PMs” AND THOSE PRESS CONFERENCES

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): Dr. Manmohan Singh will address the first formal press conference of his second term as Prime Minister on May 24 here. The Prime Minister”s Media Advisor, Harish Khare, will conduct the press conference where over a thousand reporters and photographers are expected to be present.

Though, the Prime Minister has addressed the media on several occasions when traveling abroad, he is reticent when it comes to interacting with the press at home. This is inexplicable, because Dr. Singh”s press conferences are a no-stress affair for the media and have never generated controversies.

He speaks at great length, does not snap at uncomfortable questions and explains his point of view gently and self-effacingly to even the junior-most of reporters.

Manmohan Singh never plays favourites with the media and does not hesitate in answering a question such as, “Sir, who is in the driver”s seat – you or Mrs. Gandhi?” a question once asked by a slightly inebriated reporter. Dr. Singh kept his cool and answered the young lad and, even posed for a picture with him at the end of the press interaction!

Dr Sanjaya Baru, a former media advisor to the Prime Minister and currently on the other side of the fence as Editor of the Business Standard, says, “As media advisor to a Prime Minister like Dr. Singh, I often felt like a BMW salesman would! The brand and the product are so good, that there was not much of sales talk to do.”

Dr Baru served as the PM”s Media Advisor in the UPA”s first term. In the second term, Dr. Singh has Mr. Harish Khare, a former Associate Editor of The Hindu, as his media advisor.

A media advisor”s office before a PM press conference is a beehive of activity. He has to prepare a list of questions that might be asked and must advice the PM on how best to respond. The list of questions are made up after consulting with other senior officers of the Prime Minister”s Office as also with journalists. Mr. Khare is a veteran journalist, having done the ”PMO-beat” himself. So, he would be well aware of the kind of questions likely to be asked on Monday.

Predictably the questions will center round the Naxal issue, inflation, Indo-Pak and Indo-US relations. The googlies could be about Tharoor and Twitter and Jairam Ramesh and China.

None of the press interactions are ever orchestrated. The questions are not filtered through the media department in the PMO, nor is the reporter harassed if he asks a question that may seem a bit harsh.

So long as the language is courteous as befitting the office of a Prime Minister, the PMO offers little resistance to even the most belligerent of reporters.

However, times have changed from the era of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who had an uncomfortable relationship with the media.

Her media advisor, the legendary journalist and writer H.Y.Sharda Prasada, was well aware of Mrs. G”s cut and dry method of dealing with reporters.

She was disarmingly charming to some, gave the right quotes and posed prettily for their cameras. But she could be bitingly harsh to many others.

Mr. Sharada Prasada had a comparatively easier task when he worked with her son, Rajiv Gandhi. Here, the problem was different. Rajiv would breach protocol and mix very freely with journalists. Mr. Sharada Prasad was of the old school where Prime Ministers maintained their distance, and were supposed to be unapproachable. RG would have none of that.

The PM”s office has changed. Whether V.P.Singh or Chandrashekhar or I.K.Gujral, they were all accessible to the media. While Gujral and Chandrashekar were not in their jobs long enough to hold the customary Vigyan Bhavan press conferences, the others did.
V.P.Singh held his in the Siri Fort auditorium as Vigyan Bhavan was under renovation and predictably, the questions were about the Mandal report and things got too hot to handle.

Mr. Narasimha Rao was dour during a press conference, but polite to journalists when he knew he was not on record! His famous last press interaction at 7, Race Course Road soon after the destruction of the Babri Mosque was legendary.

BBC correspondent Mark Tully asked him “Do you Sir, take no responsibility for the destruction of the mosque?” Mr. Rao, who had for over half-an-hour droned on and on about law and order, bristled at the question, and shockingly answered, “I do not think the responsibility lies on me.”

That was the last formal press interaction Mr. Rao had as Prime Minister. While editing the tape, I was well aware that this was the best ”bite” for many years to come.

Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee”s press conferences were a delight to attend.

From the long pauses, which gave us junior scribes enough time to take down each and every word without abbreviating, to the cryptic statements which had to be deciphered after the presser, one always had brilliant copy at the end of the interaction.

But editing his sound bites for TV were nightmarish experiences! There were times though one was irritated about why he would not be as honest with the media as he was with his colleagues.

The most glaring example being his apparent soft approach to Chief Minister Narendra Modi when he visited Gujarat post riots, and said that the Chief Minister should practice “Rajdharma”.

Most journalists were disappointed with the Prime Minister. They expected a reprimand. But the PM would not oblige. If Modi was reprimanded, it was behind closed doors. Vajpayee practiced his “Rajdharma”.

Dr Manmohan Singh is in his sixth year as Prime Minister and interacts with the press in the same manner as he did during his first year in office. In April 2010, in Washington DC after meeting with US President Barack Obama and completing six other engagements, the Prime Minister answered every question put to him without a single ”no comment” or a brusque ”this is a hypothetical question”.

While the government is working hard to put together its report card on ”One year of UPA-2”, the media in Delhi is readying for the event of the summer. That is, unless President Obama decides to visit Delhi in the summer. (ANI)

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Harbrow backed over high-speed hit

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has called for more latitude to be given to players at the AFL tribunal when they are involved in high-speed collisions.

Clarkson was commenting after Western Bulldogs defender Jarrod Harbrow laid out Hawks midfielder Jordan Lewis with a sickening bump late in the second term of Sunday’s game at Docklands stadium.

Lewis was running with the flight of the ball when the two collided at high speed.

Hawks ruck coach Damian Monkhorst, sitting on the interchange bench, told Clarkson the impact looked like a train wreck.

Lewis was concussed and stretchered off the field, but returned to the game in the final term.

Clarkson said he had not seen a replay of the incident, but it appeared Harbrow was making a legitimate attack on the ball.

“I haven’t seen the incident, but if Harbrow’s elbow is up even just slightly and he (Lewis) has been hit in the head, he’s probably got a six-week holiday coming,” Clarkson said.

“In the tone of the game, for me, sometimes those things are going to happen in footy, it’s a tough, brutal game and it’s getting quicker and harder to adjudicate what is fair and what’s unfair.

“It’s a tough, brutal game sometimes… ‘Kanga’s’ (Hawthorn coach John Kennedy) old philosophy – you cop one, you just pass it on.

“By the end of your career, you’ve usually copped just as many as you’ve given.”

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade strongly defended Harbrow’s conduct.

“It showed a great deal of courage from Lewis, who was fantastic in the contest, and I thought Jarrod committed himself as well – there was no other option, really,” Eade said.

“We’ve watched the tape and Jarrod got his hand to the ball first… it’s just unfortunate for Lewis.”

Head-high contact has again been a controversial topic this season, with the match review panel making conflicting judgments.

Along with the Harbrow-Lewis clash, the panel is also likely to look at a second-term incident where Hawks key forward Lance Franklin made contact with Jason Akermanis.

The Bulldogs veteran was floored but was soon back in the game.

Brisbane’s Ashley McGrath is already on report for rough conduct following an incident where he made contact with the face of Port Adelaide ruckman Cameron Cloke.

There are unconfirmed reports that an incident seconds before led to the contact.

Lions ruckman Mitch Clark was reported for striking Jackson Trengove, while Hayden Ballantyne of Fremantle was booked for the unusual charge of pinching.

West Coast forward Ashley Hansen is on report for striking North Melbourne midfielder Daniel Wells.

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INTERVIEW – Plans to reconcile Afghan fighters show progress

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Afghanistan has made progress encouraging insurgents to lay down their weapons, an official in charge of peace talks in the war-torn country said on Wednesday but that help from neighbour Pakistan remains crucial.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has made reconciling with insurgents a priority of his second term and plans are afoot for a large assembly — or peace jirga — involving different factions of Afghan society, for late April or early May.

Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai is in charge of a plan to reintegrate low-level cadres of the insurgency into society and also leads preparations for the peace jirga. He said there were signs that some insurgents were responding positively to both policies.

“Some delegations are coming from different provinces, they are meeting with the leadership of the government and they are indicating their willingness to join this process and on that front there is a lot of contact ongoing,” Stanekzai told Reuters.

“The representatives of one of those groups have come to Kabul … all these are indications that the people of Afghanistan are tired of the war and they want to find a way out of this current situation.”

That was a reference to the militant group Hizb-e-Islami, which last month sent a delegation to Kabul for talks with government officials.

Stanekzai said a programme to encourage fighters to give up weapons in return for jobs, training and protection from other militants, was also gradually bearing fruit.

“There are people who are joining with laying down their weapons and with this reintegration process,” Stanekzai said. There were initial indications, he said, that insurgents in the provinces of Baghlan, Herat and Kunduz wanted to join the reintegration programme.

Washington has exerted pressure on Kabul to take greater responsibility for security in Afghanistan by setting a July 2011 deadline for U.S. troops to start withdrawing from the country, but has said it is premature to expect the Taliban to talk.

“This is a jirga of the Afghan people. We will not draw the line that who is the opposition or who is the insurgent on the other side,” Stanekzai said. Community leaders who attend could include Taliban sympathisers, he said.

There are three main insurgent factions in Afghanistan: the Taliban, loosely led by the Quetta Shura in Pakistan, Hizb-e-Islami, and the Haqqani network, which is thought to lead attacks in the east and southeast of Afghanistan.

None has formally agreed to attend the peace jirga and the Taliban has dismissed Kabul’s reintegration efforts.

Stanekzai said on an individual level he believed there was support for the peace jirga among the Taliban but “when it comes to the formal responses, it’s very difficult to find out who is their real spokesman.”

PAKISTAN CRUCIAL

The insurgency in Afghanistan is at its deadliest since the war started in 2001, and critics have blamed the resurgence of groups like the Taliban on insufficient oversight of the war by Washington and NATO, and a weak Afghan government.

Stanekzai said Pakistan’s support was necessary to make reconciliation a success. If Pakistan’s recent arrest of Taliban commander Mullah Baradar was intended to prevent the spreading the insurgency in Afghanistan, he said, then he welcomed it.

“(But) if they are replaced with others who continue with the same kind of operation, and those who are willing to join the peace process … are then arrested, then it will not be welcome,” Stanekzai said.

The Afghan government has asked Islamabad to repatriate Baradar to his native Afghanistan. Last month, the former top U.N. envoy to Afghanistan said talks he was involved in with top Taliban leaders were scuppered by Baradar’s arrest.

“We are formally hearing from the officials from Pakistan, they are supportive of these initiatives, but at the same time we need to see a fundamental change in their policy to Afghanistan and both countries need to genuinely cooperate,” Stanekzai said.

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

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Rabbitohs leave Sharks winless

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cronulla is the only NRL club yet to post a win so far this season after going down 30-8 to South Sydney in their round three encounter at Shark Park on Monday evening.

The Rabbitohs, who themselves had entered the match without a victory, produced a solid enough display by running in five tries to two, although they were guilty of shutting down far too early in the second half.

Rabbitohs centre Beau Champion crossed for two tries amid wet and slippery conditions, his efforts helping to consign the Sharks to what is their 13th-straight defeat.

The performance under the high ball from full-back Albert Kelly, who dropped a series of bombs, pretty much summed up the Sharks’ night and they now must re-group before meeting Parramatta at home on Saturday.

It was a morale-boosting display from the Rabbitohs to give coach Johnny Lang his first triumph in charge.

“We’ve struggled to win games we’re expected to win,” Lang said.

“The boys came here tonight and everyone’s telling them ‘you should win this game’ … we were under pressure and we worked hard and we got the points.”

The victory was very much built on the Rabbitohs’ dominance in attack during the opening half.

They completed 18 of 20 sets and enjoyed 58 per cent of possession and although they failed to replicate their completion rate in the second term, the damage had been done by half-time when they led 18-4.

The Rabbitohs had trailed early, however, when Luke Covell scored in the left-hand corner in the seventh minute after the Sharks had gone down the short side from a scrum 10 metres out.

But the visitors were unfazed and Champion opened his account five minutes later when an angled run saw him cross the paint and he doubled his tally soon after when he scored out to the right, having taken a neat offload from Nathan Merritt from close to the Sharks’ try line.

Champion’s centre partner Colin Best was the next to post a try when he was beautifully set up by a weighted pass from Ben Lowe, the Rabbitohs lock teasing the Sharks at the defensive line before offloading to his team-mate.

Issac Luke, who missed the Rabbitohs’ warm-up after taking his pregnant girlfriend to the hospital, added three conversions to help establish a 14-point lead at the break.

The Rabbitohs moved further ahead early in the second half with star recruit Sam Burgess registering his maiden try in the NRL.

The England international bustled over after receiving a pass from Luke in a switch play from close range, the latter then converting to set up a 20-point advantage.

The Sharks did grab one try back in the 46th minute via Blake Ferguson, although it was effectively a consolation four-pointer with the home side unable to get back on the scoreboard from that point after.

The Rabbitohs countered through a Luke try midway through the half that was converted by Chris Sandow, but they then virtually put the cue in the rack, a worrying sign for Lang ahead of next Monday’s fixture against Canterbury at the Olympic stadium.

South Sydney: 30 (B Champion 2, C Best, S Burgess, I Luke tries; I Luke 4 goals, C Sandow goal)

Cronulla: 8 (L Covell, B Ferguson tries)

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Obama sees progress on first Afghan trip as president

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

U.S. President Barack Obama made the first trip of his presidency to Afghanistan on Sunday, where he said the military campaign had made progress but President Hamid Karzai still had to tackle corruption.

Air Force One landed in darkness at Bagram airfield north of the Afghan capital, and Obama was whisked by helicopter to Karzai’s palace in Kabul, where he was greeted by the Afghan president and a band playing the U.S. national anthem.

“I want to send a strong message that the partnership between the United States and Afghanistan is going to continue. We have already seen progress with respect to the military campaign against extremism in the region,” Obama later told Karzai in front of reporters inside the palace.

“We also want to continue to make progress on … good governance, rule of law, anti-corruption efforts — all these things end up resulting in an Afghanistan that is more prosperous, more secure, independent,” he added.

Karzai said he hoped “the partnership will continue in the future towards a stable, strong, peaceful Afghanistan that can sustain itself, that can move forward into the future.”

U.S. officials said Obama would press Karzai to crack down on corruption and battle drug trafficking. He would later hear a briefing from the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Army General Stanley McChrystal, and give a speech to U.S. troops.

The president left Washington on Saturday night. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, speaking before the trip, said Obama wanted to get an “on the ground update” about the war from McChrystal and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador.

National security advisor General James Jones told reporters on Air Force One that Obama would tell Karzai “in this second term that there are certain things he has to do as the president of his country to battle the things that have not been paid attention to almost since day one”.

In December, Obama ordered the deployment of an extra 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan and set a mid-2011 target to begin withdrawal. About a third have so far arrived, participating in a major offensive in the south of the country last month.

The Obama administration has had an uneasy relationship with Karzai throughout Obama’s 14 months in office, reaching a low point during a three-month Afghan election dispute last year.

Eikenberry wrote in a classified cable in November, later leaked, that Karzai was “not an adequate strategic partner”.

Obama speaks to Karzai infrequently, unlike his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, who launched the war after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

TROOP INCREASE

The trip allows Obama to see any early results of his troop increase, show support for military personnel and counter critics who say his focus on passing healthcare legislation has diverted attention from foreign policy.

Since Obama took office, the eight-year war in Afghanistan has shifted from a second priority behind Iraq to the main effort of the U.S. military. By the end of this year, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have tripled under Obama’s watch to 100,000, along with about 40,000 from NATO allies.

Obama’s domestic victory on healthcare reform last week gives him political space to turn his attention to the Afghan war, which has mixed support from the American public amid rising casualties, costs, and corruption among Afghan leaders.

Obama travelled to Afghanistan during the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign after being criticised by Republican challenger John McCain for failing to tour the war zone, but has not been back since his victory.

The White House official said weather and logistical reasons thwarted previous attempts at a presidential visit since Obama took office in January 2009.

Afghan policy has been transformed during Obama’s year in office. Top U.S. officials held two long reviews of the White House’s war policy, both times electing to send tens of thousands of extra troops.

The war has become far deadlier and far more costly, setting records last year for the numbers of troops and civilians killed.

Karzai, who remained in power after a fraud-marred election last August, has launched a high profile effort to reconcile with the Taliban, who have made a comeback more than eight years since U.S.-backed Afghan militias drove them from Kabul.

The Taliban have so far spurned his offer to talk, although another insurgent group, Hezb-i-Islami sent a delegation to Kabul this month to present a peace plan. The palace revealed this week that Karzai had received them.

U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said last week the timing was still not right for reconciliation with senior Afghan Taliban leaders.

(Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Carla Bruni not keen on 2nd term for husband Sarkozy

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is not keen to see her husband President Nicolas Sarkozy run for a second term in office, worried that the job might damage his health, the French first lady told Figaro Magazine.

“As a spouse, I do not wish for it. Maybe I am afraid that his health will be affected. Maybe I want to live what time we have left together in a certain peace,” she said.

“But whatever the situation and whatever my husband decides, I will quietly accept it,” she added, according to an advance copy of the interview released ahead of Saturday’s publication.

Sarkozy’s father Pal also suggested the president might find life more relaxing as a private citizen.

“He will be the one to decide,” Pal Sarkozy told the daily Le Parisien. “But personally, I think he would have a much more peaceful and much more comfortable life if he didn’t run.”

“This is an opinion of a father who loves his son … and who would like to see him happy,” he said.

Sarkozy came to power in 2007 and is expected to run for a second term in 2012, although he has yet to confirm this.

However, his poll ratings are hovering near record lows and his UMP party suffered a humiliating rout at a regional ballot this weekend, raising doubts for the first time over whether he would stand for re-election if his fortunes did not revive.

WHIRLWIND ROMANCE

Bruni and Sarkozy married in 2008 after a whirlwind romance, but there was wild media speculation earlier this month that their marriage was in difficulty after a French blog reported rumours that both Bruni and her husband were having affairs.

“I despise so-called journalists who use blogs as if they were a credible source,” Bruni told Figaro Magazine.

Bruni once described herself as a “man tamer” and has had a number of affairs with intellectuals and rock stars, including Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton.

She has often been quoted as saying, in a 2007 interview, that she was “crazily bored by monogamy”, but the former supermodel said she treasures her marriage to Sarkozy.

“He is someone who protects me from myself and the world. He is maybe the first man who protects me,” she said.

“The intimate part of our life is hard to describe without immodesty,” she said, adding: “It is the first time that I give as much as I get.”

A successful singer-songwriter with a string of albums to her name, Bruni said that she was working on a new record and that she missed performing.

She also confirmed that she was set to appear in a Woody Allen movie, due to be filmed in Paris this summer, but she does not yet know what role she will play.

((Reporting by Thierry Leveque, writing by Geert De Clercq and Sophie Taylor))

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Rakesh Maria likely to be appointed Maharashtra ATS chief

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Mar 25 (ANI): Rakesh Maria, Mumbai”s Joint Police Commissioner of Crime is likely to be appointed as Maharashtra”s new Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief.

Maria replaces K P Raghuvanshi, as reports confirm that he made the mistake of going public with information critical to tracking down terror suspects in Pakistan.

Sources said Raghuvanshi has been asked to step down from his post following his fault of going public with regard to information on terror suspects.

Maria has been credited for solving the 1993 blast case and has been the face of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks probe.

Raghuvanshi”s second term as the Maharashtra ATS Chief was cut short with this transfer. He also has been facing criticism for the non-performance in the Pune Blast case. (ANI)

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Reds adopting ruthless streak: Genia

March 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Queensland captain Will Genia says the Reds’ gritty win over the Chiefs shows they have the “mongrel” attitude that is needed to be competitive in this year’s Super 14.

The Reds caused a major upset when they beat the previously undefeated Chiefs 23-18 in Hamilton last Friday night, the visitors having entered the clash severely weakened by injury and mindful of their four-season losing run against their opponents.

They also did not help their cause when they allowed the Chiefs to race to a 15-0 lead midway through the first half before launching a stoic comeback to claim their second win of the season that leaves them in seventh place on the ladder.

The Reds’ opening victory of the season was a 41-20 result in round two at home to the Crusaders, another opponent that was heavily favoured to account for the Brisbane-based franchise.

Genia, who was making just his second appearance as Reds captain, is impressed with how his side closed out the match against the Chiefs after trailing 18-13 at half-time.

They kept the Chiefs scoreless in the second term while posting 10 points of their own and Genia feels this shows the Reds have the ruthlessness and self belief to match any team in the competition at the death.

“We’ve never won those tight contests and to come back from behind and show a lot of character as we did, it was definitely a great win,” he said.

“It sets us up really well for the season in terms of attitude and knowing what we can achieve.”

A trademark of the Reds’ campaigns in recent seasons has been their tendency to hold a lead until midway through or late in the second half, only to squander their advantage and suffer defeat.

This was again the plot line when they lost 30-28 to New South Wales at Lang Park in the first round of this season, having led by 10 points with as many minutes left in the contest.

Genia says he is hopeful the Reds have now cleared this mental hurdle, as illustrated by the triumph over the Chiefs.

“It has been a problem [closing out matches] to get to the 60, 70-minute mark and we tend to lose games, as we showed in the first week against the Waratahs,” he said.

“We kind of just spoke about wanting to play for 80 minutes and having that mongrel and attitude right the way through the game and that is something that we definitely showed on the weekend.”

Welcome headaches

The Reds’ growing injury list forced coach Ewen McKenzie to make three changes to his starting backline against the Chiefs with full-back Peter Hynes (dislocated finger), and wingers Digby Ioane (knee) and Rod Davies (fractured cheekbone) having all been ruled out.

Among the inclusions named was Wallabies tourist Luke Morahan at full-back and he made his presence felt with what proved to be the winning try in the second half.

Genia says Morahan’s performance and that of wingers Will Chambers and Brando Va’aulu gives the Reds the selection dilemmas they crave, considering Ioane is set to face the Western Force at Lang Park on Sunday and Hynes is a “50-50″ chance of playing.

“You can’t not pick someone like Peter Hynes and Digby as well, but it’s always good to have that selection headache,” he said.

The Force are 0-3 so far this season and their mammoth injury list has seen them already use around 30 players.

On paper they are seemingly the ideal opponent for the Reds to record back-to-back victories for the first time since 2006 but Genia has highlighted that his troops became distracted by that prospect after beating the Crusaders.

“The last time we said we wanted to win two in a row we lost,” he said.

“So, we’re just concentrating on putting in another good performance and backing that up with the win on the weekend.”

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Congress screens aspiring candidates for polls in Maharashtra

September 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Sep 12 (ANI): Congress party has begun shortlisting candidates aspiring for party’s nomination for the October 13 assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Congress party, which is running a coalition government with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra for the second term in a row, is yet to sort out hiccups on seat sharing with its ally.

As the days for nominations to open on September 18 draws close, state Congress party leaders went in a huddle in Mumbai to screen aspirants seeking ‘ticket’ to contest polls on the party symbol.

“I have given my profile, I have told about major problems in our area including drinking water and irrigation and people do not get benefited from the policies of the government,” said Anil Chandra Kumar Gupta, an aspirant from Tiroda seat of Gondia district.

Congress party, which also heads the central coalition, is on a high after its good performance in the April-May general elections. (ANI)

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Barbaric Taliban chop ink-strained fingers of Afghan voters

August 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Aug.22 (ANI): Afghanistan’s top election monitoring organization, the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, has claimed that the Taliban had chopped off thefingers of at least two Afghan voters during the presidential election which took place on Thursday (August 20).

Nader Nadery, the head of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, said Taliban insurgents attacked two voters in Kandahar shortly after voting on Thursday and cut off their ink-stained fingers.

Hundreds of Afghan voters exercised their exclusive right in the country’s second-ever direct presidential election earlier this week. However, the polling percentage remained low as compared to the 2001 elections, primarily due to the extremists’ threat.

While both Hamid Karzai and his rival Abdullah Abdullah have claimed to be ahead in the early voting count, the turn out in the southern part of the country was less than what was anticipated. The lower turnout in the south may dent Karzai’s aspirations of running a second term, as the region primarily consists of his fellowmen, the Pashtuns.

“If results show that more people voted in the north than the south, “then we will have an issue,” The Daily Express quoted Nadery, as saying.

He said the monitoring group also noticed large scale incidents of officials not being impartial and pressuring people to vote for a particular candidate. (ANI)

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Pals ask Sarkozy to give up rigorous fitness regime introduced by wife

July 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 28 (ANI): French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been asked by his friends to give up severe diet and exercise regime introduced to him by wife Carla Bruni.

The 54-year-old politician was rushed to hospital last weekend after he collapsed while jogging.

He was released from Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris after being kept in overnight under cardiological observation.

While heat and overwork were blamed for the incident, Frederic Lefebvre, a spokesman for Sarkozy’s UMP party, has raised doubts by insisting that he had suffered a “cardiac incident”.

According to Sarlozy’s friends, he had fallen foul of a draconian diet introduced to him by wife Carla Bruni, which involved eating little and ruled out chocolate, cheese and pudding- in an attempt to make Mr Sarkozy as svelte and fit.

“The president is going to have to take more care, work a little less hard and eat a little bit more,” the Telegraph quoted Patrick Balkany, an MP and close friend of Sarkozy, as saying.

“He’s on a diet because he’s always a little bit too heavy … let’s say he doesn’t want to be overweight.

“At 54 you have to be reasonable,” he added.

The First Lady, who he married last year after a whirlwind romance, is attributed with overseeing a complete “metamorphosis” of her husband as part of his bid to run for a second term in 2012.

Carla had also introduced him to her personal trainer who has helped the President lose around 9lb and two trouser sizes.

Julie Imperiali, 26, who specialises in strengthening the pelvic floor, said earlier this year that she had helped the President get more in touch with his limits as before “he used just to run and run and run without being aware of his body”.

Meanwhile, doctors have advised him to rest, so he has postponed a planned visit to the Mont Saint Michel abbey in Normandy. (ANI)

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USINPAC welcomes Roemer’s appointment as envoy to India

July 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, July 16 (ANI): The U.S.-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) has welcomed the appointment of Timothy J. Roemer as USA’s Ambassador to India.

Roemer takes over in New Delhi at the beginning of PM Manmohan Singh’s second term in office.

Sanjay Puri, the Chairman of the U.S. India Political Action Committee said: “Mr. Roemer’s nomination is reassuring as he brings with him quality experience on issues of terrorism as well as national and international security, a subject of great importance in this relationship.”

He added that “Mr Roemer’s past work in various positions made him a seasoned diplomat and his service as President of the Center for National Policy gave him an extra dimension to operate in India and in South Asia at large”.

Puri stated that the new ambassador will have “an opportunity to build on the work of the past administration and set the tone for a new relationship”. (ANI)

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Amal Allana gets second term as NSD chief

June 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) President Pratibha Patil Monday appointed veteran theatre personality Amal Allana as chairperson of the National School of Drama (NSD) for a second term with immediate effect.
“Allana, an alumnus of the NSD, is the daughter of Ibrahim Alkazi, the founder of the NSD. She joined NSD four years ago as the chairperson,” NSD public relations officer Anup Kumar Barua told IANS.

Allana has directed several plays, including “Aadhe Adhure”, “The Exception and the Rule”, “Khamosh, Adalat Jari Hai”, “Ashadh Ka Ek Din”, “Mahabhoj”, “King Lear”, “Himmat Mai” and “Begum Barve”.

She has received many honours, including awards from the Delhi Natya Sangh (1994), Sahitya Kala Parishad (1996), Czech TV for the tele-play “Wapsi” (1983) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for direction (1998).

One of the important changes during Alana’s tenure was the re-christening of NSD’s annual theatre festival as Theatre Utsav from the National School of Drama Bharat Rangmahotsav.

Allana is currently abroad.

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Jittery Madagascar army combs airport for ex-president

May 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Antananarivo – Heavily-armed troops in Madagascar combed the international airport in the capital Antananarivo for ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, fearing that he is planning to try to slip back into the country, local media reported Thursday.

The alarm was raised Wednesday, when the passenger list for a flight arriving from the neighbouring Indian Ocean island of Mauritius went missing, Malaza daily newspaper reported.

Apparently fearing that Ravalomanana might be attempting to return to the island, two months after being ousted by the opposition with military backing, a few hundred soldiers fanned out across Ivato airport, including the runway, in wait for the Mauritius flight.

The soldiers searched the luggage of passengers on the flight and questioned them, apparently trying to identify possible Ravalomanana accomplices. No incriminating material was found.

The administration of embattled interim president Andry Rajoelina is appearing increasingly jittery as pressure grows on the 34-year-old leader to end months of instability by holding inclusive elections.

So far, the international community has refused to recognize Rajoelina as leader, saying his arrival to power through a campaign of street protests and with the help of mutinous troops, was tantamount to a coup.

Ravalomanana had been democratically re-elected to a second term in 2006 but lost support over the army’s violent crackdown on demonstrations.

The United Nations announced late last week a breakthrough in talks between the parties of the island’s three ex-presidents and Rajoelina on the holding of fresh elections.

But former dictator Didier Ratsiraka, who is in exile in France, later pulled out, saying peaceful elections were not possible in the current climate.

Rajoelina poured more cold water on the prospect for a speedy resolution to the crisis this week, saying Ravalomanana would not be allowed return to the island to stand for re-election.

Former Antananarivo mayor Rajoelina has announced plans to visit Paris, where his children live and he has citizenship, as well as Senegal and New York, in the coming days. In New York, he plans to attend a summit of poor countries in early June. (dpa)

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US raconteur predicts 9/11 like event will rock Obama administration

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 26 (ANI): American author, television star and raconteur Stephen Fry has predicted that President Barack Obama will be rocked by a major event as big as the 9/11 terrorist atrocity during his period in power.

Fry, 51, was holding court in an hour-long session on the theme of America at the Hay Festival of Literature, in Mid Wales.

He warned that, despite worldwide jubilation at Obama’s election, it would all end in failure.

“All politics ends in failure. I have met many retired politicians and they are all unhappy and bitter,” Fox News quoted Fry, as saying.

Of Obama, Fry predicted: “If he has two terms I do not think the second term will end on an up. He has got a lot of credit, but he will go through it in the end. Nobody can know what will happen in the future. Who could have foreseen 9/11? Something will happen like that. Something that you cannot imagine.” (ANI)

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Obama, Manmohan reaffirm resolve to fight terror together (Lead)

May 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington/New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) US President Barack Obama congratulated Manmohan Singh Saturday, a day after he was sworn in as India’s prime minister for a second term, and the two leaders resolved to work together on global challenges, including terrorism.

In their telephonic conversation, Obama said he looked forward to continuity in the India-US strategic partnership, a key aide to the prime minister said in New Delhi.

Obama also congratulated India on “successfully completing the largest democratic exercise that the world has ever seen”, terming it “a testament to the strength of India’s democracy”, a White House statement said.

“The two leaders recalled their warm meeting in London on April 2 (during the G20 summit) and discussed their mutual desire to strengthen US-India relations and work together to address common global challenges, such as the economic downturn, climate change, and counterterrorism,” the statement added.

Obama also invited the prime minister to visit Washington, it said.

Manmohan Singh too reiterated his invitation to Michelle and Barack Obama to visit India, the Indian official said.

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Manmohan Singh gets unique greetings from artists

May 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Allahabad/Ludhiana, May 22 (ANI): As Dr. Manmohan Singh gets ready for his second term as Prime Minister, artists have greeted him in their own unique way.

A youth from Allahabad city has built a sand sculpture of Dr. Singh at Sangam on the banks of the river Ganga.

“On the banks of the holy river Ganga, I have built sand sculpture of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. As he will take oath today, I am expressing my happiness in a creative way,” said Rajkapoor Chetera, Sand Artist.

The sculpture has been built at Sangam, union of three of the holiest rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

In Ludhiana, another artist has created wax statue of Dr. Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to greet them on their resounding electoral win.

“We feel proud that a person like Manmohan Singh who is an economist, an honest person, dedicated and a visionary is working whole heartedly for the country’s progress,” said Chander Shekhar Prabhakar, the wax artist.

Elated that Dr. Singh will continue his second term, Prabhakar distributed sweets among his relatives and friends.

He also offered sweets to the statues. (ANI)

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Manmohan Singh pays rent till 2011

May 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Guwahati, May 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has paid advance rent till the year 2011 for his house in Guwahati at Sarumotoria.

Singh, who is also an MP from Assam, owns a rented house of former Assam Chief Minister Late Hiteshwar Saikia.

Hemo Prava Saikia, who is living in the house now, said she was proud that she has a tenant who is now the Prime Minister of the country for the second term.

“Manmohan Singh never forgets to pay his due, and this time he has sent a cheque paying the rent till the year 2011,” she added. (ANI)

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Election Commissioner expresses satisfaction with vote count

May 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 16 (ANI): Election Commissioner S.Y Qureshi on Saturday expressed his satisfaction with the counting of votes process.

Talking to reporters here, Qureshi said: “I took a round of all the counting halls. The elections were conducted well and all parties appreciated it along with the media. All arrangements are going on perfectly and our political party agents, officials, observers and micro-observers are working smoothly and without any complaints.”

The Election Commission (EC) has introduced a new system – a random check by observers and micro-observers at the end of every round of counting.

Computerized counting of votes at over a thousand centres across the country began at 8:00 a.m. with the results for all parliamentary seats expected by 4:00 p.m.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is heading for a second term after this general election victory, according to the latest trends available. (ANI)

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Haneef’s lawyers welcome resignation of AFP chief Keelty

May 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Brisbane (Australia), May 6 (ANI): Lawyers for Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef have welcomed the resignation of Australia Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty, saying under him the AFP had been an “organisational disaster”.

Keelty will step down on September 2, his 35th anniversary as a police officer and two years before his second term as police chief expires, The Age reports.

The announcement of his early exit follows increasing pressure on him to resign, particularly over the AFP’s bungled handling of the arrest of Dr Haneef in relation to British terrorism attacks.

A report late last year vindicated Dr Haneef, who was arrested, detained and had his Australian work visa cancelled despite no evidence that he was associated with the British attacks.

“Mick Keelty has provided enormous service to Australia and to the AFP,” Prime Minister Rudd told reporters in Sydney this morning after the news broke.

“I would like to publicly acknowledge the work that he did in response to the Bali bombing where we lost nearly 100 of our own Australians who were murdered in that horrific event,” Rudd said, adding Keelty was leaving of his own accord.

“It is time for him to do something else,” the Prime Minister said.

Keelty, 54, became commissioner in 2001. A career police officer with 35 years experience, he is the first commissioner to have been appointed from within the ranks of the AFP and only the second to have served as commissioner for two terms.

Meanwhile, the Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland has rejected suggestions the investigation into Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef was to blame for the Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty’s resignation today.

Speaking in Sydney, McClelland congratulated Mick Keelty for a “truly outstanding tour of duty” in his 35 years of service at the AFP, and 9 years as the Commissioner.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, McClelland rejected suggestions the Haneef debacle had been to blame for Keelty’s resignation. The matter had involved mistakes from the highest levels of government, but Keelty had not been slow to learn the lessons from the affair, he said. (ANI)

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