigger asthma among kids

Washington, September 15 (ANI): Changes in humidity and temperature may trigger asthma among kids, suggests a report.

Published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the report says that such weather changes have been found to result in a rise in Emergency Department (ED) visits for paediatric asthma exacerbations.

“We found a strong relationship between temperature and humidity fluctuations with pediatric asthma exacerbations, but not barometric pressure,” said Dr. Nana A. Mireku, an allergist at Dallas Allergy Immunology private practice in Dallas, formerly at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrated these correlations after controlling for levels of airborne pollutants and common aeroallergens.

“Our study is also one of the few to examine the possibility that the weather one or two days before the asthma exacerbation may be as important as that on the day of admission, as the additional ED visits occur one to two days after the fluctuation,” she added.

The authors of the report write that patients experiencing an asthma attack often complain that weather fluctuations are a major trigger.

Dr. Mireku said: “the latest National Institutes of Health guidelines list ‘change in weather’ as a possible precipitating factor for asthma, but no previous studies have really examined this potential trigger in a rigorous fashion.”

According to the report, the retrospective 2-year study was performed at a large urban hospital of 25,401 children visiting the ED for an asthma exacerbation.

The researchers collected data on climactic factors, pollutants and aeroallergens on a daily basis.

They used time series analysis to evaluate the relationship of daily or between-day changes in climactic factors and asthma ED visits, controlling for seasonality, air pollution and aeroallergen exposure.

The effects of climactic factors were evaluated on the day of admission and up to five days before admission.

The researchers found that a 10 percent daily increase in humidity on a day or two before admission was associated with approximately one additional ED visit for asthma.

The authors write that between-day changes in humidity from two to three days prior to admission were also associated with more ED visits.

Daily changes in temperature on the day of or the day before admission increased ED visits, with a 10 degree F increase being association with 1.8 additional visits.

“Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood. Allergists have long known that weather conditions such as extremely dry, wet or windy weather can affect asthma symptoms. This study further defines the role of temperature and humidity on children’s asthma and confirms the importance of working with patients to identify the source of their symptoms and develop treatment plans that help prevent them,” said allergist Richard G. Gower, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). (ANI)

Tharoor says US should monitor Pak aid in wake of Musharraf’s admission

New Delhi, Sep.14 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Monday said he was not surprised by former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s admission that the military aid the U.S. gave to Pakistan was used to strengthen defences against India rather than fighting the war on terror on Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters outside his South Block office, Tharoor said: “We know Pakistan has been misusing US aid for years. I am not surprised by former President Musharraf’s statement. This confirms India’s stand on the misuse of aid. The United States should monitor aid given to Pakistan more carefully.”

Tharoor’s response came after Gen.(Retd.) Musharraf admitted that he had violated the rules governing the use of the military aid, but justified his action, saying he had “acted in the best interest of Pakistan.”

He did not want to compromise on Pakistan’s interests, he said.

In an interview to a news channel, he said he “did not care” whether the U.S. would be angered by his disclosure.

Musharraf said that had he not supported the U.S. in the war on terror after the September, 2001 attacks, American forces could have entered Pakistan to capture its nuclear assets; it was also possible that the U.S. and India could have jointly attacked the country. (ANI)

Absence of teachers keeps literacy rate low in Bihar

Patna, Sep 8 (ANI): Even as the world’s observing ‘International Literacy Day’ on Tuesday, Bihar continues to suffer from rampant illiteracy.

Despite the government’s repeated efforts to improve standards of teaching, schools are grappling with a lack of teaching staff and creaking infrastructure.

“We want to increase the number of students in our school, but this is only possible if there are more teachers. We want accommodate 2000 students in the school but we are not able to give admission to the students who come here as there are no teachers and no place to sit,” said Kamlesh Kumar, a teacher.

He added that their school has appealed to the authorities to take a notice of their condition.

The parents prefer keeping their kids at home. They feel that their kids are better at home playing.

“We don’t send our kids to the school because there are no teachers and if there are no teachers what will our kids study in school. That is why the children go to school, play for sometime and come back as there is no one to look after them in the school. Hence, my kids don’t go to the school and play on the streets,” said Mohammad Sarfuddin, a slum dweller.

The eradication of illiteracy has been one of the major programmes of successive Indian governments since independence.

The National Literacy Mission, launched in 1988 by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government, has greatly helped in increasing the rate of literacy in the country. Besides the universalisation of primary education, steps were taken to promote adult literacy. (ANI)

Govt makes Class X CBSE exams optional from 2010-11

New Delhi, Sep.7 (ANI): In a significant step aimed at reforming the educational system in India, the Central Government on Monday announced the Standard X examinations, held under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will become optional from the 2010-11 session.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told a press conference here that the Class X examination will become optional from the 2010-11 session.

The students will be able to take exams on demand after the board is abolished, he added.

“The schools can also conduct exams if the students want to switch over to different schools to get a admission in class XI,” Sibal said. ibal said the CBSE Class X exam system will be abolished from 2010-11 but the current batch (2009-10) of students will have their exams on schedule.

The grading system will replace the current system in the ongoing 2009-10 and the students of the current batch will get only grades not marks, said Sibal.

The government has introduced the grading system to reduce the pressure on students, the minister said. (ANI)

Oil, trade was big part of Lockerbie bombers release deal, admits Straw

London, Sep 5 (ANI): Britain’s Justice secretary Jack Straw has admitted for the first time that trade and oil deals with Libya played a very big part in the handling of the Lockerbie bomber’s case.

He said trade was a major influence on his decision to include Abdelbaset Al Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya signed two years ago, just as BP was seeking a multi-billion pound deal there.

In January 2008, Libya ratified a $900 million (£551 million) oil deal with BP.

When asked in the interview if trade and BP were factors, Straw admits: “Yes, (it was) a very big part of that. I’m unapologetic about that… Libya was a rogue state.

“We wanted to bring it back into the fold. And yes, that included trade because trade is an essential part of it and subsequently there was the BP deal.”

The admission directly contradicts Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s insistence only days ago that oil deals were not a factor in Megrahi’s release, The Telegraph reports.

Straw also suggested that Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, released the terminally ill bomber on compassionate grounds earlier than the British Government would have done.

Brown has been accused of putting Britain’s trade interests before justice for the Lockerbie victims.

Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, was freed last month by Scotland on compassionate grounds after it was said he was only months from death. Last night it emerged he has been moved out of intensive care.

Straw also claims that Brown had nothing to do with his change of heart over the prisoner transfer agreement, adding: “I certainly didn’t talk to the PM. There is no paper trail to suggest he was involved at all.”

A spokesman for BP said the company had raised concerns with the Government about the slow progress in concluding the PTA, but denied mentioning Megrahi. (ANI)

’5,000 Malay-Indian kids have not attended school’

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 4 (ANI): Malaysian Human Rights Commissioner N. Siva Subramaniam has said that almost 5,000 children from the Malay Indian community have not attended school.

Subramaniam counted poverty and lack of birth certificates as the prime reasons for this problem, saying birth certificates were is necessary for children’s admission into schools.

The Star Online quoted Siva as saying that only 39 percent of Malay Indian children attended kindergarten.

“The commission has found that children who attended kindergarten classes can cope with their studies in primary school while those who did not are lagging behind,” he said. (ANI)

HIV+ kid, his siblings denied admission to a school

Allahabad (UP), Aug 28 (ANI): An eight-year-old child and his siblings carrying HIV positive virus were denied admission to a school in Belamundi, roughly 50 km from here.

Along with him, two of his siblings were also refused admission.

According to the school’s principal, he was forced by parents of other children studying in same school to dismiss them.

“Villagers were very much afraid of the HIV positive child and his siblings studying in the school. They were worried that their children too will get affected. So they built up pressure on us and asked us to dismiss them from school,” said Raghvendra Nath Tripathi, principal.

The plight of the three children does not end here. Their parents died of AIDS a few years ago and now they are staying with their uncle, who has little means to raise them.

“School authorities send away all three children from school and disallowed their entry inside the school. Children are now staying at home only. We are afraid if we try to send them again they might get furious and fight,” said Dharam Narayan Panda, child’s uncle.

This incident exposes the tall claims of the state and the Central Government that they are helping AIDS patients. By Virendra Pathak (ANI)

Reservation for students in National Institute of Technology in Tripura

New Delhi, Aug 27 (ANI): The Union Cabinet today approved the implementation of reservation for students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to the National Institute of Technology in Jirania in Tripura.

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 (CEI Act, 2006) was notified on January 4, 2007. Section 3 of the CEI Act, 2006 provides for reservation of seats in Central Educational Institutions, according to which, 15 per cent seats are reserved for the SC 7.5 per cent for the ST and 27 per cent for the OBC.

Section 4 (a) of the CEI Act, 2006 provides that the provisions of Section 3 of the Act shall not apply to a Central Educational Institution established in the tribal areas referred to in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

The National Institute of Technology (NIT) located at Jirania in the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council, Agartala was unable to extend the benefit of reservation to students belonging to OBC category in view of the non-applicability of the CEI Act, under Section 4 (a).

Several writ petitions were filed in Guwahati High Court, Agartala and High Court, New Delhi challenging applicability of reservation of the SCs and STs in NIT, Agartala while not extending the benefit of reservation to OBCs.

There was a popular demand from political parties and public representatives that the benefits of reservation for OBC should be extended to NIT Agartala in view of the substantial population of OBCs in the State.

A notification was issued with the approval of the President under Paragraph 12AA(c) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India on 13.7.2009 to the effect that provisions of Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act shall apply to Jirania in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council in respect of Central Educational Institutions situated therein namely NIT, Agartala subject to modifications of Section 3, 4 and 6 of the CEI Act, 2006.

It benefits Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other socially and educationally Backward Classes of students. (ANI)

Swine flu death toll in Nashik rises to 6

Nashik, Aug 27 (ANI): Two more swine flu death was reported in Nashik, taking the city toll to 6.

Purva Amol Joshi, 23, who was pregnant, died at the Nashik Civil Hospital. eepali Shinde, 20, died at Municipal Corporation’s Dr. Zakir Hussain Hospital.

According to the National Institute of Virology reports, both tested positive for H1N1 virus.

Earlier, four persons, including a doctor, had died in the civil hospital due to the viral disease.

On Wednesday, Shabana Shaikh, a middle-aged woman, died at the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune. he had been put on ventilator since her admission to the Hospital on August 22.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging people around the world to brace themselves for a second wave of the swine flu pandemic as the heavily populated northern hemisphere edges towards the cooler season when flu thrives. (ANI)

Swine flu death toll in Pune rises to 25

Pune, Aug 26 (ANI): One more swine flu death was reported in Pune on Wednesday, taking the city toll to 25.

Shabana Shaikh, a middle-aged woman, died here at the Sassoon General Hospital.

She had been put on ventilator since her admission to the Hospital on August 22.

On Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman died at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, taking the city toll to three and national toll to 76.

Usha Jain, a resident of Faridabad, was admitted to the hospital on August 21 with symptoms of fever, breathlessness and joint pain.

Immediately after being admitted, she was shifted to the ICU and put on a ventilator.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging people around the world to brace themselves for a second wave of the swine flu pandemic as the heavily populated northern hemisphere edges towards the cooler season when flu thrives. (ANI)

Top Canadian universities to tour India

New Delhi, Aug.24 (ANI): Thirteen of Canada’s elite universities will be in India from August 23 to September 4 to hold information sessions on Canada as a destination for higher education.

The delegation is led by Ginette Sanfaçon of HEC Montréal (Business school affiliated with the Université de Montréal) and Michelle Beaton of Ryerson University in Toronto.

The tour is organized by the Canadian Higher Education Committee under the aegis of the Council of International Schools (CIS).

The Council’s fifth annual tour to India will begin in Mumbai and continue in Pune, Delhi and Bangalore.

According to a Canadian High Commission press release, the tour is of special interest to Standard XI and Standard XII students who exhibit strong academic standing, their school guidance counselors as well as to their parents. The schedule includes school visits, information fairs, and an indepth Canadian university admission workshop for guidance counselors.

“India is a key undergraduate student market for Canadian universities,” said Ginette Sanfaçon of HEC-Montréal and Tour Director. “Indian students are sought for their academic strength and their rich contribution to student life on Canadian university campuses. In turn, increasing numbers of Indian students are making Canada their first choice for study – as evidenced on this tour.

Indian students are drawn to our universities’ common attributes of international reputation for academic excellence, state of the art resources, and safe campuses in welcoming locations,” Sanfaçon said.

Each year, tour organizers strengthen existing relationships with secondary schools in cities they visit and also expand outreach to new regions. For example, guidance counselors from schools in Dehra Dun, Hyderabad, Chennai and Chandigarh as well as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are receiving invitations to attend the Tour’s counselor workshop in Delhi.

List of participating universities:

The University of British Columbia; Carleton University; Dalhousie University; HEC MONTRÉAL (Business School affiliated with Université de Montréal); Memorial University of Newfoundland; University of Manitoba; University of New Brunswick; Ryerson University; University of Saskatchewan; University of Toronto; Vancouver Island University; University of Waterloo; York University.

Canadian universities are engaged internationally as leaders in education through teaching, research and partnerships. Undergraduate education in Canada is a hybrid of US and UK styles offering breadth of program options, flexibility in choice and a degree that is ultimately recognized world-wide.

Indian students choose Canada because a strong education and a positive international experience is the foundation for their exciting and successful futures. The quality, affordability and renowned research opportunities are key factors in this decision. University campuses across Canada offer multicultural environments, beautiful spaces and friendly people. As a leader in business, political diplomacy, arts and culture and technology – Canada’s education system is at the core of its success and its graduates are players on the world stage. (ANI)

Brit weapons may have been used against Lanka Tamils, says report

London, Aug.19 (ANI): A report prepared by the Commons Committee on Arms Export Controls has revealed that British weapons may have been used against Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, and now, this is prompting calls for a review of the arms trade.

According to The Times, the committee has argued that all existing licenses to Sri Lanka should be investigated.

Members of Parliament on the committee specifically want to know which British arms the Sri Lankan forces used in this year’s final offensive against the Tamil Tigers, in which an estimated 20,000 civilians died.

Concerns about arms exports were heightened by the Government’s admission this year that British components were “almost certainly” used by Israeli forces during the Gaza offensive, in which up to 1,400 Palestinians died, many of them civilians.

The committee says that while the situation in Sri Lanka made it “impossible” to know how British weapons were deployed, there were legitimate concerns that they may have been used against civilians.

Britain approved the sale of over 13.6 million pounds of weapons and military equipment to Sri Lanka during the last three years of its civil war, including armoured vehicles, machinegun components, semiautomatic pistols and ammunition.

In the last quarter of 2008 Britain approved 21 licenses for more than 1.3 million pounds of supplies and declined two that were deemed to violate EU rules on such sales.

Britain is legally bound by the European Union code of conduct on arms transfers, which restricts the arms trade to countries facing internal conflicts or with poor human rights records and a history of violating international law. The code focuses not on the lethal potential of the weapon but on its end use.

The MPs have rejected the Gordon Brown Government’s claim that it could not have anticipated the civilian toll in Sri Lanka, noting the dramatic increase of hostilities after the collapse of the ceasefire in 2006. (ANI)