Jaipur city”s dolls museum looks for more visitors

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Jaipur, May 4 (ANI): Despite the thirty-five years old dolls museum in Rajasthan”s Jaipur city possessing around three hundred dolls from across the world, it witnesses only a few visitors.

Ironically, the museum receives only a few visitors.

Those who do visit, admire the beauty of the dolls.

“We got to see many dolls from different countries, cultures and states, in this museum. We got to know about their traditional wedding attires. This is a nice place and everybody should come here once,” said Vikas, a visitor
The museum has dolls from India in one section and from different parts of the world in the other. These include United States, Canada, Latin American countries, Africa, Europe, and China.

“Basically, this dolls museum is divided in two parts. In the first part, we have dolls from different states of the country and in the second part; we have dolls from different countries of the world. We got these dolls from different embassies. The founder of this school made this museum in the fond memory of his sister,” said Avdhani, the owner of the museum.

Avdhani added that lack of interest among the travel guides and operators is a major reason for its low popularity.

The dolls represent the culture of these countries. (ANI)

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Grass-roots warming summit calls for greenhouse cuts

April 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Big polluting countries must aggressively cut greenhouse gases and listen to ideas from small nations to reverse global warming, activists and left-wing leaders concluded on Thursday at a meeting billed as an alternative to the failed Copenhagen summit.

The gathering in Bolivia’s Cochabamba region was meant to give voice to countries and environmental groups that said they were excluded from an active role at the Copenhagen summit in December, when world leaders negotiated behind closed doors.

Activists say the big industrial powers sabotaged the Copenhagen summit by not agreeing to major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and insist the next big climate change meeting in Mexico in December must include other voices.

The Cochabamba summit called for leading industrial nations to cut emissions by 50 percent, a much more ambitious goal than the pledges of cuts from 7 percent to 16 percent in the Copenhagen Accord.

“Developed countries … in the meeting of heads of state in Mexico in December, they’ve got to listen to the people, take decisions to better the lives of all,” Bolivian President Evo Morales told the summit.

Earlier in the summit, Morales drew controversy when he said eating chicken fed with hormones causes “sexual deviation” in men and that European men lose their hair because they eat genetically modified food.

Capitalism, genetically modified food and global warming were all targets at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, which drew some 20,000 environmentalists and representatives from 90 governments.

Representatives from indigenous groups from all over the world took part in the meeting in the small village of Tiquipaya, which was free and included concerts, theater, a handicrafts market and artists painting murals.

SMALL COUNTRIES COULD BACK RESOLUTIONS

Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ecuador, which belong to a leftist group of Latin American countries, as well as Sudan and Saudi Arabia, have been strong critics of the Copenhagen accord.

“Climate change is a crisis that was created in the north and its effects are overwhelmingly lived in the south. If you acknowledge that simple fact of justice and decency, that means that southern countries are no longer begging for aid,” said Canadian author Naomi Klein.

Klein, a prominent activist against global warming, said Cochabamba could help cement an alliance among nations that are already suffering the effects of climate change. “That’s a much more empowered position” which calls for “a lot more unity between developing countries,” she said.

The Cochabamba meeting resolved that an international tribunal should be created to hold those to blame for global warming accountable. It also called for a global referendum on climate change and the creation of a fund to help affected nations cope with global warming.

The resolutions are not binding, but countries and social organizations who took part in the summit have pledged to drum up support for them ahead of December’s United Nations summit on climate change in Cancun, Mexico.

Alicia Barcena, the top U.N. representative at the meeting, told reporters on Tuesday it was time for the organization to admit it had excluded grassroots groups from the Copenhagen summit, but she was pessimistic about Cancun.

“Rio+20 should be our goal, because I don’t think Cancun will solve the problems,” she said.

Late last year, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution agreeing to hold the Rio+20 Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.

(Editing by Peter Cooney and Todd Eastham)

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EU in trade deal with Colombia, Peru – sources

March 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

BRUSSELS, March 1 (Reuters) – The European Union has reached a free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru, sources close to the negotiations said on Monday.

The European Commission, the EU executive in charge of trade policy in the 27-nation bloc, held the ninth round of negotiations with the two Latin American countries over the past week.

“Yes, there has been a deal (reached) with both countries, Colombia and Peru,” one of the sources said, adding that details would be announced later on Monday. (Reporting by Bate Felix, editing by Dale Hudson)

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Costa Rica named happiest, greenest country on Earth

July 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, July 6 (ANI): Costa Rica has been named as the ‘happiest place to live on Earth’ in a new survey.

It has also been named the most environmentally friendly country on the planet.

The New Economics Foundation looked at 143 countries, and devised an equation that evaluates life expectancy and people’s happiness against their environmental impact.

The foundation ranks Costa Rica as the happiest, greenest country in the world, followed by Dominican Republic at the second place, reports the News.com.au

The Latin American countries have booked nine of the top 10 spots in the survey.

However, some of the major Western nations did poorly, with Britain being mentioned at 74th place, Australia at 102nd and the US at 114th.

The survey report suggests that Costa Ricans have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85 per cent of the country’s residents admit that they are happy and satisfied with their lives.

Sociologist Andrea Fonseca said that Costa Rica gives its citizens the “tools” to be happy.

She added that the country’s rise to the top of the Happy Planet Index “has a lot to do with social imagination”.

Some of the critics have condemned the study for ignoring issues like political freedom, human rights, and labour rights. (ANI)

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US, Cuban officials explore ways to improve ties

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington – US and Cuban diplomats were to meet on Monday for the second round of talks on improving relations between the two countries since President Barack Obama took office. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon was to hold talks with the top Cuban representative in Washington, Jorge Alberto Bolanos, just two weeks after Obama announced an easing of sanctions on the communist island.

Obama has sought to reach out to Cuba, hoping that relaxing the decades-long embargo would encourage the Havana government to introduce democratic reforms and more political and personal freedom.

“There are a host of steps that the Cuban government would take and we’d like to see,” State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said.

“We have concerns about Cuban policies,” Wood said. “We’ll be raising them. You know, I’m sure that there will be a discussion of the president’s steps that he announced recently.”

Obama ended restrictions that limited the frequency of trips Cuban-Americans can make to Cuba and how much money they could send to their families back home.

Obama’s move was widely welcomed days later at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, but most Latin American countries want the White House to lift the entire embargo enacted in the 1960s.

Although the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations, they have interest sections in their respective capitals and occasionally hold meetings.(dpa)

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MKU to showcase Instavest Ballistic over vest in Turkey at IDEF 2009

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, April 29 (ANI/Business Wire India): MKU, a global defense solutions company and a pioneer in personal and vehicle protection solutions, is launching the acclaimed Instavest Ballistic over vest in Turkish market during the IDEF 2009.

The IDEF show is in Istanbul starting from April 27-29. The over vest met an equally good reception at LAAD 2009, Latin American Aerospace and Defence Show, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Latin American countries have shown great deal of interest in the world’s quickest Release mechanism.

The Instavest ballistic over vest features advanced features and an innovative design to offer enhanced protection and comfort to the user. MKU claims that Instavest is the most revolutionary and advanced ballistic vest available in the world today.

It was regionally launched officially amongst much fanfare by MKU at IDEX ’09 at Abu Dhabi earlier this year in February.

Instavest features a new quick release jettison system, which divests the vest immediately from the user’s body within a split second in a single action. MKU claims that this new vest, for which it has filed a patent, will change the way soldiers perceive and use a Quick Release Vest.

It claims that Instavest is the fastest quick release vest in the world, both, in terms of taking it off and then reassembling it and putting it on.

“Although there are some other quick release ballistic vests available in the market – all have cumbersome systems to jettison the vest of the users body, once taken off, it is a very cumbersome process to reassemble the jacket back again due to the various wire systems used in the vests, it takes a lot of training and time for a soldier to put it back again and then also chances are that a normal soldier would not be able to put reassemble it a manner which will ensure a safe jettison in the eventuality of an emergency”, said Manish Khandelwal, the Business Manager – Personal Protection, MKU.

Manish is also the inventor of Instavest, he claims that ‘Instavest from MKU is a jacket that is advanced by design, it is a product which is a result of a lot of research and field trials – it uses no wires or metal parts’.

Manish claims that putting the Instavest on and off is so simple that a person can jettison the vest in less than a second in a single action and then reassemble and put it back on in less than 45 seconds.

The quick release function is the latest specification which some of the best armies in the world demand as mandatory for their regular issues vests, this system is provided for emergency scenarios which would need the soldier to jettison off the vest along with all the equipment and load on it, in emergency situations which require split second reflexes and decisions.

Some of the common scenario where Instavest would prove to be the split second difference between life and death for the soldiers could be described as ‘in an overturned vehicle with soldiers in full battle dress’, in combat zones ‘when the soldier needs to evade enemy onslaught and have to run through treacherous terrain like jungles etc in an evasive action’ or ‘when he needs to jump into waterbeds to avoid being caught’.

Wading through shallow waters is another scenario where soldiers might need to jettison of their load to avoid drowning. Instavest would be a boon for wounded soldiers who can get can be immediately treated by Doctors by just releasing the vest with a single and split second action (ballistic vests normally cannot be torn of or cut through and in all cases need to be divested completely before a soldier can be treated).

The difference between Instavest and some other quick release vests would be the use of this system not only in emergency situation but in normal situations because of the ease of reassembling and putting it back on. It is believed that soldiers normally avoid using the quick release function in vests except in emergency situations because of the cumbersome and difficult process of reassembly.

The quick release feature is not the only claim to fame of the Instavest from MKU – It features and is compatible with the most advanced new age combat requirements. This is the first vest which uses no metal parts in the system to avoid injuries due to secondary fragments and offers absolutely the latest and best solutions in ballistic protection.

The vest has been anthropometrically designed to provide unobtrusive movement in different positions common for a soldier to take a stance in, during and in combat situations, it is compatibility with NBC gear and host of other equipment and devices. It features a new advance load distribution and a rifle butt rest system for added comfort.(ANI)

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Chavez threatens to veto final declaration of OAS summit

April 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Caracas/Port of Spain – President Hugo Chavez warned Thursday that Venezuela and “other countries” will veto the final declaration of the Summit of the Americas that is set to take place from Friday in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Venezuela vetoes the declaration of the Americas,” he said in the eastern Venezuelan town of Cumana.

Chavez met with presidents Raul Castro of Cuba and Evo Morales of Bolivia at a summit of the left-wing alliance, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), which he says allows the group to “fine tune the artillery” ahead of the larger gathering in Trinidad and Tobago.

Commenting on the final declaration of the Summit of the Americas, he said that it was “misplaced in time and in space.”

Dressed in military fatigues, Chavez recalled that he also vetoed the final declaration in Quebec City, Canada, in 2001. He noted that he did not have many expectations from the upcoming gathering, which will be US President Barack Obama’s first major meeting with his Latin American counterparts.

“Let us hope that the president of the United States goes there to listen,” Chavez said. “We are going to speak our truth.”

“When the show starts (in Trinidad and Tobago) we will have to wonder why Cuba is not there,” he said.

Cuba is the only one of 35 countries in the Americas that is not represented in the Organization of American States (OAS), from which it was suspended in 1962, under US pressure.

Despite its absence, it is likely to play a prominent part in the summit, according to experts, with various Latin American countries letting Obama know that they would like to see an end to the US embargo on the communist island.

In Port of Spain, OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza disagreed with Chavez and stressed that the final declaration is both “important” and “necessary.”

“There are many issues that are hemispheric, inter-American in nature. Trade, for example, is one. Migration is another. Unfortunately crime is one too, global warming, energy,” Insulza said in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. (dpa)

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Castro says Cuba doesn’t want to rejoin “vile” OAS

April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

HAVANA (Reuters) – Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday Cuba had no desire to rejoin the Organization of American States, as called for by some of his allies, and did not even want to “hear the vile name of that institution.”

Castro, in his third column published on Tuesday, said the OAS “has a history that collects all the trash of 60 years of betrayal of the people of Latin America.”

He said the organization had been involved in “aggressive actions” that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Cuba was suspended from the 35-member OAS in 1962 because the communist system created by Castro after he took power in a 1959 revolution was judged to be “incompatible” with the organization’s principles.

Castro has criticized the group for years, calling it the “Ministry of Colonies” of the United States.

Before the OAS’ Summit of the Americas set to begin on Friday in Trinidad and Tobago, several Latin American countries have said Cuba should be reinstated in the organization, which promotes regional cooperation and democracy.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro on Monday that Cuba’s absence from the OAS “is an anomaly that needs to be corrected.”

OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza told Brazilian newspaper O Globo that Cuba must show its commitment to democracy to be readmitted.

“We need to know if Cuba is interested in returning to multilateral organizations or if it is thinking only about the end of the embargo and economic growth,” he told the newspaper, referring to the U.S. trade embargo imposed on Cuba since 1962.

“It even offends us to suppose that we are desiring of entering the OAS. That train passed a while back, and Insulza still doesn’t know it,” Castro said.

Castro, 82, has not been seen in public since intestinal surgery in July 2006. He ceded power to his brother, President Raul Castro, last year but maintains a powerful voice through columns published in state-run Internet sites and newspapers.

In recent weeks, he has churned out columns at a prolific rate.

The first two on Tuesday dealt in part with Monday’s decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to let Cuban-Americans travel freely to Cuba and send as much money as they want to relatives there.

Castro said the travel measure was a positive, but small step toward improved U.S.-Cuba relations that Obama has said he will pursue.

(Reporting by Jeff Franks; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Economy, security high on Americas summit agenda

April 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama makes his first official visit to Latin America this week, visiting Mexico on Thursday and then traveling on to Trinidad and Tobago for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

Following are issues likely to come up during the visits:

* ECONOMIC CRISIS – The global recession is expected to be the top issue at the summit. Analysts say prudent economic policies adopted by many Latin American countries have helped them weather the recession better than in previous decades, but officials say a drop of 1 percent in the region’s gross domestic product could send 15 million people back into extreme poverty. The G20 summit approved a $1 trillion package of funding to help developing countries, with Latin America a leading beneficiaries.

* SECURITY – Increasing violence in Mexico as part of the country’s war on drugs has sparked concern in the United States. The Obama administration has beefed up security along the border and to stem the flow of illegal arms southward and reduce demand for drugs. But security concerns, including crime fueled by the downturn in the economy and drug trade elsewhere in the region, are widespread. The summit draft declaration has a section on strengthening public security.

* IMMIGRATION – Some 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, mostly from Mexico and Central America. Efforts to reform the system, granting some immigrants the right to stay while requiring others return home and apply for reentry, failed in 2006 and 2007. Obama promised to work for immigration reform during the campaign. Recent reports indicated he intends to begin a debate on immigration reform this year. Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan says Mexico has to do its part as well, improving the economy to encourage more workers stay home.

* ILLEGAL DRUGS – A Justice Department report last year said Mexican drug traffickers pose the biggest organized crime threat in the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Mexico last month and acknowledged an “insatiable” U.S. appetite for drugs was to blame for much of the problem. Analysts say the admission helped establish the administration’s credibility with Mexico on the issue. Obama’s choice of former Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske as drug czar signaled an emphasis on treatment and prevention to reduce drug demand.

* CUBA – The United States has maintained its Cuba embargo for nearly 50 years, even as other countries establish ties with the communist state. Exclusion of the impoverished Caribbean country from the Organization of American States and other multilateral institutions has become a cause for many Latin American countries. Obama has indicated a willingness to ease restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans, but many analysts say that is not enough.

* WEAPONS TRAFFICKING – U.S. weapons smuggling into Mexico is helping to fuel the violence there. Analysts say Washington could push for ratification of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials. The convention, known by the Spanish acronym CIFTA, has been languishing in the Senate since it was adopted in 1997, analysts said.

* CROSS-BORDER TRUCKING – Washington agreed in NAFTA to allow Mexican trucks on U.S. roads. But a spending bill passed by Congress and signed by Obama eliminated funding for the program that had begun permitting a small number of Mexicans to deliver loads in the U.S. Mexico then imposed higher tariffs on $2.4 billion in U.S. goods. The administration is trying to work out an alternative agreement with Congress to allow trucking to resume.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

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Obama to abolish limits on U.S.-Cuba family ties

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

In a move that could herald better ties between Cold War foes, the Obama administration is planning to abolish limits on family travel and cash remittances between the United States and Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

President Barack Obama has decided to fulfill a campaign promise and allow Cuban Americans and Cuban emigres to freely visit and send money to their families in the communist-led nation, the newspaper said, citing a senior administration official.

A White House official confirmed the administration’s intentions to lift the restrictions, but said the measure was not a new policy statement and was not imminent.

“The administration has conveyed that our policy toward Cuba is being reviewed and the president has stated that there’s a sense that restrictions on family visits and cash remittances should be lifted,” the official told Reuters.

“Our focus remains on the need for democratic reforms and human rights” in Cuba, the official said.

The removal of limits on family travel and cash remittances would allow Cubans living in the United States to travel freely to the island, instead of once a year as at present. It would also remove the ceiling of $1,200 per person in cash remittances to needy family members in Cuba.

“This is a good humanitarian move that honors Cuban Americans’ right to visit and aid their relatives as they see fit,” said Cuba expert Phil Peters of the Lexington Institute.

“But it creates one class of Americans who can travel to Cuba at will, so it will add to the momentum in Congress to lift restrictions on all other Americans, who have a right to travel too,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal said the move was probably meant to signal a new attitude toward both Cuba and other Latin American countries that have pressed Washington to end a trade embargo that has sought to isolate Havana for more than four decades.

TRAVEL AND REMITTANCES

During last year’s presidential campaign, Obama favored easing U.S. restrictions on family travel and remittances, but said he would not eliminate the trade embargo until Cuba shows progress toward democracy and greater human rights.

The U.S. Congress is considering bills that would lift the ban on American citizens traveling to Cuba that was introduced with other sanctions in the early 1960s when Fidel Castro’s revolution turned Cuba into a Soviet ally.

Obama is due to meet Latin American leaders at a summit in Trinidad and Tobago later this month.

The Wall Street Journal said Obama is not considering any specific diplomatic outreach toward Cuba, where Fidel Castro has been sidelined by illness and was succeeded as president last year by his brother Raul Castro.

U.S. lawmakers, who believe in increasing numbers that the embargo has proven ineffective in bringing political change to Cuba, have taken the initiative on the outreach front.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives arrived in Havana on Friday to meet with Cuban officials in a sign of accelerating efforts to improve relations.

Representative Barbara Lee said the group of seven Democrats wanted simply to “see what the possibilities are” and carried no messages from Obama or proposals for the Cubans. “We’re here to learn and talk,” she told reporters.

The congressional delegation is the first from the United States to visit Cuba since Obama took office in January.

“Change is in the air and our president, of course, talks very clearly about bilateral relations with all countries in the world,” said Lee.

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Obama to free Cuba family travel, remittances – WSJ

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to abolish restrictions on family travel and remittances to Cuba, fulfilling a campaign promise, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Obama does not intend to call for lifting the longstanding trade embargo against Cuba, which would require congressional action, the Journal said, citing an unidentified administration official.

The Obama administration is not considering any specific diplomatic outreach toward Cuba’s communist government, the newspaper reported.

The removal of limits on family travel and cash remittances would allow Cuban Americans and Cuban emigres living in the United States to travel freely to the island, instead of once a year at present, and remove the ceiling of $1,200 per person in cash remittances to family members in Cuba.

The U.S. president has authority to loosen these rules on his own, and the move is likely meant as a signal of a new attitude toward both Cuba and other Latin American countries that have pressed the United States to alter its policy, the Journal said.

Obama will meet with Latin American leaders at a hemispheric summit this month in Trinidad and Tobago.

The U.S. Congress is currently considering bills that would lift the ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba that was introduced with other sanctions in the early 1960s when Fidel Castro’s revolution turned Cuba into a Soviet ally.

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TDP manifesto promises free colour TVs, cash for poor

April 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hyderabad, April 2 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh’s main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Thursday released its election manifesto promising free colour televisions to the poor and cash doles of Rs.1,000 to Rs.2,000 per month for poor and middle-class families if the party is voted to power.

Releasing the 64-page manifesto at the party headquarters NTR Trust Bhavan, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said food, health and financial security for the people was his party’s goal.

The former chief minister said the TDP was committed to the welfare of all sections of the people, including farmers, backward classes and minorities.

Under the cash transfer scheme promised in the manifesto, each family in the poorest of the poor category will get Rs.2,000 every month, a poor family will get Rs.1,500 and a middle-class family Rs.1,000 through the banks.

Naidu termed it revolutionary and the first of its kind scheme in the country. He said the scheme, borrowed from some Latin American countries, would provide economic security to the poor and the middle-class families and meet their basic needs like food every month.

Referring to his promise of a colour television to every poor family, Naidu said: ‘The idea is to ensure that after a day’s hard work, people should relax by watching television.’

According to him, the sale of colour televisions through shops had already dropped after the TDP released highlights of the manifesto a few days ago.

The TDP president also launched the party’s election campaign at Medchal near here by addressing a public meeting.

Alleging that the Congress government was neck deep in corruption, he appealed to the people to bring the TDP back to power for an efficient and transparent administration.

Naidu, whose party lost power to the Congress party in 2004, will campaign non-stop over the next 13 days in the state that holds simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls next month.

The TDP is contesting elections to the 294-member state assembly and the 42 Lok Sabha seats in alliance with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

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India-Chile should target five billion dollar trade by 2014

March 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Mar.15 (ANI): In order to propel the economy during this economic downturn, CII recommends boosting trade ties with other Latin American countries like Chile, and leverage the immense potential that exists between the two countries, by setting up bilateral forums to harness the economic linkages.

A study by CII finds ample scope for business and recommends targeting USD five billion trade between India and Chile by 2014.

In a paper to be released on Monday, CII notes that an institutionalised bilateral Trade and Investment Promotion Forum between India and Chile should have the active participation of both governments as well as industry leaders in key sectors. Continuous and regular interaction and dialogue between governments and industry of both countries would create further opportunities to increase bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The two nations should use the period of the economic downturn to consolidate on existing trade and build avenues for future trade.

The two economies can benefit from each other’s macroeconomic experiences by sharing data and policy interventions, especially during the crisis period. Chile’s sound macroeconomic management and commitment to liberalization has transformed it into one of most efficient and business-friendly environments in the region, with stable and strong macroeconomic fundamentals. The Heritage Foundation ranks it as 11th in its 2009 Index of Economic Freedom, citing its transparent and efficient regulatory systems. Similarly, India’s calibrated approach to reforms has helped protect it from the worst of the economic crisis.

The chief barriers to trade that have been cited are distance, lack of information, poor connectivity of air and shipping lines, language, unfamiliarity with local trade regulations, etc. However, these factors have not deterred robust trade between Chile and key exporting nations in Asia.

It is evident that given the strong industrial profile of both countries, as well as synergies arising from large number of agri-climatic zones in both countries, there is high potential in bilateral trade.

Both countries should view each other as stepping-stones for their respective regions, according to the CII. India is geo-strategically situated at the center of East, West and Central Asia, while Chile’s trading agreements can help India access other markets in South America. Chile has FTAs with Canada, USA, EU, and Mexico and is a member of Mercosur and Latin America Integration Association. It is a participant in the Free Trade Area of the Americas which seeks to create a single FTA for the region.

The CII note examining the potential of trade between the two countries recommends a partnership in which India could learn about raising agricultural productivity from Chile, where Chile has acknowledged strengths. Best practices in commercial agriculture management, supply chain linkages including cold storage, warehousing and transport, setting up a robust infrastructure for meeting international quality and sanitary and phytosanitary norms, and strengthening the link between agriculture and industry can be focus areas. Experts from Chile could provide consultation, advice and handholding to Indian corporates as well as government in these areas, it suggested.

For Chile also, this would be a profitable area to consider as India’s natural advantages in climate and other conditions are very different from those of Chile. India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, but has high wastage in the supply chain. With the help of Chile, India can expand its international agricultural activities.

On the other hand, India can provide expertise on services. IT, education, healthcare, training and skill development, software services, etc are India’s areas of strength. This might involve mutual recognition of professional degrees, facilitation of travel and work permits, access to higher education, and greater movement of personnel. Chile is particularly interested in positioning itself as an outsourcing hub with the help of Indian companies. In addition, IT education and training as well as language training could be an area of opportunity for Indian companies.

The two countries need to actively explore newer areas of cooperation in areas such as mining, manufacturing, railways, leather and textiles. India’s engineering goods, machinery, equipment and machine tools may find a good market in Chile. Defence production and trade is also an area of high potential.

To realise the potential, the CII paper said that trade facilitation issues such as direct shipping, aviation links, and non-tariff barriers need to be addressed. A protocol on trade and business facilitation should be set in place, which could include agreements on rule of origin measures, valuation and standards. Such a protocol could facilitate certification by industry associations for easier and faster implementation.

India’s overall trade with Chile expanded from 586.65 million dollar in 2005-06 to 2093.35 million dollars in 2007-08. However, trade has been fluctuating with the price of commodities, particularly copper.

India’s exports to Chile have gone up by almost three times since 2003-04. But the export level is still far below potential and Chile forms a minuscule proportion of India’s total exports. India’s imports from Chile have risen by more than ten times in the same period, quadrupling between 2005-06 and 2006-07.
However, the next year, imports moderated somewhat to 1.8 billion dollars. (ANI)

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Obama, Lula discuss economy, energy

March 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Obama, Lula discuss economy, energy Washington – US President Barack Obama met Saturday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for talks on the global financial crisis and energy issues.

Obama’s meeting with Lula at the White House was his third with a foreign leader and first with one from Latin America, signalling the importance with which his administration views the region and its role in pulling the world economy out its downturn.

Brazil so far has been able to weather the bad economy. The two leaders discussed next month’s summit of the world’s 20 leading economies.

The United States is eyeing Brazil’s large bio-fuel resources as the Obama administration seeks to counter US dependence on foreign oil.

Lula has declared his interest in improving US relations in the hemisphere, including with traditional Washington foes Cuba and Venezuela.

But the top priority was the Group of 20 Summit on April 2 in London, where world leaders are seeking to coordinate efforts to halt the economic contraction. Obama and Lula have endorsed taking steps to help protect some of the world’s poorest countries from the economic crisis.

Obama’s predecessor, George W Bush, launched an initiative to work with Latin American countries on production of bio-fuels, as oil prices reached record highs during the last two years, prompting worries of a global energy crunch.

Obama’s stimulus package, approved by Congress last month, includes 15 billion dollars to develop cleaner energy technologies as part of his effort to create jobs in the United States while curbing greenhouse gas emissions and combating global warming.

Lula was expected during Saturday’s meeting to seek a role as a mediator between the United States and Venezuela as relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply over the last eight years.

The United States has pressed Brazil on the issue of an 8-year-old boy, whose American father is seeking his return to the United States in a custody case that was expected to come up during the meeting. The boy has lived with his stepfather in Brazil since his mother died in 2007.

The boy’s Brazilian mother took the boy, Sean Goldman, to Brazil after splitting with her ex-husband David Goldman four years ago. She refused to return, and then divorced and remarried.

A Brazilian court has granted custody to the stepfather.

Obama has been briefed on the issue, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has conveyed the US position to Brazilian officials.

The US House of Representatives this week passed a resolution unanimously calling on Brazilian authorities to return Sean to his native country.

Following his meeting with Obama, Lula is set to travel to New York, where he is to deliver a lecture Monday to US business people on opportunities for foreign private investment in Brazil. dpa

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Peruvian woman jailed by Jordan court for drug trafficking

March 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Peruvian woman jailed by Jordan court for drug trafficking Amman – A Peruvian woman has been sentenced to seven and a half years in jail by Jordan’s State Security Court on charges of drug trafficking, the daily Alarab Alyawm reported Wednesday.

The woman, identified as Sylvia Rondad, 35, was found guilty of hiding 143 capsules of cocaine in her stomach during a flight from Madrid to Amman at the end of November, when she was arrested upon landing by narcotics agents.

Rondad told the Jordanian authorities that she was offered 3,000 dollars by people she identified as Maria and Carlos to smuggle the drugs.

The tribunal initially sentenced Rondad to 15 years in jail, but decided to reduce the verdict after she appealed for mercy, the paper said.

It was the second sentence to be passed by the Jordanian court against drug smugglers from Latin American countries in five weeks.

The State Security Court last month issued similar sentences against two Argentine girls for trying to smuggle drugs to Jordan.

Also last week, the Jordanian authorities foiled an attempt by a Bolivian man to smuggle 5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in his bag, the paper reported. (dpa)

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Will lithium prevent clean revolution?

March 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hamburg – Will millions of electric eco-cars one day solve our climate and energy problems? If batteries are charged with renewable wind and solar energy, electric cars are currently the cleanest on the road. But most batteries are made of lithium, a finite and expensive natural resource, which prompts sceptics to question the ambitious plans of many car makers.

Some analysts are already sounding warnings that the latest lithium-ion battery technology will at best occupy a small niche market. Lithium is a limited natural resource with most deposits in Bolivia, Chile and some in Australia and Tibet.

A strategy expert at the Paris ESCP-EAP campus, Professor Frederic Frery, points out that even if the current total lithium production of 25,000 tonnes annually is used for electric car batteries, this would only suffice for 1 million of the 50 million new cars sold annually.

“If all the lithium were used for electric cars the resource would only be enough to last for 10 years,” he warns.

Lithium is a lightweight metal with a high energy density that has long been used for laptop and mobile phone batteries. Tesla and other manufacturers of electric cars are also using the metal for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries that take up less space, weigh less and extend the range of electric vehicles.

Bolivia, one of the poorest Latin American countries, has the world’s largest deposits of lithium carbonate in the Uyuni salt lake region. Bolivian President Evo Morales wants state-control of what is considered potentially “white gold”. The price of lithium has more than doubled in the past five years as demand increases.

Nevertheless, several car makers and governments have ambitious electric car plans. BMW is currently leasing a fleet of 500 electric MINIs with a lithium-ion battery pack positioned in the space normally occupied by the rear seat. The cars have a range of 240 kilometres.

The United States government has earmarked 2 billion dollars for investment in hybrid and electric car technology.

Germany is earmarking 500 million euros for electric vehicles and their supply with energy. General Motors is planning to mass-produce its Volt electric vehicle in 2010. The Japanese Automotive Energy Supply Corporation is spending 1.1 billion dollars on lithium production facilities for use in electric vehicles.

Mitsubishi, like other Japanese manufacturers are planning electric cars, and has done its own research on the lithium supply and demand situation. It believes there will be an oversupply until the year 2013. Nissan is also upbeat about electric and hybrid vehicles aiming for a production of up to 200,000 units by the year 2011.

Others are more cautious. The head of Germany’s automobile federation (VDA) Matthias Wissmann says the electric car will be driven mainly by a small group of eco-conscious motorists around 2014/2015.

Proponents of the lithium-ion battery technology point out that unlike oil, lithium can be recycled and that the expense is caused by the low production of the batteries and not by the high price of the metal itself. As demand increases, so the argument, prices for electric cars will drop.

There are also alternatives to lithium-ion batteries with Toyota’s current Prius hybrid cars still running on NiMH or nickel-metal hybrid battery packs. As battery technology develops and demand for the new technology increases, optimists believe engineers will develop improved, affordable batteries and offer a longer range and shorter loading time. (dpa)

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Pak pursuing Mumbai probe transparently based on Indian dossier: Zardari

January 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Jan.20 (ANI): Amid international pressure to act hard and sincerely against the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai attackers, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has assured that the probe will be based on the dossier provided by India.

“The investigation into the Mumbai attacks will be carried out transparently in accordance with the information provided by India,” the Daily Times quoted Zardari, as saying.

Meanwhile, in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Interior Advisor Rehman Malik met ambassadors and high commissioners of different countries and have assured them that Pakistan is commited to reachingto the root of the Mumbai attacks, and will take every possible step to bring the perpetrators to book.

Ambassadors and high commissioners from Africa, Arab countries, Asia, Europe, North and Latin American countries were briefed by the Pakistani officials.

Pakistan also briefed the foreign envoys about the steps taken by the authorities to address the concerns of the international community in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

They, however, lamented that India has not responded positively to the Pakistan’s proposal for co-operation in countering terrorism in the region.

“It is important for India to respond positively to Pakistan’s proposals, and end the blame game, which started in the wake of the attacks,” Qureshi said.

The foreign envoys were urged to facilitate the resumption of the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan which was stopped after the Mumbai attack. (ANI)

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