Shiv Sena-BJP alliance confident of victory in Maharashtra assembly polls

Mumbai, Sep 19(ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena on Saturday expressed confidence about emerging victorious in the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

“It is 45 years since Shiv Sena came into being. And this first day of Navaratri happens to be a red-letter day in the history of Shiv Sena that has crusaded for the cause of Samyukta (unified) Maharashtra. Considering all these aspects, I feel it is an auspicious timing (of) declaring the seat arrangement and we are confident of our combine emerging victorious,” said Uddhav Thackeray, Executive President of Shiv Sena party.

Leaders of both the parties confirmed that there was no bargaining for seats between the two allies.

“Today, is the first day of Dussera and we have arrived at the figures of seat sharing. Yes, it is 169 and 119. The 169 in favour of Shiv Sena and 119 for BJP and it will be interesting to note that both the figures end in 9, a lucky number; 169 and 119. And now onwards we will work on joint strategy. There is no clash of interests and now onwards we will devote to the selection of suitable candidates,” said Gopinath Munde, senior BJP leader.

In the 2004 elections, Shiv Sena had contested for 171 seats while BJP had contested for 117 and jointly they had bagged 119 seats in the legislative house of 289 members.

The alliance of Congress and regional National Congress Party (NCP) had emerged victorious in the 2004 polls. (ANI)

US accepts Iranian offer to hold discussions

Washington, Sep. 11 (ANI): The United States has accepted Iran’s proposal to hold talks, despite the Islamic republic announcing that it would not bring its future nuclear programs on the discussions table.

The decision to engage directly with Iran would put a senior representative of the Obama administration at the bargaining table, along with emissaries from five other nations, for the first time since Obama took office, the New York Times reports.

The decision is bound to raise protests from conservatives and human rights groups.

Earlier on Friday, senior administration officials said that their expectations from the talks were extremely low.

“We’ll be looking to see if they are willing to engage seriously on these issues. If we have talks, we will plan to bring up the nuclear issue,” paper quoted US State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley, as saying.

They added that the United States could make a case for imposing far stronger sanctions on Iran if diplomatic engagements fail.

Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany are going to be present on the discussion table, who in the past have negotiated with Iran even without the presence of an American representative.

Iran made its offer to meet in a five-page letter delivered to several nations on Wednesday.

But the letter said nothing about Iran’s nuclear program. However, this week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed never to halt the fuel production.

Within less than 48 hours the Obama administration said they would consider the offer to meet.

Even though it is unclear who will represent the US on the discussion table, but most probably William J. Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs, will lead America.

Earlier, Burns was quoted as saying that the Obama administration had begun preparing sanctions against Iran, so that it would be ready to implement them at the end of the year. (ANI)

US accepts Iranian offer to hold discussions

Washington, Sep. 11 (ANI): The United States has accepted Iran’s proposal to hold talks, despite the Islamic republic announcing that it would not bring its future nuclear programs on the discussions table.

The decision to engage directly with Iran would put a senior representative of the Obama administration at the bargaining table, along with emissaries from five other nations, for the first time since Obama took office, the New York Times reports.

The decision is bound to raise protests from conservatives and human rights groups.

Earlier on Friday, senior administration officials said that their expectations from the talks were extremely low.

“We’ll be looking to see if they are willing to engage seriously on these issues. If we have talks, we will plan to bring up the nuclear issue,” paper quoted US State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley, as saying.

They added that the United States could make a case for imposing far stronger sanctions on Iran if diplomatic engagements fail.

Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany are going to be present on the discussion table, who in the past have negotiated with Iran even without the presence of an American representative.

Iran made its offer to meet in a five-page letter delivered to several nations on Wednesday.

But the letter said nothing about Iran’s nuclear program. However, this week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed never to halt the fuel production.

Within less than 48 hours the Obama administration said they would consider the offer to meet.

Even though it is unclear who will represent the US on the discussion table, but most probably William J. Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs, will lead America.

Earlier, Burns was quoted as saying that the Obama administration had begun preparing sanctions against Iran, so that it would be ready to implement them at the end of the year. (ANI)

Now, Oz mining giant Rio Tinto accused of bribing executives of 16 Chinese steel mills

Beijing, July 15 (ANI): The staff of Australian miner Rio Tinto bribed executives from all 16 Chinese steel mills participating in this year’s iron ore price talks, an industry insider has disclosed.

“Rio Tinto got to know the key executives of the 16 steel mills, who have sensitive industry information, when the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) brought them to the bargaining table,” China Daily quoted a senior manager at a large steel company, as saying.

“And then Rio Tinto bribed them (to get access to industry data), which has become an unwritten industry practice. If companies didn’t accept, they would have cut supplies and so the whole steel industry has been bribed,” he added.

The shocking revelation comes amid reports that the Chinese Government is planning to cancel 20 iron ore import licenses to regulate the chaotic ore import business, and investigate an alleged business espionage linked to the world’s second-largest iron ore miner, Rio Tinto.

“It is very likely for CISA to cancel about 20 iron ore import licenses held by steel makers and trading companies, with a focus on trading companies,” a source said.

Executives from five leading domestic steel makers and officials from the industry association are under investigation following last week’s detention of four employees of Rio Tinto’s China operation, including Australian-origin Stern Hu.

Another industry insider said: “There are about 1,200 steel mills in China. Most small- and medium-sized mills without import licenses have to buy ore from big ones with licenses.

“Therefore, some big mills don’t care about the ore prices because they could transfer the increasing cost to small- and medium-sized ones. Meanwhile, those small- and medium-sized steel mills are forced to sign contracts with global miners privately,” he added.

And, Hu Kai, an analyst with Umetal, a steel consulting firm, said: “Because of their own interest and intense competition among various steel makers in China, it’s unlikely for them to present a united front when bargaining with overseas ore providers.” (ANI)

Congress, DMK close to ending cabinet berth deadlock

New Delhi, May 21 (ANI): The Indian National Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which is in power in Tamil Nadu, have reportedly arrived at a formula that could end the deadlock over who from the latter party will make it to the Union Cabinet.

According to sources, the Congress and the DMK have reached an understanding on two Cabinet rank ministers, one Minister of State (with Independent charge), and three Ministers of State.

However, sources say that the DMK is still jostling for a third full Cabinet rank post, which the Congress is reluctant to hand out.

The Congress negotiation team, which comprises Pranab Mukherjee, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel is likely to meet the DMK leadership at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi in a short while from now for a third round of talks to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, given the deadlock over government formation, which has led to a cancellation of a morning meeting between President Pratibha Devising Patil and the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Congress think tank is reportedly seriously considering the re-inclusion of former Railway Minister Lalu Yadav in the Cabinet in move designed to send out a firm message to UPA allies not to overstep their bargaining positions.

Lalu, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party did not fare well in this year’s general elections, has offered unconditional outside support to the Congress-led UPA.

Earlier in an interview to the Aaj Tak television channel, Lalu said that no one should write him off politically despite the electoral results. Saying that this was not the first time that he had bitten the political dust, he warned that he would come back politically stronger, and therefore, his rivals should not underestimate him.

When asked whether relations with the Congress and more specifically the Gandhi family had deteriorated, Lalu said that ties with the family and the party were just fine, and added that in politics, ups and downs take place.

He also expressed confidence about becoming the country’s Prime Minister one-day. (ANI)

Mamata Banerjee ready to support, work with UPA

Kolkata, May 17 (ANI): Refusing to indulge in political bargaining, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that she is ready to support the new United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre.

“The Trinamool Congress will support and work with the Congress-led government at the Centre. We are not in favour of political bargaining. Even when I became the railway minister during the NDA regime, I did not care for it. I hate bargaining,” Banerjee said at a press conference here.

Banerjee further said that she was happy that the Congress would not have to take the support of the Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPM).

Banerjee, whose party won 19 Lok Sabha seats, said she wanted stability, development, people’s security, a solution to unemployment and electricity crisis.

When asked that RJD chief Lalu Prasad was also seeking the Railway ministry, Banerjee said it was of no consequence to her.

“Let the government work for five years,” she added. (ANI)

US may ask Pak for concessions on Indo-Afghan trade issue during trilateral talks

Islamabad, May 5 (ANI): The forthcoming trilateral talks between the US President Barack Obama and his Pakistan and Afghanistan counterparts may see the United States mounting pressure on Islamabad to allow India extend its business ties with Afghanistan through the Wagah border.

“The US, which is eying a dominant role for India in the region, wants Pakistan to provide overland trade route for Indian exports to Afghanistan,” the Dawn quoted a diplomatic source, as saying.

Sources said the Obama Administration may also ask Pakistan to shift its focus from the eastern Indian border and redeploy much of its 250, 000 troops to the western border along Afghanistan to check the Taliban and Al-Qaeda spillover.

Off late, Washington has made it clear to Islamabad that its ‘obsession’ with India as a mortal threat is misguided.

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already clarified that the trilateral summit would see discussions on specific topics which America believes are of more important than some other issues.

“We’ll have some very intense sessions on the specifics of what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s a very difficult environment because of the confusion among the civilian and military leadership’ about how to prioritise what is the greatest threat to Pakistan,” Clinton had said.

However, it is believed that Pakistan is also prepared to take on the issue with the United States and would stand firm on its stance.

“It is very significant for Pakistan. Traditionally it was our bargaining chip for the Indians to move on Kashmir. Now they want us to do something without any movement, and are browbeating us,” a Pakistan official said.

India and Afghanistan have been urging Pakistan to provide a free passage to the traders through the Wagah border since 2003-0, but Islamabad has been continuously rejecting the demands. (ANI)

Final assault against LTTE chief Prabhakaran begins

Colombo, Apr.21 (ANI): The Sri Lankan Army has begun its final assault on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Puthumattalam on Tuesday after Army’s deadline for surrender of LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran ended at noon.

Puthumattalam is the last LTTE sand bund to be captured by Sri Lanka Army.

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Gotbaya Rajapakse categorically said today the Prabhakaran will now have to surrender or perish.

“If he surrenders it is good, otherwise, he can commit suicide. If he tries to fight, he will perish. If he surrenders we will take him in custody. We will have a genuine trail, he said.

Rajapakse also said that New Delhi is being kept informed about the military offensive on the Tamil Tigers.

“We have kept Indian government in brief. In a daily basis we have very good relations between the National Security Advisor (M.K.Narayanan) and Foreign secretary (Shiv Shankar Menon) and I constantly speak to them,” he said.

“I appeal to other countries especially Western and international community that we can solve our own problems. Don’t put hands in our internal problem and they have no rights to do that. Let them mind their own business,” Rajapakse said.

The spokesman for the military, Brigadier Udayan Nanayakkara, said: “The onus is on Prabhakaran to avert mass murder. There is no question of mercy for Prabhakaran. We are being very careful. Our main concern is to free civilians.”

The Tamil Tiger Chief now has fewer options before him. He can seek an amnesty deal with the Sri Lankan Government or use Sri Lankan hostages as a bargaining chip with government. In an extreme step, he may flee to India or to other foreign countries, or may surrender before the International Court of Justice.
Prabhakaran and his forces have been locked in a major offensive with the Sri Lankan Army for more than six months and lives of civilians being used as human shields by the Tamil Tigers have also been lost in the crossfire.

Monday saw a mass exodus of about 35,000 Tamil civilians fleeing the no-fire zones, a move looked upon by the country’s govt as a sign of rebellion and thus signalling the LTTE’s end.
the Indian government is in constant touch with their Sri Lankan counterparts to resolve the crisis.

The Sri Lankan envoy to India Jaisinghe is keeping New Delhi in the loop about the ground situation in Sri Lanka and India’s envoy to Sri Lanka Alok Prasad is in touch with New Delhi briefing the Foreign Ministry on the ground situation. (ANI)

North, South Korea to hold first talks in over a year

London, Apr.21 (ANI): North and South Korea are preparing to hold their first official talks for over a year, amid rising cross-border and regional tensions.
A team headed by an official from Seoul’s unification ministry crossed the heavily fortified border for the meeting at a joint industrial estate just north of the frontier, reports The Telegraph.

Tuesday’s meeting comes amid icy cross-border relations and threats from Pyongyang’s military.

The North is furious with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, who has abandoned a policy of providing almost unconditional aid to the communist state.

Regional tensions are also rising after the North’s purported satellite launch on April 5, widely seen overseas as a disguised missile test.

The North, angry at UN censure of the launch, has announced it is quitting nuclear disarmament talks and restarting its atomic weapons programme. It has expelled US and UN nuclear inspectors.

Following the launch South Korea announced it would push ahead with plans to join a US-led initiative against shipments of weapons of mass destruction.

The North says any move by its neighbour to join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) would be seen as a declaration of war.

Analysts believe the North will try to force the South to choose between PSI and the future of Kaesong, using the detainee as a bargaining chip. (ANI)

Tehran calls on US not to politicise journalist case

Tehran – Tehran called on the United States Monday not to politicise the case of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, and to respect the Iranian judiciary’s decision and independence.

Saberi was sentenced by an Iranian revolutionary court to eight years in prison for spying for the United States.

Both US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed deep concern over the journalist’s fate and their disappointment over the verdict. Obama said Sunday that he was confident Saberi was not involved in espionage against Tehran.

In his Monday press briefing, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi rejected speculation that Tehran was using Saberi’s case as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the US and called on Washington not to politicise the case.

He said Washington should not make any premature conclusions before studying the case and further rejected any links between Saberi and Iranian diplomats detained by the US in Iraq.

The spokesman reiterated that Saberi had no press accreditation since 2007 and therefore any kind of journalistic activity was illegal.

Reporters in Iran, especially those working for foreign media, require an official accreditation from the Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture, otherwise their press activities could be regarded as illegal and even as offending national security.

Ghashghavi, however, said Saberi and her lawyer had the right to appeal the verdict within 20 days, adding that she would have all legal rights as also stressed upon by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad on Sunday called on Tehran’s general prosecutor Saaid Mortazavi to personally follow the Saberi case with precision and fairness, in line with all legal norms. He also stressed Saberi’s right for legal defence assistance.

Observers consider Ahmadinejad’s surprising interference in the Saberi case as an effort by the government to persuade the judiciary to revise the harsh sentence and avoid another international political crisis.

Saberi, 31, a reporter for US National Public Radio, originally faced the less serious accusation of buying alcohol and of working without a valid press card.

She has been in Tehran’s Evin prison since January following her arrest on charges of buying a bottle of wine. Both buying and consuming alcohol is forbidden in Islamic Iran.

The judiciary, however, then charged her with espionage, and Tehran’s deputy prosecutor Hassan Haddad announced last week that Saberi’s case was sent to a revolutionary court which decides in cases involving offences against national security.

Haddad also claimed that Saberi had accepted all charges.

Saberi’s Iranian father and Japanese mother are currently in Tehran and plan to stay until they are allowed to take their daughter back home to North Dakota. (dpa)

Somali pirates rush to help comrades in US Navy face-off

Nairobi/Washington – Somali pirates were on Saturday rushing to the aid of their comrades, who are holding the captain of a US-flagged ship hostage on a lifeboat surrounded by US Navy forces, media reports said. Pirates have been holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage since Wednesday, following a failed attempt to hijack his ship, the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama, in the Indian Ocean near the coast of Somalia.

The USS Bainbridge, part of a coalition force based in the Gulf of Aden, arrived on the scene on Thursday morning and was joined on Friday by the USS Halyburton, Commander Peter Schneider, a spokesman for the US Defence Department, said.

Now, a separate pirate group is sailing the 20,000-ton Hansa Stavanger – a German-owned container ship hijacked one week ago – to help the embattled group of pirates, media reports said.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it was working hard to obtain the release of the German vessel, whose crew of 24 includes four Germans, among them the captain.

Media reports said the government dropped ideas to launch a commando raid to retake the Hansa Stavanger after the pirates sailed it to their base in Harardere, Somalia, quicker than anticipated.

Other pirate-held vessels were reportedly on their way to where the American captain was being held, carrying guns and hostages taken from previous seizures.

The pirates are seeking ransom and safe passage for the release of Phillips, who unsuccessfully tried to flee on Thursday, leaping from the lifeboat in a daring attempt to swim to the Bainbridge.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is helping in the negotiations.

Observers said the hostage drama could drag on for days. US Navy forces are generally reluctant to storm ships to free crew members being held hostage.

However, the pirates are in a weak bargaining position with no fuel for the lifeboat and only one hostage. The lifeboat has about 10 days’ supplies of food and water, media reports said.

The Alabama, a cargo vessel carrying food aid, was boarded by the pirates Wednesday morning, the first time US sailors have been seized in the treacherous waters near the Horn of Africa.

The unarmed crew quickly retook the ship, but Phillips ended up being held on the Alabama.

The Alabama has since steamed away from the area and is due to arrive at its original destination, the Kenyan port of Mombasa, on Saturday.

Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks after a brief lull. The Alabama was the sixth ship to have been seized since last Saturday.

French naval forces on Friday stormed one of those vessels – a yacht taken last weekend – killing two pirates and one hostage in the process.

Four other hostages were freed successfully and three pirates taken into custody, Defence Minister Herve Morin told journalists in Paris late Friday.

In 2008, pirates seized dozens of vessels in and around the Gulf of Aden and collected tens of millions of dollars in ransom, prompting the international community to send warships to the region.

Around 15 warships from the European Union, a coalition task force and individual countries such as Russia, the United States, India and China patrol an area of about 2.85 million square kilometres.

However, the pirates are now venturing farther into the Indian Ocean off the south-east coast of Somalia to avoid the international patrols.

Observers have said they feel piracy can only be stopped by dealing with insecurity on the ground in Somalia. A bloody insurgency is ongoing in south and central Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

Somali pirates demand ransom as US Navy sends more ships

Nairobi/Washington, April 11 (DPA) Somali pirates, holding a US ship captain in a lifeboat and surrounded by two Navy warships, have reportedly sought ransom and safe passage as their brazen standoff with the US military continued Friday.

The pirates’ demands came as a US frigate, the USS Halyburton, became the second US Navy vessel to arrive in the area off the Somali coast, according to Commander Peter Schneider, a spokesman for the US Defence Department.

The frigate joined the USS Bainbridge, a destroyer, which arrived Thursday morning and had taken up negotiations with the four pirates, who have been holed up in the lifeboat since an aborted attempt Wednesday to capture the Maersk Alabama, a US-operated cargo ship.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation was also aiding the negotiations, yet the pirates have told the Navy they will not release Captain Richard Phillips without a ransom and guaranteed safe passage out of the area, according to Bloomberg News, which interviewed one of the pirates’ contacts on the Somali mainland.

Phillips reportedly attempted to flee from his captives earlier Friday, leaping from the lifeboat in a daring attempt to swim to the Bainbridge.

The incident happened too quickly for the Bainbridge crew to help Phillips, who was apparently unhurt during his recapture. Schneider said he could not confirm the exact details of the escape attempt and the Navy had not been in contact with the captain since the incident.

Andrea Phillips, the captain’s wife, said she has received an ‘outpouring of support’ for her husband since the crisis began.

‘We have felt the compassion of the world through your concern for Richard. My husband is a strong man and we will remain strong for him,’ she said in a statement released by Maersk Line Ltd, the Virginia-based company that operated the Alabama.

The Alabama, a cargo vessel carrying food aid, was boarded by the pirates Wednesday morning, the first time US sailors were seized in the treacherous waters near the Horn of Africa. The unarmed crew quickly retook the ship, but Phillips ended up being held on the Alabama’s lifeboat by the pirates.

The Alabama has since steamed away from the area and was Friday heading towards its original destination of Mombasa, Kenya, according to Kevin Speers, a spokesman for Maersk.

The ongoing standoff has also attracted the attention of the US’ top military and civilian officials.

President Barack Obama has been receiving regular updates and Defence Secretary Robert Gates Thursday said he was watching the situation ‘very closely’.

Other pirate-captured vessels were also apparently on their way to the scene in a show of solidarity, carrying guns and hostages taken from previous seizures, though the pirates were apparently unable to get close to the US fleet, media reported.

Phillips has been in contact with the US Navy and his own crew through a radio and has been given extra batteries and provisions, according to Speers.

Observers said the hostage drama could drag on for days. Navy forces are generally reluctant to storm ships to free crew members being held hostage.

However, the pirates are in a weak bargaining position with no fuel for the lifeboat and only one hostage. The lifeboat has about 10 days’ supplies of food and water, media reports said.

Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks after a brief lull. The Alabama was the sixth ship to have been seized since Saturday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said: ‘Piracy may be a centuries-old crime, but we are working to bring an appropriate 21st-century response.’

Somali pirates foil US captain’s escape attempt

Nairobi/Washington, April 10 (DPA) Somali pirates recaptured the captain of a US-operated ship after he jumped into the Indian Ocean from the lifeboat he was being held hostage on, media reports said Friday.

CNN, citing an unnamed US defence official, said that Richard Phillips leapt from the lifeboat in a daring attempt to swim to a US Navy destroyer, which is within visual range of the pirates.

The incident happened too quickly for the USS Bainbridge to help Phillips, who was apparently unhurt during his recapture.

The Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship carrying food aid, was seized by pirates Wednesday only for the crew to immediately retake the ship. However, Phillips ended up being held on the Alabama’s lifeboat by the pirates.

The USS Bainbridge, part of a coalition naval force sent to combat piracy in the region, arrived early Thursday and made contact with the lifeboat, according to a spokesman for Maersk Line Ltd, the US company that operates the ship.

Additional Navy ships were being sent to the region and were expected to arrive within 48 hours, General David Petraeus, who commands US forces in the Middle East, said Thursday in Florida.

One of the ships is believed to be the USS Halyburton, a frigate with two helicopters on board.

The Alabama steamed away from the area and was Friday heading toward its original destination of Mombasa, Kenya.

Some observers said they expect the hostage drama to drag on for days. Navy forces are generally reluctant to storm ships to free crew members being held hostage.

However, the pirates are in a weak bargaining position with no fuel for the lifeboat and only one hostage.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Washington that the ‘safe return of the captain is the top priority.’

The 17,000-tonne Alabama, owned by the Danish firm Maersk, was taken around 500 km off Somalia.

US Navy steps up pressure on Somali pirates

Nairobi/Washington, April 10 (DPA) More US Navy ships were steaming Friday to the coast of Somalia to increase pressure on pirates holding the captain of a US-operated ship on a stranded lifeboat.

The Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship carrying food aid, was seized by pirates Wednesday only for the crew to immediately retake the ship. However, Captain Richard Phillips ended up being held on the Alabama’s lifeboat by the pirates.

The USS Bainbridge, part of a coalition naval force sent to combat piracy in the region, arrived early Thursday and made contact with the lifeboat, according to a spokesman for Maersk Line Ltd, the US company that operates the ship.

Additional Navy ships were being sent to the region and were expected to arrive within 48 hours, General David Petraeus, who commands US forces in the Middle East, said Thursday in Florida.

One of the ships is believed to be the USS Halyburton, a frigate with two helicopters on board.

It remained unclear how Phillips came to be held captive on the lifeboat although some media reports suggested he exchanged himself for the safety of his crew.

‘The captain remains with the pirates on the lifeboat within full visibility of the USS Bainbridge,’ Maersk Line spokesman Kevin Speers said in a statement.

Phillips has been in contact with the US Navy and his own crew through a radio and has been given extra batteries. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is also helping the Navy negotiate the captain’s release.

The Alabama steamed away from the area and was heading Friday toward its original destination of Mombasa, Kenya.

Some observers said they expect the hostage drama to drag on for days. Navy forces are generally reluctant to storm ships to free crew members being held hostage.

However, the pirates are in a weak bargaining position with no fuel for the lifeboat and only one hostage.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Washington that the ‘safe return of the captain is the top priority.’

Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks after a brief lull. The Maersk Alabama was the sixth ship to have been seized since Saturday.

Pirate gangs in 2008 seized dozens of vessels in and around the Gulf of Aden and collected tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, prompting the international community to send warships to the region.

Around 15 warships from the European Union, a coalition task force and individual countries such as Russia, the United States, India and China patrol an area of about 2.85 million sq km.

However, the pirates are now venturing farther into the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Somalia to avoid the international patrols.

The 17,000-tonne Alabama, owned by the Danish firm Maersk, was taken around 500 km off Somalia.

Many observers said they feel piracy can only be stopped by dealing with insecurity on the ground in Somalia. A bloody insurgency is ongoing in south and central Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the military was working with its allies to see how to develop a broader plan to deal with piracy in the region.

‘Piracy may be a centuries-old crime, but we are working to bring an appropriate 21st-century response,’ she said.

US Navy increases pressure on Somali pirates in hostage standoff

Nairobi/Washington – Further US Navy ships were steaming Friday to the coast of Somalia to increase pressure on pirates holding the captain of a US-operated ship on a stranded lifeboat. The Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship carrying food aid, was seized by pirates Wednesday only for the crew to immediately retake the ship. However, Captain Richard Phillips ended up being held on the Alabama’s lifeboat by the pirates.

The USS Bainbridge, part of a coalition naval force sent to combat piracy in the region, arrived early Thursday and made contact with the lifeboat, according to a spokesman for Maersk Line Ltd, the US company that operates the ship.

Additional Navy ships were being sent to the region and were expected to arrive within 48 hours, General David Petraeus, who commands US forces in the Middle East, said Thursday in Florida.

One of the ships is believed to be the USS Halyburton, a frigate with two helicopters on board.

It remained unclear how Phillips came to be held captive on the lifeboat although some media reports suggested he exchanged himself for the safety of his crew.

“The captain remains with the pirates on the lifeboat within full visibility of the USS Bainbridge,” Maersk Line spokesman Kevin Speers said in a statement.

Phillips has been in contact with the US Navy and his own crew through a radio and has been given extra batteries. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is also helping the Navy negotiate the captain’s release.

The Alabama steamed away from the area and was heading Friday toward its original destination of Mombasa, Kenya.

Some observers said they expect the hostage drama to drag on for days. Navy forces are generally reluctant to storm ships to free crew members being held hostage.

However, the pirates are in a weak bargaining position with no fuel for the lifeboat and only one hostage.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Washington that the “safe return of the captain is the top priority.”

Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks after a brief lull. The Maersk Alabama was the sixth ship to have been seized since Saturday.

Pirate gangs in 2008 seized dozens of vessels in and around the Gulf of Aden and collected tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, prompting the international community to send warships to the region.

Around 15 warships from the European Union, a coalition task force and individual countries such as Russia, the United States, India and China patrol an area of about 2.85 million square kilometres.

However, the pirates are now venturing farther into the Indian Ocean off the south-east coast of Somalia to avoid the international patrols.

The 17,000-ton Alabama, owned by the Danish firm Maersk, was taken around 500 kilometres off Somalia.

Many observers said they feel piracy can only be stopped by dealing with insecurity on the ground in Somalia. A bloody insurgency is ongoing in south and central Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the military was working with its allies to see how to develop a broader plan to deal with piracy in the region.

“Piracy may be a centuries-old crime, but we are working to bring an appropriate 21st-century response,” she said. (dpa)

We’re all first, all equals: Mulayam

The Samajwadi Party today remained evasive about the issue of leadership in the fledgling Fourth Front, which also includes the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

The leaders of the three parties, who have announced they will not pitch their candidates against each other in UP and Bihar, are meeting here on April 3 to announce their agenda and strategy.

“There is no single leader of the front, sab mukhiya hain (all are chiefs),” said SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was in Etawah today for campaign work. “All of us have decided to come on one platform and we will conduct a joint poll campaign. The issue is not the leadership of the morcha but who gets what in the Lok Sabha polls”, added Mulayam.

“Lalu Yadav with 25 MPs is running the Railway Ministry, while the party with 11 MPs is in control of the Civil Aviation Ministry and Ram Vilas Paswan’s party with five MPs is also holding an important ministry. But the Samajwadi Party with 35 MPs has no role to play in national politics,” said the SP chief, adding that this was set to change. He claimed the Samajwadi Party would emerge as the “kingmaker” after the Lok Sabha polls as “no government at the Centre would be possible without our support”. He added that Uttar Pradesh was at the centrestage of national politics and the “Centre is made and marred by this state”. On the issue of leadership, a senior SP leader said, “Why don’t you ask this question from the Third Front as it is also functioning without any leader?”

When asked to comment, Ashok Mishra of the CPI said it was “ridiculous” to compare the Third Front with the SP-RJD-LJP alliance. “The coming together of SP, RJD and LJP is not a front at all, it’s a product of the internal contradictions of the UPA, over the sharing of Lok Sabha seats among the partners. Mulayam, Lalu and Paswan are rank opportunists and have joined hands only to ensure better bargaining strength after the polls,” said Mishra

We’re all first, all equals: Mulayam

The Samajwadi Party today remained evasive about the issue of leadership in the fledgling Fourth Front, which also includes the Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

The leaders of the three parties, who have announced they will not pitch their candidates against each other in UP and Bihar, are meeting here on April 3 to announce their agenda and strategy.

“There is no single leader of the front, sab mukhiya hain (all are chiefs),” said SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was in Etawah today for campaign work. “All of us have decided to come on one platform and we will conduct a joint poll campaign. The issue is not the leadership of the morcha but who gets what in the Lok Sabha polls”, added Mulayam.

“Lalu Yadav with 25 MPs is running the Railway Ministry, while the party with 11 MPs is in control of the Civil Aviation Ministry and Ram Vilas Paswan’s party with five MPs is also holding an important ministry. But the Samajwadi Party with 35 MPs has no role to play in national politics,” said the SP chief, adding that this was set to change. He claimed the Samajwadi Party would emerge as the “kingmaker” after the Lok Sabha polls as “no government at the Centre would be possible without our support”. He added that Uttar Pradesh was at the centrestage of national politics and the “Centre is made and marred by this state”. On the issue of leadership, a senior SP leader said, “Why don’t you ask this question from the Third Front as it is also functioning without any leader?”

When asked to comment, Ashok Mishra of the CPI said it was “ridiculous” to compare the Third Front with the SP-RJD-LJP alliance. “The coming together of SP, RJD and LJP is not a front at all, it’s a product of the internal contradictions of the UPA, over the sharing of Lok Sabha seats among the partners. Mulayam, Lalu and Paswan are rank opportunists and have joined hands only to ensure better bargaining strength after the polls,” said Mishra

China plans new stage show on Karl Marx’s Das Kapital

London, Mar 18 (ANI): China is reportedly planning to adapt Karl Marx’s Das Kapital into a new stage show.

Though revolutionaries have disregarded the bourgeois art form, the show’s producers insist that in the confident, modern-day People’s Republic, opera is a novel way to explain the proletariat’s triumph in the class struggle.

“The particular performance style we choose is not important, but Marx’s theories cannot be distorted,” the Telegraph quoted director He Nian as saying during an interview with China’s Wen Hui Bao newspaper.

He, best known for a stage adaptation of a martial-arts spoof, plans to open the production in Shanghai next year, and will borrow elements from Broadway musicals and Las Vegas shows.

There will, however, be no trivialisation of the book’s core messages: an economist from a local university has been asked to ensure that it remains intellectually respectful of Marxist doctrine.

To that end, audiences can expect a storyline that appears to be only marginally racier than the original Das Kapital, a dense, 1,000-page tract which has traditionally tested the commitment of even the most ardent Communist reader.

The opera’s plot will involve a business where workers begin to realise their boss is exploiting them. They then embrace the Marxist theory of surplus value.

Far from uniting to overthrow the established order, though, some of the chorus line mutiny, others continue as they are, while some engage in collective bargaining. He insists it will be “fun to watch”. (ANI)

Samajwadi Party leaves six seats for Congress in UP

New Delhi, Mar 8 (ANI): The Samajwadi Party on Sunday declared 10 more candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh taking the number of its nominees to 74.he SP has left six constituencies, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Ghaziabad, Dharora, Mathura and Kanpur for the Congress.

The Samajwadi Party earlier announced candidates for 65 constituencies, saying his party was ready to reconsider its list of already announced candidates for 65 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh if Congress comes down from its demand.

“We had always wanted an alliance with the Congress and still do. But if they come down from their bargaining stance we can also reconsider some from the already declared candidates,” Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh told reporters here.

Congress has demanded for 25 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said the SP was ready to make some adjustments if the Congress is ready to climb down.

Amar Singh said that if Congress fields its candidates against SP on some seats, his party would also consider doing the same in the constituencies where the Congress has sitting MPs.

Meanwhile, the Congress refused the SP’s proposal, and said there was no question of going back.

Congress also warned the SP that it would be compelled to go it alone in all constituencies in the state if it does not relent.

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Rita Bahuguna Joshi said a final decision on seat sharing would be arrived at party’s Central Election Committee meeting which is likely to be held in Delhi on March 10.

She, however, added they could go alone in Uttar Pradesh if the SP remained adamant on leaving not more than 17 seats for them. (ANI)

German teachers skip school and demonstrate for more pay

German teachers skip school and demonstrate for more pay Hanover, Germany- Some 2,000 teachers stayed away from school Tuesday and demonstrated in the city of Hanover for more pay as part of rolling strikes against Germany’s 16 state governments.

Ilse Schaad, the chief negotiator for the teachers’ union GEW, told the protesters, “The states are not as poor as they pretend. The have a hoard of tax revenue which they can use to supplement pay.”

Schaad said in Hanover the strikes at German schools would be stepped up in the course of the week “to show we are willing to fight.” Public servants have staged intermittent strikes for days. The next round of pay bargaining is scheduled for Saturday.

GEW and other unions are demanding a pay hike of 8 per cent for employees of the state governments including teachers.

In Berlin, a doctors’ union said 2,000 doctors employed by national occupational therapy agencies would begin rolling strikes from February 26 to press for better working conditions. The strikes would disrupt Germany’s rehabilitation clinics. (dpa)- Some 2,000 teachers stayed away from school Tuesday and demonstrated in the city of Hanover for more pay as part of rolling strikes against Germany’s 16 state governments.

Ilse Schaad, the chief negotiator for the teachers’ union GEW, told the protesters, “The states are not as poor as they pretend. The have a hoard of tax revenue which they can use to supplement pay.”

Schaad said in Hanover the strikes at German schools would be stepped up in the course of the week “to show we are willing to fight.” Public servants have staged intermittent strikes for days. The next round of pay bargaining is scheduled for Saturday.

GEW and other unions are demanding a pay hike of 8 per cent for employees of the state governments including teachers.

In Berlin, a doctors’ union said 2,000 doctors employed by national occupational therapy agencies would begin rolling strikes from February 26 to press for better working conditions. The strikes would disrupt Germany’s rehabilitation clinics. (dpa)