UK commander says dialogue with Taliban insurgents necessary to end Afghan war

Kabul, Sep 18(ANI): In an ambitious aim to help bring an end to the eight-year war in Afghanistan by persuading the Taliban to lay down their arms, British Army Lt. Gen Sir Graeme Lamb said that many Taliban activists have “done nothing wrong”, rather they have taken to arms as “they have anger and grievances, which have not been addressed”.

While addressing a gathering at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) headquarters in Kabul, Lamb insisted that a dialogue with the Taliban insurgents is necessary to end the cold war.

“We need to take a good look at the people we consider to be our enemies. A lot of young men fighting us have not done anything wrong. They have anger and grievances, which have not been addressed. The better life they expected has not materialized, these are the people we must talk to, but we must make sure we have something to offer them,” The Independent quoted Lamb, as saying.

Lamb further highlighted that the NATO and British forces where not in Afghanistan to give up people’s freedom, and said: “What we do have to do is combine new culture and old culture and work out something that works. We will be listening to what our Afghan colleagues say. I will work very closely with them and let them set conditions.”

Lamb also said that their primary motive is to bring those Afghanistan citizens back into the society, who have been forced out of their society for no fault of their own.

“Judge us by not just what we say, the promises we make, but what we do, what we deliver at the end,” Lamb said. (ANI)

Action plan to phase out consumption of HCFC is on track: Ramesh

New Delhi, Sep 16 (ANI): Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday that India has developed a comprehensive Road Map and Action Plan to phase-out of production and consumption of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in various sectors.

Addressing the gathering during the 15th International Ozone Day here Ramesh said: “The Government of India has taken a number of policy measures, fiscal and regulatory, to encourage the early adoption of alternative technologies in this area by existing and new enterprises.”

Ramesh hailed the Montreal Protocol as the most successful international treaty to ever achieve universal participation.

“At a time when the world is trying to solve the problem of climate change, the International Ozone Day provided a timely reminder of how international cooperation can help to solve major global environmental problems,” Ramesh added.

India is one of the first developing countries to join the Montreal Protocol and pledge its commitment to protect the Ozone Layer.

As a part of the accelerated phase-out of CFCs, India has completely phased out the production and consumption of CFCs as on 1 August 2008, 17 months prior to the agreed schedule.

Ramesh informed that over 97percent of controlled Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) have been phased out by the Montreal Protocol.

“The end of 2009 will mark another significant milestone in the history of its implementation, with the use of potent ODSs -CFCs, Carbon Tetra Chloride (CTC) and Halons, except pharmaceutical-grade CFCs used in the manufacture of Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) – being ceased completely,” he said

The CFCs required for manufacturing for MDIs used by Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients are still available in India, a national transition strategy to phase them out by 2013 is currently under implementation.

“The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank recently also launched the India: Chiller Energy Efficiency Project to accelerate the conversion of CFC-based chillers using new, more energy efficient technologies,” Ramesh said.

This year’s theme for the ozone day was ‘Universal participation – Ozone protection unifies the World.’ (ANI)

Nirupama Rao discusses India, Nepal ties in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Sep 15 (ANI): Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met Nepal Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and discussed various bilateral issues including greater sharing of vital information between the two countries.

According to Nepalnews, both the leaders also discussed electricity import from India, signing of extradition treaty and the agreements reached during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s visit to India last month.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Koirala said that the discussion basically revolved around building greater cooperation between India and Nepal, Constitution drafting and the peace process.

“India was keen on providing more assistance to help develop Nepal’s poor infrastructures, building transmission lines for the import of electricity from India, signing of the new extradition treaty and address other trade issues,” Koirala added.

Earlier Nirupama Rao met her Nepalis counterpart Gyan Chandra Acharya and discussed joint strategy for implementation of the 34-point agreement signed between the two countries last month.

During the meeting, she assured substantial amount of Indian investment in Nepal if peace is established in the country.

She also called on former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala at his residence and suggested that Koirala has a great role to play in the days ahead to end the political impasse in Nepal.

She also met CPN UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and extended an invitation to visit India on behalf of the government of India. During her meeting she advised Khanal to seek a practical solution on rehabilitation and integration of former Maoist combatants.

Nirupama Rao also met Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Chief of Army Staff Chatra Mansingh Gurung and Maoist leader Babu Ram Bhattrai New Delhi is sending a high-level official to Nepal at a time when the constitution-drafting and peace process has been stalled due to differences among major political parties.

This is Nirupama Rao’s first visit to Nepal after being appointed Foreign Secretary on July 31.

She will also visit Pashupatinath temple and offer her prayers later today. (ANI)

First round of Indo-Swiss talks on black money to be held in December

New Delhi, Aug. 31 (ANI): The first round of consultations between New Delhi and the Swiss Government on tracing the black money deposited in tax havens in that country will be held in December.

However, there is no guarantee of prosecution of offenders on the basis of information secured from them.

According to Finance Ministry sources, Indian officials will have their first round of discussions with officials of Swiss government to evolve a legal system that will enable India to trace black money.

They said that such a system could be evolved through a Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAT) with Switzerland on the model of the agreements reached with countries of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Although, the DTAT could lead to information being secured from Switzerland in specific cases (in which individuals would have violated laws in India), but it cannot guarantee that such persons could also be prosecuted for that offence, they pointed out.

In April, Germany gave information in a case where an individual had violated tax laws and on the information given by the German government tax due from him was also collected.

But Germany gave the information on the specific condition that no prosecution would be launched against the individual and the government had to comply with that condition

Getting information from the Swiss banks was not an easy task, and Indian government will have to become eligible to ask for such information under a proper bilateral treaty.

Recently, the US government successfully tracked some cases of American citizens stashing away their money there. The US could even prosecute them. (ANI)

Scientific community wanted more tests, says Santhanam

New Delhi, Aug 27 (ANI): Top defence scientist Dr.K. Santhanam said on Thursday that the scientific community in India had felt after the May 1998 nuclear tests that there should be another test to complete the research.

Speaking to ANI after controversially revealing that Pokhran II tests were not entirely successful Santhanam said: “The Science and Technology Community as a whole wanted to have some more tests.”

“…but conducting a nuclear test is a highly political decision, and no matter the wish of scientific community may be, the political leadership of the country will have its say,” he added.

Santhanam also clarified that he had at no stage said the tests were a complete failure.

“I didn’t say it was a failure but partially successful,” Santhanam added.

He also said that in the reports given to the government, the scientists had mentioned the outcome of their experiments.

“The scientific community placed its reports about the out come of the tests. They are highly classified and the political leadership of the country is aware about that,” he said.

Maintaining his stand to go for more tests before signing CTBT or NPT Santhanam said, “Many people in the administration knew that India is in need of another test.”

“The energy released after the blast were measured and the energy release was much lower than what was expected by the designers. It was not a surprise to me,” Santhanam recalled.

India tested five nuclear devices including two-sub kilo category of thermo nuclear devices code named “Operation Shakti,” on May 11 and 13, 1998 at Pokhran in Rajasthan.

Countering Santhanam’s views, former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra said: “When they (scientists) said about the success of the tests in 1998, May 11 and 13, we asked whether they want to go for another test, but they (scientists) said No, and were satisfied by the tests.”

“It was very clear that based on their report only, we have announced it to the world. We have not lied to any one,” Mishra said adding it was only then that plans developed to discuss civil nuclear co-operation with the United States.

” In the entire scientific history, no country has gained 100 percent success in its first test of thermo nuclear device…if we get a chance, India should go for another test, especially of a thermonuclear device.” Santhanam said.

He, however, cautioned the country’s political leadership against signing either Comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) or Non – proliferation treaty (NPT).

The NPT is a highly discriminative treaty and divides the whole world into a nuclear haves and have nots, “Santhanam claimed.

Santhanam said the new Indo- US nuclear deal does not come in the way of going for more tests.

“There is one clause in the Indo- US nuclear deal that if the security scenario around the country changes, then we can go for a test, and the country’s leadership should take a decision to go for a test taking confidence of all the factors involved,” Santhanam said. By Shreeraj Gudi(ANI)

By 2015, 2 million people would die annually from tobacco-induced cancers

Washington, Aug 26 (ANI): By 2015, at least 2.1 million people will die each year because of tobacco-induced cancers, revealed The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition.

Published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, the Atlas has estimated that tobacco use kills some six million people each year (more than a third of whom will die from cancer), and drains 500 billion dollars annually from global economies.

The Atlas graphically displays how tobacco is devastating both global health and economies, especially in middle- and low-resource countries, and tracks progress and outcomes in tobacco control.

Not only the death toll due to tobacco-induced cancers will go around 2 million by 2015, the Atlas predicted that by 2030, 83 percent of these deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries.

However, unlike other cancer-causing agents, the danger of tobacco is completely preventable through proven public policies.

Major measures include tobacco taxes, advertising bans, smokefree public places, and effective health warnings on packages.

These cost-effective policies are among those included in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global treaty endorsed by more than 160 countries, and recommended by the World Health Organization MPOWER policy package.

The Atlas revealed that the global economy lost a staggering 500 billion dollars due to tobacco use.

These economic costs come as a result of lost productivity, misused resources, missed opportunities for taxation, and premature death.

The Atlas revealed that in 2006, about 600 billion smuggled cigarettes made it to the market, representing an enormous missed tax opportunity for governments, as well as a missed opportunity to prevent many people from starting to smoke and encourage others to quit.

Tobacco replaces potential food production on almost 4 million hectares of the world’s agricultural land, equal to all of the world’s orange groves or banana plantations.

In developing countries, smokers spend disproportionate sums of money relative to their incomes that could otherwise be spent on food, healthcare, and other necessities.

The Tobacco Atlas established an undeniable trend-the tobacco industry has shifted its marketing and sales efforts to countries that have less effective public health policies and fewer tobacco control resources in place:

It predicted that in 2010, 72 percent of those who die from tobacco related illnesses would be in low- and middle-income countries.

It revealed that since 1960 global tobacco production has increased three-fold in low- and middle-resource countries while halving in high-resource countries.

“The Tobacco Atlas is crucial to helping advocates in every nation get the knowledge they need to combat the most preventable global health epidemic,” said Dr. John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer, American Cancer Society.

The Tobacco Atlas was unveiled at the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit. (ANI)

UML says PM’s India visit a success

Kathmandu, Aug 24 (ANI): The CPN (UML) has stated that the five-day official visit of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to India was “successful and fruitful.”

The Standing Committee meeting of UML held at the party’s central office on Sunday said that the visit was successful and thanked the Prime Minister after he briefed the committee over the highlights of his visit.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister and Chairman of Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Yadav, has said that Madhav Kumar Nepal’s recently concluded India visit was just a continuation and that it failed to attain any achievements.

Kantipur quoted him as, saying that Madhav Kumar Nepal’s India visit failed to accomplish tasks of national interest.

“We could not see any solid proposal that would have abated the yearly deficit of billion rupees. No talks regarding the maximum exploitation of Nepal’s water resources have been made,” he said.

He also said that Prime Minister has not raised the issue of border encroachment during discussions with his Indian counterpart.

He also said that Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala’s decision to back out of the trip at the last moment was against the spirit of diplomatic norms.

“It’s an extreme mistake in part of Foreign Minister to back out of India tour after sending in the name list of Prime Minister’s entourage” he added.

However, during the visit both India and Nepal included a new trade treaty and agreement to control unauthorized trade, particularly from a third country.

The treaty is aimed at widening the bilateral economic engagements.

The new agreement will replace the existing arrangements since 1991, which was extended from time to time.

The trade treaty, which has been under negotiation for the last two years, aims at enlarging the scope of the existing institutional framework. As per the treaty India gives duty-free access to its market to goods manufactured in Nepal. (ANI)

Pak raises lands drying up issue due to Indian conspiracy with Holbrooke

Islamabad, Aug.21 (ANI): The Pakistan Government is reported to have raised the issue of its agrarian lands drying up due to India’s water conspiracy with visiting US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke.

Though Holbrooke told officials in Islamabad that American experts will soon be in town to help the country resolve its energy crisis, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make a further announcement on energy needs during her scheduled visit in October, the latter highlighted the fact that India has reduced the country”s agro-based economy to tatters by building the Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project on the Jhelum River.

The News quotes Indus Water Commissioners Ishrat Ali Khan and Jamaat Ali Shah, as saying that Pakistan has handed over credible evidence in June of this year to India, which establishes 14 agenda items; including the contentious Wullar barrage project.

Both officials says that while the talks were essentially a failure, the fact remains that India is taking steps to stop the flow of water through a 22-KM long tunnel into the Wullar Lake.

India, on the other hand, claims that the project, which includes buidling a dam, will help maintain better water levels in a nearby lake and regulate the flow of flood waters.

Islamabad fears the proposed dam on the Jhelum river, a tributary of the Indus, will affect water levels further downstream in the plains of its Punjab province threatening irrigation and power projects.

In the wake of inconclusive talks on water flow of Jhelum, it says that the Indian attempt to use water as a geo-strategic tool, is unfair and in contravention to the Indus Water Ttreaty, 1960.

According to Indus Water Treaty of 1960, India has been allotted exclusive control/right over the waters of the eastern rivers, namely; the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej. Pakistan controls the waters of three western rivers; the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab.

It is interesting to note that the base-source of water of all the rivers flows from the Indian side of Kashmir.

According to Pakistan, the treaty bars India from storing any water or constructing any storage works on the western rivers that would result in a reduced flow of water to Pakistan and destruction of the country”s Rabi crop.

Pakistan maintains that India, under the treaty, can store water but it cannot divert it to any other side. Thus, any diversion would violate the provisions of the treaty.

Pakistan believes Wullar barrage can be used as: (1) a geo-strategic weapon, (2) potential to disrupt the triple canal project of Pakistan, (3) badly affecting the Neelum-Jehlum hydro-power project, (4) agriculture in Pakistan Kashmir (5) drying the lands of Punjab province.

The Indian side is of the view that Pakistan is not developing its hydel resources anyway and should not get so serious about its objections. (ANI)

Bangladesh court tells troops to exit from Chittagong Hill Tracts

Dhaka, Aug.20 (ANI): A court in Bangladesh ruled on Thursday that troops should withdraw from the insurgency-hit Chittacong Hill Tract.

The order was passed despite pleas from some residents about militant attacks.

The army has begun pulling out the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where the government signed a peace treaty with the main militant group in 1997, but halted last week due to a court petition from a Bengali settler.

Government figures show 2,500 people died during two decades of fighting before the peace deal, and deadly violence has continued between the settlers who moved to the area recently and indigenous tribal groups who seek autonomy.

The armed forces said 2,100 troops would be withdrawn and 35 security camps dismantled by September. (ANI)

Pak accuses India of reducing its agro-based economy to tatters

Islamabad, Aug.19 (ANI): Authorities in Pakistan have once again charged India with reducing the country’s agro-based economy to tatters by building the Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project on the Jhelum River.

The News quotes Indus Water Commissioners Ishrat Ali Khan and Jamaat Ali Shah, as saying that Pakistan has handed over credible evidence in JUne of this year to India, which establishes 14 agenda items; including the contentious Wullar barrage project.

Both officials says that while the talks were essentially a failure, the fact remains that India is taking steps to stop the flow of water through a 22-KM long tunnel into the Wullar Lake.

India, on the other hand, claims that the project, which includes buidling a dam, will help maintain better water levels in a nearby lake and regulate the flow of flood waters.

Islamabad fears the proposed dam on the Jhelum river, a tributary of the Indus, will affect water levels further downstream in the plains of its Punjab province threatening irrigation and power projects.

In the wake of inconclusive talks on water flow of Jhelum, it says that the Indian attempt to use water as a geo-strategic tool, is unfair and in contravention to the Indus Water Ttreaty, 1960.

According to Indus Water Treaty of 1960, India has been allotted exclusive control/right over the waters of the eastern rivers, namely; the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej. Pakistan controls the waters of three western rivers; the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab.

It is interesting to note that the base-source of water of all the rivers flows from the Indian side of Kashmir.

According to Pakistan, the treaty bars India from storing any water or constructing any storage works on the western rivers that would result in a reduced flow of water to Pakistan and destruction of the country’s Rabi crop.

Pakistan maintains that India, under the treaty, can store water but it cannot divert it to any other side. Thus, any diversion would violate the provisions of the treaty.

Pakistan believes Wullar barrage can be used as: (1) a geo-strategic weapon, (2) potential to disrupt the triple canal project of Pakistan, (3) badly affecting the Neelum-Jehlum hydro-power project, (4) agriculture in Pakistan Kashmir (5) drying the lands of Punjab province.
The Indian side is of the view that Pakistan is not developing its hydel resources anyway and should not get so serious about its objections. (ANI)

Zardari says he discussed Indus Basin Water Treaty issue with Manmohan Singh

Islamabad, Aug. 9 (ANI): Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he discussed the issue of the Indus Basin Water Treaty during his first meeting with India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York.

Responding to a question about the alleged violation of Indus Basin Water Treaty by India, Zardari said the government was conscious of this very grave issue of water shortage and is taking steps for its conservation.

In 2008, Pakistan’s Indus Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah had alleged that India was filling the Baglihar Dam in clear violation of the Indus Basin Water Treaty, bringing the inflow in Chenab River down to a historic low of 20,000 cusecs.

According to The Nation, Zardari said that a special assistant to the prime minister on water had been appointed, which reflected the significance the government was attaching to the issue.

He also emphasised on the importance of water conservation and said modern technologies of irrigation should be utilised for conservation of precious water.

On the issue of militancy in Balochistan, Zardari said the government is moving in the right direction to address the problems faced by the people of Balochistan through dialogue and constitutional means.

He admitted that the people of Balochistan had been ignored in the past and the PPP government would like to apologise to them despite the fact that “We were not responsible for the past wrong doings.”

Addressing members of the youth parliament, Zardari said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had raised the issue of foreign interference in Balochistan with his Indian counterpart during their meeting at Sharm El-Sheikh. (ANI)

India concerned about long-term solution for Koshi Dam breach

Kathmandu, July 13 (ANI): India’s Minister for Water Resource and Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal has said India is concerned about the long-term solution for Koshi Dam breach.

Bansal who inspected the Koshi breach area in Sunsari and the reconstruction works at the dam on Sunday said India is serious about the problems caused by Koshi Dam and disclosed that the concerned authorities have been directed to take up all necessary measures including reconstruction works at the Koshi Dam.

“India is also ‘concerned’ about the high dam and the study on its possibility is underway,” he added.

Nepal’s Minister for Irrigation Bal Krishna Khand and Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood also accompanied the inspection team, Nepalnews reported.

Tens of thousands of people had been displaced in Morang and Sunsari districts after the breach in the Koshi embankment triggered massive floods last year.

Koshi floods had also displaced Indians of Arariya, Supoul, Baguwan, Basanpur, Dumarwana, Dhurna and other parts of Bihar state that have come to Sunsari and Morang districts.

Under a treaty signed between India and Nepal in 1954, India assumed responsibility for constructing, operating and maintaining the Koshi project for the benefits of controlling floods in monsoon and receiving water for irrigation during winter. (ANI)

Blair no more a favourite to become EU president

London, July 12 (ANI): Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s chances of becoming the new president of European Union have receded after he lost support among continental leaders.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was originally Blair’s key backer, is said to have “changed his mind”.

The new favourite is Spain’s charismatic socialist former prime minister Felipe Gonzales, The Sunday Telegraph reports.

European leaders are just beginning the complex horse-trading that will end in the appointment of a EU president and “high representative” – effectively the union’s foreign minister – once the Lisbon Treaty has been finally fully ratified.

That could come in October when Ireland stages its second referendum on the treaty following a “No” vote last year. Pundits expect a “Yes” vote this time round which would allow the treaty to pass into law among the EU’s 27 member states.

Blair, currently a Middle East peace envoy, remains 10 Downing Street’s choice.

A Foreign Office source told The Sunday Telegraph: “The new job is perfectly suited to a big personality like Tony Blair.”

Sarkozy is thought to have altered his stance – partly because of Blair’s perceived “failure” to achieve any change in the Middle East.

He has now switched support to Gonzales, 67, who has claimed that Europe has been “adrift for 20 years” and has become a mere follower of the United States.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose support Blair would need, never has been keen on Tony getting the job.

Sources claim there is little chance of a Briton being appointed as high representative either. (ANI)

IndiaMART.com registers 40 percent growth in recession time

New Delhi, July 9 (ANI/Business Wire India): IndiaMART.com registered an impressive growth of 40 per cent in revenues for 2008-2009 despite an economic downturn. he growth in revenues has also been backed by a robust 52 per cent growth in supplier registrations.

“Our numbers speak for themselves, While the whole world is busy hiding behind words like recession and economic downturn to conceal their poor performance, our teams have strived hard to keep the winning streak going,” said a beaming Dinesh Agarwal, CEO and Founder of IndiaMART.com.

Agarwal feels the steep rise in registrations is clearly indicative of recessionary pressure on entrepreneurs to make do with show string marketing budgets, which naturally pushes them to seek online marketing as the most credible and effective option. As the market leader, IndiaMART is always keen to take on path breaking initiatives to sensitize SMEs about online marketing and adoption of technology through events, trade shows and conferences.

IndiaMART.com has been ranked India’s No. 1 online B2B marketplace by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in its recent study done on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) usage among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The independent market research, with special focus on online B2B marketplaces, accords over 85 per cent preference for IndiaMART among B2B suppliers who go online, and who were interviewed by IAMAI. The study also states a 60 per cent market share for IndiaMART.com in India.

IndiaMART.com received its first round of private equity investment from Intel Capital earlier this year. Bennet Coleman and Co Ltd, publishers of The Times of India and The Economic Times, also have a stake in IndiaMART as a private treaty partner. (ANI)

Lashkar’s Gulf based terror cells planning attack on India: Report

Virginia (US), July 7 (ANI): The threat perception on vital installations in three coastal states Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa has been increased manifold following intelligence reports of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) channelising huge amounts of money from its Gulf-based networks for terror strikes against the country.

According to a report in the Terrorism Monitor, a periodical published by the Virginia based Jamestown Foundation, intelligence authorities have revealed that the LeT’s marine wing is planning a repeat of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and is on the look out for an incursion into India via the western sea-coast.

Recently, Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram had also raised fears about terrorists using the sea route to strike at strategic locations along the western cost.

Intelligence authorities have also confirmed the Gulf link to terror in India.

There are several LeT cells operating in the Gulf that have financed and facilitated terrorist operations against India, the report said.

The arrest of Muhammad Omar Madni, who is believed to be a close aide of Lashkar chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed revealed the impending threat to India through the sea route.

Madni’s arrest and interrogation revealed several startling details, including new routes used by terrorists, the location of bases inside and outside India, terrorist finances, and the recruitment strategy of the LeT.

The investigations carried out by Mumbai Police’s crime branch also revealed that the November 2008 Mumbai attacks were financed by LeT’s Gulf cells, the report said.

During the probe it was also found that it was the Gulf-based operatives that had masterminded and executed a series of blasts in various cities such as Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Delhi and Surat in 2008, it added.

These serial terror attack was carried out with of the Indian Mujahedeen (IM) operatives and the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the report went on to add.

With the increasing threat perception from the middle-east, India is now seeking a comprehensive anti-terrorism treaty with the Gulf nations, the report concluded. (ANI)

India, Japan agree to fast track work on freight, industrial corridors

Tokyo, July 3 (ANI): India and Japan on Friday agreed to take steps to fast track work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project.

The decision was announced at a joint press conference by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries-Hirofumi Nakasone and S.M. Krishna-after the conclusion of the two-day Third Japan-India Strategic Dialogue here.

Foreign Minister Nakasone also confirmed bilateral collaboration on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad.

On the issue of disarmament and non-proliferation, the Japanese Minister revealed that he had shared Tokyo’s ’11 benchmarks’ for promoting the same, and added that Krishna and he had agreed that both countries should work together to commence negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) at the earliest.

It was also agreed that there was a need to enhance bilateral exchange of views between Japan and India, on the regional situation in South Asia, international challenges and regional situations.

Both ministers shared the view that the nuclear and missile development by North Korea is a threat to the international community, and that there was a need to implement the measures set out in the UN Security resolution 1874 and make North Korea to take this very seriously.

Endorsing the views of Nakasone, Krishna said New Delhi attached high importance to its bilateral relations with Tokyo.

“We thoroughly reviewed our bilateral relations since my Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo in October 2008. We agreed that the Strategic and Global Partnership between us is an important factor in furthering our ties, as well as in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world,” said Krishna.

“We are making progress in our negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Foreign Minister Nakasone and I agreed on the necessity of concluding a high quality and mutually beneficial agreement,” he added.

Krishna also revealed that Japan’s Official Development Assistance to India was reviewed and New Delhi appreciated Tokyo’s contribution to “our economic development”.

He also said that both ministers reviewed the follow-up on the implementation of the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.

Other issues taken up were UN reform and the important global challenge of climate change.

Krishna said that he would be calling on Prime Minister Taro Aso before returning to New Delhi. (ANI)

India begins providing river outflow data to Pak

Lahore, June 30 (ANI): As part of an annual practice, India has started providing Pakistan with data on the outflow of the Ravi, Sutlej, Beas and Chenab rivers from today.

After the Indus Basin Treaty, 1960, the Indian Indus water commissioner’s office provides the river outflow data on an annual basis, the Daily Times reports.

Under the treaty, Pakistan is entitled to the use of the waters of western rivers, Chenab, Indus and Jhelum, while India has rights over the water of eastern rivers, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah had said that there had not been any violation of the agreement on the Ranbir and Partap Canals on India’s part.

He also rejected reports that Pakistan was going to the International Court of Justice on the Kishanganga Dam project.

Pakistan has been opposing the construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on Ganga River in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan.

Pakistan believes that the diversion of waters of Neelum is not allowed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, and it will face a 27 per cent water deficit, when the project gets completed.

The reduced water flow in the Neelum would not yield the required results of the proposed 1.6 billion dollars Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project that has been designed to generate 969 MW of electricity.

It has said that India has almost completed a 22-kilometre long tunnel to divert Kishanganga waters to Wullar Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

Environment Minister rejects use of climate factor as a non-tariff barrier

New Delhi, June 30 (ANI): Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday ruled out to use climate as a non-tariff barrier and any attempt to introduce climate change as a topic for discussion at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meetings.

Jairam’s remarks came on Tuesday in reaction to a report from the WTO saying trade concerns should be subjugated to climate change issues.

Jairam said that the eight ‘missions’ listed in India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) released exactly a year ago, were still being finalised, and said that the detailed “action plans” would be ready by the end of the year.

He also said that India would not sign any treaty that legally binds it to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, attacking a proposed US legislation that seeks to put in such provisions to tax those products from countries that do not impose curbs on these emissions.

Jairam added that India was not negotiating or re-negotiating United Nation’s Framework of Convention. But, he said, it is negotiating emission targets as India has no role in building Green House Gases (GHGs).

India must stop looking at climate change purely as an international issue.

As Jairam put it, it is mostly a fundamental, domestic and local issue. It affects water security, land productivity, agricultural yields and energy consumption.

“The agenda today is talking about deforestation and incentives to reduce deforestation. We believe that in addition to this we would like incentives to be enshrined for reforestation, for sustainable forest management,” said Jairam.

He also stressed on the need for reforestation.

“We reject the use of climate as a non tariff barrier. We would like barriers to train in environmental goods and services to be removed. We would like special property rights regime for climate change technology but we comprehensively and categorically reject any attempt to introduce climate change as a discussion part of the WTO (World Trade Organisation),” Jairam said.

Climate change will be discussed during the next week G-8 summit to be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and during thee NAM (Non-Aligned Meeting) later next month. (ANI)

North Korea accused of threats for gaining few billion dollars

Melbourne, May 26 (ANI): North Korea has once again managed to hog world attention through its latest nuclear test, according to the founder of Stratfor, a leading US intelligence group.

North Koreans were perhaps the cagiest negotiators in the world history, said George Friedman, the founder of Stratfor.

“Our view on Korea has been consistent – a country with the gross national product of Chad has manoeuvred into a position where the Americans, Russians, Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans are trying to form a policy to induce them to talk to us,” he said.

Dr, Friedman, who was in Australia to attend the recent Sydney Writers Festival, said every few years North Korea had reached a settlement with the US and China, gained a few billion dollars, spent it, then blew something up again.

“Diplomats everywhere run around in circles,” he said, adding a treaty will be signed and billions of dollars handed over for North Korea to go away.

The North Koreans appeared to have exploded a nuclear device smaller than the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, but which was still far short of being a useable nuclear weapon, News.com.au reports.

Going from a device to a weapon was extraordinarily difficult and required miniaturisation and ruggedisation so it could survive takeoff on a missile and re-entry, Dr. Friedman said.

“They are so far away from a weapon that it is very difficult to calculate. But I am sure it is worth 4000 billion dollars to shut them up and have them go away for a while until the Dear Leader croaks and somebody else takes over,” he added. (ANI)

Obama would need a fresh approach to deal with N. Korea nuke test

Washington, May 26 (ANI): US President Barack Obama’s goal of eliminating nuclear weapons has received a setback of sorts with North Korea’s second nuclear test on Monday, and experts feel that he would now have to come up with a fresh approach to deal with the security threat posed by the isolated Pyongyang regime.

“The United States and the international community must take action in response. North Korea is not only deepening its own isolation, it’s inviting stronger international pressure,” Obama told reporters in a Rose Garden statement before heading to Memorial Day ceremonies.

But, according to Politico, the sanctions already in place against North Korea are so sweeping that many analysts say the U.N. lacks new ways of pressuring the regime to return to multilateral talks, other than to pass a new strongly worded resolution condemning the test.

While Obama said he hoped to negotiate a new treaty to end the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons, the president acknowledged that eliminating all nuclear weapons might not happen in his lifetime.

But since his April 5 speech, both North Korea and Iran have illustrated how difficult it will be to achieve credible progress even on the short-term goals Obama described.

Iran has shown little sign so far of accepting Obama’s offer of better ties in return for halting its nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.

On Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ruled out nuclear talks with other countries and pronounced the debate about the future of its nuclear program “over.”

North Korea, too, has seemed intent on solidifying its claim as a nuclear weapons state.

But Mike Green, a former National Security Council aide during the Bush administration, said a firm U.N. response to the North Korean test would get Iran’s attention, because Tehran has more to fear than Pyongyang from tough international sanctions. (ANI)